Sand Dunes

I am reading the Dune cycle (Frank & Brian Herbert) right now so desert imagery is fresh in my mind. Some see deserts as dry, arid and uninviting - I see deserts as clean, pure and beautiful. A desert is a place the is not cluttered or overrun with the business of life. Deserts are places of solitude and contemplation. May times in the bible we find men of God leaving behind the cities and farms ad heading off into the desert to be alone. They spent time with God and themselves. They examined their heart and looked for guidance.

There are many times in our lives that we feel that God has us "in the desert." Instead of feeling that we are being ignored, perhaps we could look at this as an opportunity to grow and learn God's heart.

blessings on your day

Going in Circles

I have always enjoyed the work of M. C. Escher, perhaps because there are times that I feel like I am on a stair that goes nowhere or in a place that makes no sense :) This particular work has long been one of my favorites and I thought it time to share it with you, the "casual reader."

Enjoy

View From a Cave

Believe it or not, this is a real , unmodified picture

Our 1st Win

Thorns

The above picture (by Robbie, check out his photography site to the left) spoke to me this morning. Thorns, whether natural or man-made, present barriers to progress. When presented with a hedge of thorns, a casual hiker will turn aside. When presented with a barbed-wire fence, animals will turn aside.

We all encounter thorns in our lives - barriers to progress. Sometimes these barriers are built by circumstances and other times as a result of our own words and actions. The interesting thing about these types of barriers is that they won't stop anyone who is determined enough. If you doubt this, watch a bear pick berries sometime or extract honey from a hive - bees are mobile thorns; read up on the Lance Armstrong and other survivors of tragedy or disease.

The problem of course is persevering through the barrier. It is much easier to simply turn aside than to push through the thorns and endure the (potentially very severe) pain. I understand that *your* pain is intense and can NOT be faced (it is always easier when we talk about the pain others feel and avoid touching our own). I also know that if I don't face my own pain and push past it (no matter what the risk), I will lose out on enormous opportunities for God to bless me.

My tendency is to run from my pain - to turn aside at the thorns. Over the years this has cost me treasures beyond measure. What thorns are there in your life? What pain must be faced and overcome? What must you risk to get through the wall of thorns (we know there is no gain without risk)?

Will you run (like I have most of my life) or will you join me in committing to pushing through the thorns?

blessings on your day

Emmy Show

What a disaster that was this week. Having the thing hosted by the reality show hosts was a mistake. It was like watching Survivor: Emmy without any good bits. Due to the dominance of reality TV, it is apparently no longer possible to get writers for shows. It seems most reality shows are written by and geared towards your average 8th grader.

Project Time and Annoyances

Work has settled down this week after a crazy start. I am finally able to allocate some time to the 2 largish projects on my list. I prefer working on projects to scrambling after fires. For me, constant task switching is not efficient.

On a more personal note, I hate it when the gym is crowded. For the last 2 days I have not been able to get the machines I wanted. At 5 a.m., I am not very good at ad-libbing (is that a word?) and it tends to throw my routine off. The really annoying part is that most of the "new people" won't last. They will show up every day for a week, drop back to 2-3 times a week for a few and then disappear. I wish they would simply not join in the first place.

Stormy Weather

For Chocolate Lovers

From an article on Yahoo:

A small square of dark chocolate daily protects the heart from inflammation and subsequent heart disease, a new study of Italians suggests. Milk chocolate might not do the job.

The full article is HERE

News Flash

Found a place that quoted E about $1,600 to swap out the engine in the 'stang. We have a new ballgame :)

G1

T-Mobile released the first truly new phone to the market since the Apple iPhone today. What is new is not the touch screen, the slide out keyboard, integrated web browser or customizable interface.

No, what makes this phone unique is that it uses a new operating system called Android. Android was developed by Google (through collaboration with the open source community). While T-Mobile is not perhaps the best bet for releasing a 3G phone (the only have 21 cities with 3G capability), it may be sufficient to get some competitors customers to jump ship, particularly if they are techies.

