Category: Stuff (Page 19 of 65)

While we were in Costa Rica we had church service about four times. Seems they like to have church about every other day. But at the end of the first night we were at church they played about six different styles of music. But they closed out the night w/ some rap song that was in Spanish. But all the Costa Rican kids went nuts. Heck, the whole church danced to it. It was like their “closing song”. Everyone knew the words and all.

The song was “Vida” by a group called DC Reto. It stands for some long name in Spanish, but anyhow, they’re quite amazing. There were a few songs that they played over and over (Pa Los Ninos, and Yo Te Quiero were the others). But DC Reto is a group from Honduras that also has an American in it. The music is quite infectious.

Someone from our group got the DC Reto cd and put it on iTunes so everyone could put it on their iPod. So we had all these white American kids walking around singing the five or six words of the song they knew, although none of it was in English and they didn’t really know what it meant.

But go check out DC Reto if you can. Their official site was down, dcreto.net,when I first started trying it, but it’s up these days.

[tags]dc reto, vida, pa los ninos[/tags]

I’m in a draft right now. Usually they’re really fun. But sometimes they can be like watching paint dry if you have some guys who pick really, really slowly.

Fantasy football is best when you play w/ people you know. But right now I’m drafting in a league, 5th year I’ve been in it, and I don’t actually KNOW anyone in it (meaning ever met them or even talked on the phone w/ them). I have chatted over AIM or something with a few. But it’s a really competitive league. I always seem to have a sub par team that does just well enough to have a sorry draft position each year. Lucky me.

But last year in this league (it’s a Keeper League) I won my division, and I made it all the way to the title game. Lost royally. So I have 2nd to last pick w/ keepers that would be 2nd at their position. Brees, Wayne, and R. Johnson.

[tags]fantasy football[/tags]

I like to have a neat journal. The paper and pen kind. The only problem is that I don’t use them consistently enough. I tried keeping an actual journal a few times and I still have those little spiral bound notebooks here and there. But I have plenty of notebooks scattered around drawers and closets with random stuff in them. Whether notes from college, notes from speakers at camps/conventions, to do lists, scores from a few games of Hearts.

A few months ago I found a new journal someone left in the youth room at church. It was brand spanking new. Not a mark in it. Something called a Mole Skin or something. Actually took it to a Bible study and showed it to a friend. He said, “I’ve been looking for that!” So I had to give it up. I figured them to be pretty expensive.

But today I won myself a Moleskine journal on eBay. Good for me. Now I will have my own little doodle, sketch, note, list, journal for whenever I need it. It was less than $10 (including shipping!). Not that it would ever take the place of blogging, but maybe it could be an idea emporium for future blogging posts!

Has anyone else used Moleskine and had a good experience w/ it?

[tags]moleskine[/tags]

Well, it seems youth trips are sometimes Sleep Depravation experiments. But especially our Destination Unknown Trips.

Friday morning we all gathered in the parking lot to head out to Birmingham. They kids didn’t know where we were going, and I was missing our road atlas, but it was all good. I knew the first stop. So we stopped in Bessemer, AL to hit Alabama Adventure. It was a nice, small little water park SLASH amusement park on the outskirts of Birmingham. A great place to get a sunburn and get dizzy and throw up.

We missed lunch so made it through thick traffic for a 4pm lunch. What better to do after a late lunch than go to a mall and have an early supper. So we hang out in the air conditioner and then people find their own supper. Then it’s to the big show!� Game Zone and their awesome laser tag.� It might not have been the best I’ve ever played out, but far from the worst. I was even Top Gunner our 2nd game. But we had to punt on the last game because we had to get to the church where we were sleeping. So we rescheduled the last game for the next morning.
So we get to the church, get our bearings, then go get some cokes so we can go to sleep early. This is about midnight by now. So we all break out in a game of Mafia (site, site). If you’ve never played Mafia, I must say it is awesome. But only as awesome as the honesty level of your players. I was quite impressed.

So we go to bed around 4. Probably don’t get any sleep because everyone has Mountain Dew in their veins. Get up at 6:45 and get out of Dodge because there is a wedding happening at the church that day we had to get out of the way of. So with time to kill, we go to McDonalds for breakfast and then to Barnes and Noble to either look at books or sleep in their big comfy chairs.

