Get exercise, but don't ram your face into the pool wall

Courtney and I are looking around at health clubs. We are interested in swimming, because Courtney needs to get her lifeguard certificate again. I would just like some non-abrasive exercise. I have experienced soreness too much with running (like 3 days after a run), so I want to try something different.

Of course it costs a lot, and it's weird to walk through the gym. People are doing the strangest things to work certain muscles. One girl was stepping on this really high platform. Guys are moving dumbells around in various ways. I went to the gym at K-State, but this is my first time visiting one in 4 years. But we went into the pool room. We only had one padlock, so we had to take turns changing. (Note to self: buy another padlock).

25 meters in the pool was really easy. This verified that this type of exercise is my new thing. However, in the 2nd length, I found myself gasping for air midway through. And then I felt my legs and arms throbbing. About the 4th length, I was doing "the butterfly", probably incorrectly, and all of a sudden I felt the pool wall hit my forehead. I was immediately embarrassed, more than in pain, though thankfully no one saw it happen. I did bleed a little, and it left me a nice wound on the bridge of my nose. Thankfully, my glasses partially hide my new wound! So I think I need to buy some goggles, and then actually use those lines at the bottom of the pool that tell you when to stop. I think we'll join, and I will let you know how it goes!

Movie Review: 12 Angry Men

This is probably the best play I've ever seen. And I call it a play rather than a movie, because it really takes place in one room. It was nominated, but did not win an Oscar in 1957.

12 jurors, who happen to be men, decide the fate of an accused murderer. Eleven men think he's guilty and one just wants to talk about it. He proves on a couple of points that there is some reasonable doubt in some of the evidence. Some of the jurors are irrational, and it takes more than logic to get them to sway. One is a bigot, one is angry about something else in his life, and one just wants to get to a baseball game.

The casting was perfect and the play is very engaging intellectually. It teaches me to never make any assumptions about things, especially a legal trial. I heartily recommend it, but I also think that The Bridge On The River Kwai rightfully won the Oscar that year.

Dishwasher, by Pete Jordan

Seeking a book to read during my vacation, I found this book among all of its boring neighbors on the Biographies shelf in the library. "Dishwasher - One man's quest to Wash Dishes in 50 States". How could that not be a winner? As it turns out, it was a really good book.

The author grew up in a rough background, and saw his dad work every day his whole life and still be poor. So the author thought that if he was just going to be poor, he might as well not try too hard in his aspirations. So he eventually found out he enjoyed washing dishes, so that's what he did.

So this book is a collection of stories of all the places he dished. He also developed some rules, like how he couldn't work somewhere where he couldn't just quit whenever he wanted. And how he refused to work somewhere where he had to wear company clothing. The entire book is amazingly funny. I laughed out loud several times. He also includes historical stories of famous dishwashers, such as several former presidents and entertainers.

I appreciate the book most for its creative writing. It inspires me that any experience can be explained in a creative way and used to entertain others. For that reason, I recommend this book!!! I must warn that this book has more profanity than I have ever read. But it is all done in a tasteful manner, if you know what I mean.

Restaurant Review: Starnes BBQ (Paducah)

It has been two weeks since our trip, and I just remembered I forgot to blog about a restaurant that will definitely not be on my Top 6 New Restaurants of 2008, even if I only go to 5 new restaurants.

As we were driving in our crammed car near Paducah, ready for a break - Mom and Dad realized that there is a BBQ place in Paducah that my sister Mary always stops by on the way to visit in-laws in Alabama. So we call Mary on her cell phone, but she can't remember the name of the place or what street it is on. And then she can't remember if it was actually in Paducah. And Mom kept wishing that she hadn't left her AAA Book in the trunk. Then she finds it in the inside of the car door. And it vaguely says something about a BBQ somewhere.

But we pull out on the last exit of Paducah, and I suggest that Taco Bell would be a good option. But Dad asks the guy at the gas station if there is BBQ nearby. And he actually does get directions. We drive a few miles through the small town of Paducah. This is already surprising, since my parents usually obsess about the distance of the restaurant from the highway. ("I can't see it, let's go to the next exit") And then we come up to Starnes BBQ.

And it's basically a counter top that goes in a U-shape with stools around it. There is a thing in the middle that displays chips and candy bars. Dad said loudly to our embarrassment, "It's fun to hang out with the locals. This is where the locals eat!" We all ordered a pork sandwich. We had the option of cole slaw or potatoes, which were served in fun-sized styrofoam containers with plastic forks. I didn't have the courage to ask the server to hold off the bread for my allergy, fearing some kind of dumbfounded reaction. But I have to note that the bread is sliced, and not a bun. The BBQ sauce had heavy vinegar influence. The serving was small, but the price matched it. The taste honestly was not good. So it was kind of interesting to get into town and everything, but if we were locals, you wouldn't see me sitting on a stool at Starnes.