See link to manufacturer's website HERE, and T-Mobile HERE

Escape

Apparently there is a wallaby running loose in Merry Ol' England these days. A petting zoo in Berkeley (west of London) suffered a breakout over the weekend. The wallaby, who everyone thought was content to be petted poke and prodded by small children, apparently has gone on holiday. As of this morning, while numerous sitings have been phoned in, the unnamed wallaby remains at large in spite of the best efforts of the zoo staff and local constabulary.

Of Ice and Men

Got home last night and joined the neighbors on the driveway for a bit. No one has seen Jack-Sean for quite a while and we were speculating on his whereabouts. While we were gossiping about the neighbors that were absent, NoDogs decided to see how those disposable ice-packs worked. I won't go into details other than to say he applied it in an unusual location.

E was driving a Ford Taurus as her car was getting the clear-coat reapplied (last bit of unresolved repair following the accident a while back).

I kicked up the workout schedule a notch and am going 5 days a week now. I tell people it is because I feel better when I exercise but in reality I am too undisciplined to take days off between workouts. It is actually easier to set the alarm and get up every day. That way this is less temptation to hit the snooze button.

Footnote to Sue-Anne, I can see how people get addicted to exercise. I find myself wishing I had more time in the morning at the gym.

Need More Light

As the days go by, more and more details of the current fiscal disaster are coming to light. Bloomberg reports that a bill was introduced in 2005 that almost certainly would have averted the collapse of the mortgage industry. The bill was co-sponsored by McCain (yes, that McCain) and would have regulated Fannie and Freddie much the way the banking industry is regulated.

Alas! The bill was killed in committee by a partisan vote from the controlling Democrats. As a result (perhaps), these 2 institutions and their employees have funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars into the war funds of some of the leading democrats, among them Obama and Clinton.

For the full article, click HERE

Seasons - They Come And Go

One thing that has comforted me over the years is the fact that no season lasts forever. This is true whether you are talking about the drift through the solar year or our journey through life. Sometimes a season seems to drag on long past the time you think it should be over and done (like NorCal summers). Sometimes a season passes in the blink of an eye.

Today marks the turn of a page in the calendar (metaphorically) as we officially pass from summer to fall. The summer passed quickly for us. It seems like there was little to differentiate it from the spring other than the heat. We did little of the vacation sort of things and even the kids were occupied much of the time with activities and jobs.

From a life standpoint, the season has not turned yet. We still struggle with many of the same issues and are having a hard time finding any resolution to some of the more nagging issues. I know that God is working in our lives (partly by seeing His hand, partly by faith) so I know progress is being made. For the traveler who is passing through a dark and heavy forest, it often difficult indeed to see the end of the road until the edge of the forest is reached.

Lincoln Brewster has a song that states "God is good all the time - and all the time God is good". Holding on to this is what gives me hope and a purpose. I know that this season too shall pass.

blessings on your day
_______________________________________________________________
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 To every thing there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the heavens: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pull up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Musical Roads

News-wire today announced that Lancaster CA officials are going to pave a stretch of road after numerous complaints by residents. It seems the road was recently "grooved" as part of a marketing campaign by Honda. If you drive over that stretch of road in a Civic at 55 mph, the road plays the William Tell Overture to the driver. Unfortunately, to everyone else (including those not driving Civics at 55 mph), it is just a loud and annoying hum.

Go figure, only in CA eh?

Typical Monday

Well my Monday started off less than stellar. The job I set to run over the weekend failed because another person never got around to completing their tasks last week (and didn't bother to communicate that before leaving on vacation). This morning I get to explain that to the QA department head.

I sure hope this is not a harbinger of the rest of my week.

Surgery

Riley went in for surgery again today. Another lump showed up on his leg. We caught it a lot earlier this time so the surgery was easier. He is resting on his bed right now. The challenge will be keeping him quiet.

'Stang Update

Had a friend ask me today for an update on the mustang. I called the engine place and got a quote for $3,157 to drop in a used engine (substantially more for a new one). At this point, I am reluctant to put that much into the car even though there is a 1-year limited warranty on the engine (basically the "core" is warrantied, not the bits attached).

Called 5-Star back and asked Trey to check around to see if he could find a buyer for the mustang, 'as-is' with an estimated value of $1,200 - $1,500. Meanwhile, E has a friend who might be willing to make us a good deal on a 1992 Acura Legend.

