Category: Stuff (Page 14 of 65)

Pizza, puke, and Prison Break

05/01/2007 / Blake

::Three down and hopefully none to go::

Saturday night the Fam went to eat at Mazzio’s Pizza. It’s a pretty good place to eat and you can get some food w/o feeling gouged when you leave. We ordered and took our number and cups to the table. I got everyone’s drink and went back to the table. So then The Wife went to make her salad. I got a text message and while I was looking at my phone I started getting wet. But where was there any water coming from?

It was just to my left as Addie was vomiting all across our table. She’d not complained or said she felt bad or anything. But it all came out in a few waves. But even between waves she said she felt okay.

So after cleaning her off, get a new shirt from the car, clean off the mini lake on the table, and all wash up, our food gets there. Addie says she’s feeling fine. But we only let her nibble at a piece. But afterwards she’s wanting to go play video games and such. All good, right? Right?

After a bath and pajamas on, she comes in the kitchen to Continue reading

Carlos at RagamuffinSoul.com & My Dream

04/26/2007 / Blake

Meet Carlos…or Los.
He is a blogger that I think I first discovered either through Scott Hodge‘s blog or Anne Jackson. But he’s one that I check out pretty often. He’s got a unique outlook on stuff, usually humorous, really loves his family, and is a Mac guy too. He leads worship at his SoCal church with a passion and puts out a podcast once every few months.

But when I first started reading this guys stuff…he was in flight over to Korea to adopt his son. He posted daily video diaries of it and they were amazing! You have to check them out.

Anyway, on to my dream. A couple of weeks ago I had a dream w/ him in it. Nothing weird. But I went to his house to play ping-pong. Not sure if he’s ever mentioned ping-pong before on his blog. But that’s why I went. But he had some crappy paddles and a crappy table. So even though I beat him…I couldn’t dominate like I would have in real life…but still won.

I saw him on AIM and told him. He asked, “Did I kick your arse?” I replied, “Of course not!” So he said, “Then it was a dream…”

The Pact is back

04/16/2007 / Blake

For three summers of my life I worked at Camp Lake Stephens. In many, many ways it shaped a large part of my life. I think it was there that I was stretched and grew in my faith. CLS was where I began to take up more and more roles in leadership and ministry. It was at CLS that I made some really good friends that I still cherish today. And it was there that I met my wife … or the girl who would become my wife.

In the course of your average day as a camp counselor, we would have store time (usually after swim time.) And almost every day I would eat two Whatchamacallit candy bars. They were like eating two bars of heaven every afternoon. They were SO GOOD!

One day, a girl (who would later become my wife) said I couldn’t go a day w/o eating one. I told her (with a voice of male confidence) that I could go the WHOLE WEEK without eating one. I said I’d do it if she didn’t eat any desserts either. So the pact was born.

We couldn’t eat anything considered dessert or sweets during the week (the weekend was fair game.) And it ended up stretching through the summer and into the school year. And I think I was healthier because of that.

So the pact is back. No sweets/desserts at all except for on the weekends. We’ll see how this goes. Sad to say that last weekend we were in Target and bought a bag full of Easter candy at 75% off. So now I have some chocolate eggs calling my name.

99 Balloons for Eliot

04/11/2007 / Blake

I came across this yesterday. I don’t think that a talk or sermon has to have a video clip just to make it “cool” or relevant. And I’ve seen instances where I thought a speaker just threw one in to have one…that it might have been a better message without it completely.

But I came across one yesterday that I want to use sometime. It’s deep. It’s powerful. And if you watch it, be careful. It can wreck you for the next few minutes. But it’s awesome.

99 Balloons

Tell me what you think.

Q: Blockbuster vs. Netflix…Is one obviously better?

04/10/2007 / Blake

A: YES!

I’m a movie guy. I like to watch a lot of movies. And now I’ve gotten into a few tv shows that I’m having to play catchup because I missed them when they first came on television (like 24 and Prison Break). So DVD’s are awesome.

I remember when I had a friend first subscribe to Netflix. He said it was pretty neat w/ a decent turn around time. But I still was living in Amory and would just go to the local Movie Gallery.

But after moving to Clinton where we have a Blockbuster, I decided to give them a try with the “online rental” system. In comparing them to NetFlix, Blockbuster would let you rent three out at a time like Netflix but at a $3 less (14.99 vs. $17.99)…but, you also got two coupons a month to be able to rent free movies from the store. Slam dunk, right?

So we go w/ Blockbuster Online. It seems to work pretty well. Sometimes a movie would get delayed or something. And right after Blockbuster had lots and lots of commercials on during the Super Bowl a year ago, movies would sometimes be labeled Short or Long Wait. But they soon added distribution centers and it seemed to even out and be fairly quick again.

While Netflix kept their prices the same, Blockbuster raised theirs to match those of Netflix. But the two free rentals a month still tipped the balance towards Blockbuster. But then Blockbuster reduced that to only ONE free movie a week. That made me start to look over the fence at Netflix. But then Blockbuster pulled, what for me, is the clincher.