Book Review: The Cat Who Went Into The Closet

I felt this book was really slow. But it had a good clever ending. Qwilleran is living in the Gage Mansion. He also performs a one-man play called the Big Burning around town. Euphonia Gage dies in Florida, and a potato farme dies, but they end up being related.

Movie Review: The Bridge on the River Kwai

We finally moved on from 1956, which we began watching on December 8. A good month had passed, and we watched The Bridge on the River Kwai, the Oscar Best Picture Winner from 1957.

Although it started slowly with credits for about 5 minutes, and ended badly, with a guy saying "Madness! Madness!", the middle was very good. And it was about 3 hours long.

It is about British soldiers in a Japanese prison camp in Asia. And there's one American, who they wrote into the story to keep audiences interested. The British colonel, Nicholson, who later plays Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars, refuses to let his officers work. And he gets put into "the oven" for several days, but doesn't back down. Then the Japanese captain has to give in, because the bridge won't be built by the deadline.



Oh, yeah, I haven't mentioned the bridge yet. They are supposed to build it. And the Colonel wants to do as good of a job as possible, so that he can get the troops' morale up. Meanwhile, the American escapes against all odds, but is forced to make a trek back through the jungle to attempt to blow up the bridge. Also, they are supposed to blow up the bridge while a train of Japanese officers takes the first voyage across the bridge.

So throughout the movie, I really was trying to decide whether I wanted the bridge to be blown up or not. Yes, it would be good to blow it up for the bigger military picture, but the soldiers/prisoners did such a good job on it, so I didn't want it to fall. I won't give away the ending.

This movie was more modern and enjoyable than most of the movies we've seen recently. Also, the color was quite nice. It will rank near the top of my list. I always wait about a week before ranking a movie, so that I can decide how memorable it is. The whistle theme song of the movie sure is.

Movie Review: The Ten Commandments

We finally returned to watching old movies, and my parents actually owned this one. It had problems playing. It wouldn't play or rewind, and it shut the TV off. So I took the VHS tape completely apart, and took out a few parts that looked broken, and then put it all back together. After that, it worked fine. I think I'll trash the tape though, because I don't want it to get stuck in anybody's VCR. It was just collecting dust at my parents' anyway.

This movie was pretty good, since was is based on a true story. Many of the details were fiction, but it was based on the Torah and other ancient texts.

It features Charlton Heston, from The Greatest Show on Earth, and Yul Brynner from The King and I, and Anne Baxter from All About Eve. It shows Moses as a great administrator, much better than his brother. But when he finds out that he is Hebrew, he has a choice to cover up his identity when it is found, but he chooses to suffer with his people. then he kills an Egyptian (to save Joshua - who has a major role in the movie) and has to go into the desert.


The movie skipped a bunch of the plagues, but made passing reference to them. Pharaoh continually hardens his heart, and pays the price for it. The movie goes all the way to their deliverance and to the golden calf scene, and at the end, to Moses passing on leadership to Joshua. As a random note, it still baffles me why anyone would have worshiped a golden calf after all that had happened.

The movie features someone named Dathan, who is a Jewish defector. He is rewarded with women and prestige for siding with the Egyptians on issues. He is the instigator in making the golden calf, and of all of the complaining. He passes up the captain from Mutiny on the Bounty as the biggest jerk in an Oscar Winner. I'm not sure if he actually is a Biblical character or not....

The burning bush scene was kind of a let down, because it wasn't cool-looking, and God's voice was weird. But the other special effects were good. Among them are The Angel of Death, the river turning to blood, the writing of the Ten Commandments onto stone tablets, and the parting of the Red Sea.

Restaurant Review: Kona Grill

We had a Plaza Gift Certificate, so I scoped out the restaurants, and settled upon Kona Grill. Upon entering, it was dark, loud, and slightly smoky, so I had my doubts right away. But then when we were taken through the darkness to our seat, those things got much better.

They have a gluten-free menu, but it's one of those places that takes all the fun out of the entree. Example - Sweet-Chili Glazed Chicken is gluten-free as long as you omit the Sweet-Chili Glaze. Then, why would you get it? So I got the Sweet-Chili Glazed Salmon with the glaze. Because I cheat like that. But this is not the place to get into the discussion about how serious I am about avoiding every molecule of wheat.

