11 months

Look who is 11 months old today. Last night she was running around the house looking for Easter eggs.






Bottom Line - Time flies when you are having fun.

Twitter the Diesel

I recently joined twitter. The main reason I joined was because I heard that Shaq was very active posting crazy comments and pictures. Where else could you get pictures of Shaq eating Dairy Queen?



Bottom Line - All access to Shaq via twitter brings happiness to the world.

Squirrel Sense

Lately on numerous occasions I catch myself staring out into my back yard watching squirrels. They move quickly knowing exactly where they are heading. They do not always know how they will end up getting there, but that does not slow them down because they know they will get there one way or another. I love watching them scatter across tree branches and jumping from trees. They always take risks to get where they need to go. They might slip and fall, but there is always a branch or two below for backup in case their original choice of branch does not work.



I admire the squirrel sense and have been thinking of how to apply their ways to my own life. If I know where I'm going or what I want, I should run towards it and take the risk of jumping over obstacles towards it. It can be scary sometimes at such heights, but I have surrounded myself with numerous branches of life to lean on, grab onto, or stabilize and balance myself onto along the way if I slip or get knocked down. I have the branches of life as resources, maybe I should rely on them more often.

Bottom Line - Be the Squirrel. Jump to action.

Two Years

Two years ago today on St. Patrick's day I married my soul mate.



Two years ago today on St. Patrick's day we broke it down on the dance floor.



Two years later, we have been to Hawaii, we have totally remodeled a house, and we have the most beautiful baby daughter Lydia. The past two years have felt like ten years. Ten years in a good way that so many great things have happened that I have shared with my wife, and it has only been two years.

Bottom Line - Time is on my side

Star Wars T-Shirt

I have a couple Star Wars T-Shirts in my wardrobe. This entry is based on the shirt shown in the picture below. Background on the picture is that it was taken at GameWorks in Newport at my good friend Jim's bachelor party. Jim and I grew up watching Star Wars together daily. Another side note is that I got both Superman's in one turn from one of those claw machines. i was stoked.



Today I decided to wear this shirt to church. I have always received compliments every time I have worn this shirt, but today, I got way more than usual. So I walked into church and received 2 compliments on my shirt on the way to my seat. I thought it was normal, then Joe Boyd, who probably does not read this blog, started the message and made several references to Star Wars and the rebellion showing a metaphor of good from an unlikely source rising to fight evil.

After the message was over and everyone released, everyone of course saw my shirt and told me they loved it and how I was appropriately dressed for the message. I thought the compliment party was done there, but later that night I got 2 more while at Kroger. It was definitely an eventful day. I wonder if it would have been the same if I had worn my other Star Wars shirt which has a picture of Darth Vader and reads "Vader was framed"?

Bottom Line - May the Force be with you, always.

Tuesday Night Jazz

It is no secret that I love Jazz music.
It is no secret that I love vinyl records.
It is no secret that I love my daughter Lydia.
It is no secret that I love spending Tuesday nights alone with Lydia.

Put them all together and it is what I call "Tuesday Night Jazz"

Jess has the Beth Moore class on Tuesday nights, therefore I get to stay home with Lydia all by myself. Every Tuesday we usually put on a jazz record and hang out. I am educating her in the ways of the jazz standards. Miles Davis, Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck, Eric Dolphy, Duke Ellington, and many more jazz records that I own on vinyl. It is perfect hang out music.

When Lydia is ready for bed I put her to sleep to the greatest jazz recording of all time: Miles Davis' Kind of Blue on cd in her little boombox. I've decided that she is going to be a great jazz pianist when she grows up.



Bottom Line - Gotta start them early and often on jazz music.