Before, after watching a movie, I would have to send it back in the envelope in order for them to process the return. And then they’d send out the next movie in my queue. So from the time I placed it in the mail box to when I’d get a new one it would be about four days, sometimes five. BUT….now I can drive it to my local Blockbuster, grab a new movie off the shelf, exchange it for FREE…and once they scan the returned movie there in store the distribution center goes ahead and sends me the new one.

It boils down to this. Instead of me waiting about four or five days for a new movie. I can get one that day, and then get another one in the mail in about two or three days. How is that not a perfect system?

Now some people will complain that the system is flawed because the whole point of online movie rentals is so you don’t have to worry w/ going in the stores. But I drive by Blockbuster pretty much every day when I’m out in town. It’s not an inconvenience at all. Others will say that Blockbuster’s selection doesn’t have the foreign and independent films that Netflix does. Maybe not, but I’ve never gone searching for one that I couldn’t find. Never. So I guess I’m not indie enough for some people.

So…hands down, Blockbuster Online is a much better deal for me and my family. Netflix isn’t bad…but not as good. Jason, on the other hand, feels strongly about the Blockbuster/Netflix dilemma and believes Netflix is the better option. But I think his whole opinion is skewed by his “in store” sign-up experience. Give him a read and see what you think.

Chilly Easter

04/07/2007 / Blake

This morning we headed up to the church for the Easter Egg Hunt. But this one was unique. All the little kids were bundled up in coats and toboggans. It was stinking cold! My two year old did quite well, but my 5 year old hardly got any because she wanted to finish coloring and writing her name on her picture before going outside.

So we walked over next to where the two year old was, and she gave her big sister some of her eggs. Even the Golden Egg she found. I doubt we see that happen any more in the years to come (the golden egg part.)

But as cold as it is right now (highs in the 50’s, lows in the 30’s) compared to the 80+ we’d been feeling, it should be interesting tomorrow at church for Easter Sunday. The day that so many females have that special, cute, perfect dress to wear. The dress that is almost always a “warm weather” dress.

So will all these women/girls be tough and wear it tomorrow and be cold, or postpone it til next weekend. As if Al Gore needed something else to be wrong about!

Feast One Hundred & Thirty Eight

04/06/2007 / Blake

Appetizer
When you travel, which mode of transportation do you prefer?
With friends or interesting people. That’s more imporant that the mode.

Soup
Have you ever met a blogging friend in person?
Not someone I met first on a blog, no.

Salad
When was the last time you were really, really tired?
I think Monday I got a headache, came home from work and really needed a nap.

Main Course
If you could have dinner with any one fictional character from a book or movie, who would it be?
Jack Ryan? Frodo? John Rambo? William Wallace? Lots to choose from…

Dessert
Fill in the blank: One day, I hope to see _______________.
My scrapbook filled with photos and memories from my world travels.

Too Much Basketball?

03/28/2007 / Blake

Just realized that most of the past few entries have been about basketball. There has been other stuff besides basketball going on of course, but now that basketball is over (we lost on a 3pt shot at the buzzer) we should move on to other things.

Here are some things to look forward to: LOST, youth ministry, U6 Soccer, books, websites, summer, outside, church, dogs, costa rica, shoes, networking, sleep, home school, discipline, and maybe a few other things.

But, too much basketball? Never. But now we move on to seeing MSU Baseball under achieve.

One down, two to go :: SEC Tournament

03/09/2007 / Blake

I just saw one of the best basketball games I’ve seen in a while. MSU took on Kentucky. Got up, then behind big, then back up big, then behind w/ the loss staring them in the face…then a HUGE shot to force overtime. And then some more good luck to pull it out in the final seconds. Literally the final 3 seconds.

Our team had lost 6 games this year when the margin was 5 points or less. But today we were able to mature and win one…by two. A team that starts 3 sophomores, one junior and one senior. And the first three off the bench are freshmen.

We needed today’s win. But we need at least one more…probably two. We now get to play the winner of the Vandy/Arkansas game. From an RPI standpoint…we want Vandy. But either way, we just need the win.

Five Score & Seven Years Ago

03/07/2007 / Blake

I remember way back in the day when I was a part of a youth ministry email list, there was someone on there complaining about how Interlinc would include some really good and some really crappy stuff in their shipments. One of the “crappy” examples was a band called Relient K. I’d not heard them, but this guy went on and on about how they were a waste and a sorry excuse for the music industry.
A few years later I hear “Sadie Hawkins Dance” and thought it was catchy…and realize it’s this Relient K band. I keep up with them. They have some catchy songs. Some crafty lyrics. And then when “Mmhmm” came out, I was really surprised. These guys had crafty talent and then they had some actual skill too.

Yesterday their lasted came out. Relient K’s “Five Score & Seven Years Ago”. I’m digging it. I’m still listening to it w/ the “checking it out” feel. But I can tell I’m going to like it a lot. These guys are putting out great music w/ crafty lyrics. Yes, I recommend them!