We squeeze in the last game of Laser Tag. The Red Team comes in victorious again (of course). And then we head home. The drive home was tough, but caffeinated beverages helped me make it.

The past few weeks have been really busy for me. Not crazy busy, but just really steady. This is including weekend stuff and overnight trips and crazy lunch schedules and evening schedules. So today is a day to be at home and get stuff done. I have a few “projects” I have to attend to, but I plan to get a little lazy time in too. Well, maybe this morning has been my lazy time.

But I do need to go and move and finish the fort/swing set that we’re building for my daughters. My dad came down last weekend and we knocked out the hard part. I say hard part, but I meant the stuff that seems to take 2 people to get done. Now most of it seems to be just attatching boards and planks in the right places. I do need to relocate it a bit, so that could take extra people.

This weekend is our Destination Unknown trip. I hope it turns out as well as we’re hoping. But still working on that place to stay.

Well, I look back and see that I’ve been quite a while w/o a post. It’s not for lack of trying. There have been times I’ve opened up the “Write Post” page and stared at the screen. But nothing would come out of my fingers. So here I am after the calm. Not that there is a storm coming or anything. But life has been moving.

I know I keep saying different things, but I do think that there is a new business opportunity for me about to happen. I’ve even been looking at a contract. But I’m at a crossroads of decision making. Stay independent or join a network. Both might have some positives. Both might have a few places that will stretch me or the possible future. But MissSportsTalk.com has been getting some attention lately. And I have to make the choice. A major network is asking me to join their fold. And I could do and and run w/ it and maybe make some money after a little time spent working at it. Or I could remain a freelance guy and try to go it alone.

Either way I’d be tracking down people, doing stories, making interviews, and producing content. Could be quite exciting. Could give me lots of joy. Or a headache. I think it’s the former.

Just saw this advertised in the new Relevant Magazine. It’s called 40 Days of Nothing, and it is put on by the guys behind XXXChurch.com. Some think these guys are great, some think they are not a real ministry because of where they go w/ their message. I’ve listened to their podcasts a few times and think that God really is using them. But it looks like this is something worth checking out as well. Here’s an excerpt:

Craig Gross and JR Mahon are on a mission to inspire the people to get out of the pews. Too often Christians spend their time praying, talking, and being “spiritual” but not getting their hands dirty. The book of James says, “Faith without works is dead.” There are too many meetings, too much political posturing, too much condemnation, and too much inaction. Starving Jesus will challenge you to less talking and more doing. Craig Gross and JR Mahon run the day-to-day operations of XXXchurch.com and both live in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

And it even gets better (maybe). They are having a tour, and they’ll actually be coming to Clinton. Right here in my neck of the woods. Now I’m going to have to think about getting the book.

I started typing all this last night, but then Firefox disappeared, so I lost it and went to bed.

But last night, for some reason, I was thinking that today was going to be the start of a new week. A new era. Here were a few reason I thought it might happen.

• Because I was going to start eating better today. Yesterday was Father’s Day and I got a log of cookie dough and a big bag of M&M’s. I finished off the cookie dough quickly and ate a lot of M&M’s during the NBA game last night. But today should mark a new day.
• I will embark on a running plan of some sort. I’m not going to set any unreachable goals, but want a few challenging but realistic goals to chase.
• I will work out more (as in lifting weights). See above.
• Today marked the first day of Vacation Bible School. Last year my daughter busted her head open on the last day and had to get stitches for the first time in her life. It was one of those “life moments”. Hopefully no more stitches this year.
• Or maybe I was just thinking that because I was tired but didn’t want to go to sleep.

I’ve not eaten anything too bad, except for the chocolate sunday w/ my lunch. Yet to run or lift anything. And no stitches at VBS today. So I’ve still got some work to do.

MissSportsTalk.com has been a hobby of mine that grew from a baby to a vibrant adolescent. After being approached w/ a business opportunity a few months back, I decided to keep it independent and go it on my own. I figured selling advertising and some smart management could cover costs and maybe net a little profit.

But along comes another opportunity. I’m still figuring out details. But I need to continue to seek God for discernment in this. There are sticking points. Some that are not that pleasant. But there is also potential for growth and profit as well. But I’m not really sure where things are right now. I’m waiting to hear back on some questions. But if, and it’s still defiantly an IF right now, it could mean some changes for me. No moves or anything. And no day job changes. But changes, none the less.