The meal was really good. But I'm willing to shop around more for a favorite Plaza restaurant.

Elissa's wedding

After going to Calhoun's, we headed over to the church - Cedar Springs Presbyterian - which is old and large. The church has existed since 1876 (not the building). To picture the size of the church, here's a picture of me singing during the wedding.



Janice and I led the attendees in worship with "In Christ Alone" and "All My Days (Beautiful Savior)". Janice was a machine - she played about 10 other songs...perfectly.

The wedding gave me a chance to see about 35 people I don't usually see: Uncle Paul, Aunt Martha, Steven Thomas and his family, Mark and Mary Thomas and their family, The Lumsdaines, Louise Z and Jeff, Mary Thomas, Elissa and Martyn, Michael Taussig, Jennifer Taussig, Carol Taussig and son, John Taussig and his fiancee, Grandpa and Grandma, Andrew and Sylvia and Alex.

Here's a pic of the new couple. When they kissed, Martyn had the biggest smile (not pictured) any of us have ever seen , and we are speculating that it was their first kiss.


The sibs:



Celebrate!

BJ's Wedding

It was fun to see my friend BJ get married to Natosha in a butterfly museum. Please visit Courtney's pictures by clicking on the slide show.

Restaurant Review: Calhoun's

Just outside the campus of University of Tennessee, and on the banks of the Tennessee River, we had a double-birthday bash at Calhoun's Restaurant. That's where Courtney received my promise of a year subscription to Real Simple, which I knew was what she wanted.

We were seated with a sunny view of the brownish river.

The menus claimed that Calhoun's had the "Best Ribs in America." Being from KC, I scoffed at this idea. But then I realized that any restaurant can claim to have the best ribs, and it doesn't really matter. I had Tortilla Chicken Soup and the Pork Chops. I also had a side named Spinach Maria, which is spinach with cheese on it. This was definitely my best meal on the trip. Courtney liked her meal, but I don't think my parents liked theirs. Later, mom tried to make it sound nice by saying repeatedly, "I don't think I was hungry, so things didn't taste good to me." Thanks Mom for treating us to a nice meal.

We had a free banana pudding dessert, which was sketchy in the gluten-free arena. It's a banana - no-- it's a cookie.

Then we took a stroll on the freezing waterfront.

Pictures!

In the name of "let's do something", we crammed in a visit to a museum on the campus of University of Tennessee. It had many old artifacts, but the Egyptian one in the picture is a re-creation.


Me with the birthday girl in front of a bridge, the Tennessee River, and Calhoun's. No other locals or tourists were outside.

This is the view from our free lodgings in Knoxville. No kidding! Our hosts even lent us their GPS Unit as we drove around town.

Book Review: The Client, by John Grisham

After the heavy reading of Multmann theology, I decided to go for some candy. So I picked up my first Grisham lawyer book. I previously read A Painted House, which was Grisham's first non-lawyer book. That one made Hon Mention #2 on my 2007 Awards.

This had a good story about a boy who saw a man commit suicide. But first, the man told him a Mob secret that authorities want to know all about. Then the boy has to weigh telling the secret and being in physical danger.

Grisham's writing style seems to have $$$ in mind, because it reads just like a movie. It is a movie waiting to happen. So I will be seeing the movie soon. Also, Grisham has limited his cuss words to the word "ass" with its many variations. Although I appreciate this, I have to mention that he used it about 120 times. My other current book, Dishwasher, uses several choice words as well but I will review that one later.

new links

Please check out new links for my friends on the right:

West Breedlove (Knoxville worship leader)
Evan and Audrey Eusey (friends and missionaries)
Aaron Mitchum (Courtney's co-worker)

The Wall of American Gladiator

I just watched the new American Gladiator, which featured a wall that the contestants had to climb. Sitting on my butt watching that show and a few others were walls keeping me from blogging about the trip, and from balancing the checkbook. But I still managed to organize all of my mail, empty my suitcase, attend church, rake the back yard, and have a nice evening at the Plaza. (Kona Grill review coming up!)

I also occupy my time by writing down songs I hear on Jack FM, so I can go research those bands later on Wikipedia and YouTube. Courtney helps me with the lyrics, since somehow I'm lyric-hard-of-hearing and have lyric-short-term-memory-loss. Then I google the lyrics, and find out who the band is. Tonight I wrote down Billy Squier - Lonely Is the Night, Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Fleetwood Mac - Go Your Own Way.

Happy 2008 from Kansas!