Final analysis - the jury is still out.

How Big Is Your God?

That was the topic of an email devotional I got today. While the discussion by the author was of Job, I was immediately struck by how relevant the question is in today's society. We have become so enamored by our own power, intelligence and technology that we don't seem to have any use for an all-powerful Creator in our lives.

It is easy to keep God in a box and drag Him out for special events and Sundays. We leave Him home when we go to work, the game or on vacation. He stays on the shelf while we flirt in the office, fudge on our taxes and make that illegal U-turn.

We trust Him to heal us when the doctors can't but won't trust Him to with our finances. We talk about Him as the author of creation but fail to see His hand in our lives when we lose our job. God is as big as you let Him be. Maybe it is time to open our eyes a bit wider.

If God is big enough to be God on Sundays, shouldn't He be God during the week as well?

blessings on your day

Ahoy!

It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day :) Hoist the mains'l, shiver me timbers and walk the plank!

Official Site

Seinfeld

I have certainly enjoyed Jerry Seinfeld over the years regardless of his political views. He is funny and irreverent. One of my favorite quotes by Jerry is: "Where lipstick is concerned, the important thing is not color, but to accept God's final word on where your lips end."

That being said, I don't get what possessed him to do the commercials with Bill Gates. The commercials were not bad. In fact on one level they were pretty entertaining. No, the problem with the Micro$oft commercials was that they are pointless, bereft of content and lacking in any value what so ever from a marketing standpoint.

I applauded the decision to cancel them.

AIG and Friends

There has been a lot of media coverage as well as government issued press releases lately regarding the melt down of our economy. Almost all of what we are told is softened and white washed. Why do I say this? Because each day we get a little bit more of the story and it is always worse then what we were told the day before.

For a refreshingly honest and candid discussion of the housing market collapse and how it has effected our economy, see the link below (sent by a friend).

Tilt: Game Over

If It Makes You Happy...

I was listening to the Sheryl Crow song this morning and was once again struck by how this seems to be the theme of our society. Expressions like "if it feels good do it", "hey, it works for you", "just do it" and the lyrics to the song titled above reinforce the prevailing belief that we can do whatever we want, whenever we want - and there will be no consequences.

Our parents (well, my generation's at least) grew up in a society where absolute morality and truth were the norm rather than the exception. People knew what was right and could expect to face the consequences if they chose what was wrong. People understood that relationships were cooperative and compromise was necessary.

Today relationships are competitive and the only compromise we make is with the truth. The result is sky rocketing divorce, rampant crime, corporate (and personal) greed and an epidemic of loneliness and depression. I wonder what kind of society we will see in another generation?

blessings on your day

Subi Day

Subi is arriving in the neighborhood Sunday at 10 a.m.

FYI - for those NOT 'in the know,' that means neighborhood-haircut-day. Subi comes by every 4-5 weeks and cuts the hair of all who show up. It is a pretty sweet deal for both sides. He gets paid outside the shop (no revenue sharing) and we get haircuts without leaving home. He usually ends up cutting the hair of 12-15 kids and adults.

As a footnote, it is also an excuse for the neighborhood to hang out at either the Alger or Jentgen driveway, eat snack food, drink beer and gossip about those poor souls who chose to stay away.

Deal or No Deal?

So talked to the "engine people" and got a rough quote of $3K for a used engine installed. I guess the next step is trying to figure out if it makes more sense to sell the carcass and buy a new (to me) vehicle or get the 'stang fixed.

Yum

Dinner was pretty good last night. E picked up one of those frozen entrees recently. It was chicken with penne pasta in a Mexican sauce (cheese, tortilla bits, peppers, etc.). Would definitely do it again (although it only serves 4).

Tonight I am doing boneless pork ribs in the crock pot. I ran out of BBQ sauce so made my own. It turned out pretty good although a little sweeter than the Cattlemen's that we usually use.

blessings on your day

It's Official

The new HTC Touch HD has been announced. It will be available in Europe, Q4 and the rest of us "shortly afterward." No word on price but it does support WCDMA (Sprint). It may be the first real iPhone contender. It has a 3.8 inch display (iPhone is 3.5 inch) at a resolution of 480x800 (compared to 480x320 for the iPhone).

Click HERE for the press release from HTC.

Goodbye 'Stang

Well the engine is blown so we will be trying to find someone to buy what is left. Until then transportation for the boy will be uncertain. Work was ok today, got one of the systems that has been down for over a week back on line (w00t!) and was able to successfully upgrade our 2 customer beta sites (trust me, there was some doubt Friday evening about the viability of this task).

I also sat down with our source control guru and figured out how to get my last project in to the library. Over all a very satisfactory day :)

Stormy Weather

I have been following the news reports regarding the hurricanes this year (the above shot is hurricane Ike as it makes landfall in TX). At the same time I have been following the financial market reports and I see a distinct parallel. We have been in a season of "economic storms" for over a year now. It seems that before we can even dig out from one "storm" another is upon us.

The collapse of the housing market was simply the first blow. Since then we have witnessed energy prices sky rocketing, the dollar plummeting, US companies being bought out by overseas investors, and airlines on the verge of complete failure.

This morning we find 2 of our largest brokerage houses disappearing. Lehman Brothers will soon join Enron in the annals of spectacular failures and Merrill Lynch has sought refuge under the umbrella of BofA. Add to this the nations largest insurer, AIG, teetering on the brik of bankruptcy.

The world is changing.

Well Dressed

Sitting by the wave pool yesterday at the water park, it occurred to me that not everyone understands the concept of appropriate attire. During the course of the day, I observed may (many!) instances of people that need a clue (or a mirror).

I saw extremely pregnant women in string bikinis. I saw muffin-tops that boggled the mind (and caused visual distress). There were people who dyed their hair to make their swim suits. Tattoos were everywhere. Now as a rule, although it is unlikely that I will ever have a tat, I understand that they appeal to some people. The should be aesthetic standards applied to the choice and placement of tattoos (by law). Saw one lady who had the numbers 26.2 tattooed discreetly on her foot (obviously a marathon runner). I also saw a women who had a scorpion on one shoulder and a fairy with a flower on the other. They were not at the same level nor even centered on the shoulder. It makes you wonder if the tattoo artist had been drinking heavily that day. Either that or the woman asked the artist to "surprise me."

Watching people was more entertaining then the best water slide.

Sunbathing

Sarah getting a base burn

Buds

NoDogs and Ethan

A Day at the Water Park

Sutter Roseville Picnic @ Sunsplash

Leg Cramp

No One Gets By

Number 8

Andrew had 6 receptions for over 100 yards and a fumble recovery

Broken Again

Well it was a bad night for automobiles. Andrew called last night as I was getting ready for bed to tell me he might need a ride as he lost a coolant hose in his 'stang. Fortunately he made it home. Unfortunately, the reason the hose blew was the bracket holding it in place failed as a result of the intake manifold cracking. He is a pedestrian today.

I went out this morning to go to grab the paper off the driveway prior to leaving for the gym and noticed Rae's right-rear tire was much lower then recommended for driving.

Lots of challenges today, eh?

A New Sheriff In Town

Or rather - a new chef. Sarah made dinner last night. I called her at 3 and asked if she would. She asked what she should make. I pointed out that there was chicken breasts thawed out ad we had a cupboard full of spices and such :) So she made up a new recipe.

Everyone liked it - even NoDogs. Rae and Clare arrived about 6:20, just in time for dinner.

Techno-Geek

The pace at which technology changes can be annoying and even overwhelming. (I know my wife would say that "technology is annoying") I have been searching for some time now, for a phone that will replace both my existing phone as well as my PDA. For years, I have used my PDA for bible study, to manage my contacts & calendar, and hold my library of reading material. About the time that I think I have found something workable, a new one comes out. I started by looking at the Treos (750, 755, 800, Centro and the new Pro). Then I moved on to the HTC phones (Touch & Diamond). Finally I settled on the Touch PRO (see previous post) that will be available on Sprint in October. Wouldn't you know it - HTC is coming out with a new smart phone that totally obsoletes the Touch PRO. No word on when or what carrier....SIGH