We are back in Kansas after 10 days of being gone. We traveled by car for 14 hours from Knoxville today. I look forward to sharing Courtney's wonderful pictures with you. Also, I need to review John Grisham's book, The Client, and review several Southern restaurants. We celebrated Courtney's and my dad's birthdays on Jan 4th. Also, Sophie's birthday was today, and today was my 4th anniversary of working at StrategicOne.

Movie Review: Home Alone 3

Curtis got to pick out the movie, because he finished dinner first. While Colton was trying to negotiate taking 5 instead of 10 bites to get released from dinner, Home Alone 3 was picked as the movie. I was actually happy about it, because I hadn't seen it yet.

The only car accident I've been in was after a viewing of Home Alone 2. That's when Mo slid through the stop sign into a car.

When we saw Home Alone 1, I just remember a lot of whining about how we were finally seeing it, as we drove up to the Dollar Theater.

So...we watched it, and it was actually pretty good until the robbers tried to get into the house. And then it was just guys getting hit in the crotch, people's butt's burning, and stuff getting dropped on their heads. It was mercifully short, as the boys had to get to bed. Courtney found somewhere where the movie is rated 3.5 stars out of 10. I tend to give it 7.5, from the perspective of a young boy's movie.

Happy New Year!

We had a good New Years Celebration here in Winston-Salem, and we have played a lot of Wii, and read a lot of stuff. We went to a children's museum with the boys. And we watched Home Alone 3 last night, which will be my first movie review of 2008! We are now taking off for the 255 mile trip to Knoxville with Mark, Susie, Colton, and Cannon.

Restaurant Review: The Loop Pizza Grill

The Loop Pizza Grill is only in Southeast US. We found it during our visit to Trader Joe's in Chapel Hill. We both had the Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich, and I had it w/o a bun. The entree was incredible, and the sides were great. Not much I can eat there, but this particular thing was good.

The LLF Best Of Awards 2007!

I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, since this is my first full year of blogging. In lack of color scheme, and in lack of a great name for these awards, I will go ahead and announce my 2007 awards for the best first time experience of a movie, book, restaurant, and the best life experiences.

First, some stats. I watched a whopping 47 movies - almost 1 per week. And I read 32 books - about one every two weeks. Both of these are definitely personal records.

Best movie: It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Runner-up: Ocean's 13 (2007)
2nd runner-up: It Happened One Night (1934)
Honorable Mention 1: Gone with the Wind (1939)
Honorable Mention 2: The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Honorable Mention 3: Casablanca (1942)

Best book: Ted Dekker trilogy - Red/White/Black
Runner-up: Leadership, by Rudolph Giuliani
2nd runner-up: Men In Black - How the Supreme Court is Destroying America, by Mark Levin
Honorable Mention 1: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey
Honorable Mention 2: A Painted House, by John Grisham
Honorable Mention 3: The Crucified God, by Jurgen Moltmann

Best Life Happening: Debt Free BBQ
Runner-up: Elton John show/Sprint Center Grand Opening
2nd runner-up: Dave Ramsey Live Event
Honorable Mention 1: South Carolina trip
Honorable Mention 2: Wichita/Oklahoma City Trip
Honorable Mention 3: St Louis trip

Best Restaurant: Thai Tradition (Wichita)
Runner-up: Houston's
2nd runner-up: A Taste of China
Honorable Mention 1: St. Andrews Golf Club
Honorable Mention 2: Zaxby's (East Coast)
Honorable Mention 3: Aloha Chopstix

Best of December

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: The King and I
Best New-To-Me Restaurant: St. Andrew's Golf Course
Best Life Happening: North Carolina trip
Best Book I Read: The Crucified God, by Jurgen Moltmann

Winston-Salem, NC Part 1

Highlights from Winston-Salem so far:

• Seeing Uncle Mark and Aunt Susie, Derek, Charlotte, Emily, Janie, Jacob, Trisha, Curtis, Colton, and Cannon.
• Going to Wake Forest- Air Force Basketball game
• Playing Nintendo Wii for the first time
• A nice dinner with ham and pineapple.
• Wrestling with the boys.
• Playing Mafia with everyone, with some really funky rules. Additional rules include Little Girl, Fortune Teller, Wolf (Mafia), Savior, Witch Doctor, Flute Player. If you are interested in more explanations of these, let me know.
  
• Going for walks. Should be headed out soon on a hike in the 55 degree weather.
  
• Continuing to read books, and in Courtney's case, Trisha's copies of Real Simple.
  

Chapel Hill, NC

We enjoyed 70 degree weather yesterday in Chapel Hill. Every other day has been full of precipitation, since it is currently raining here in Durham.

We did go to Trader Joe's, and bought a few things there. We went to a shop called Ten Thousand Villages, which sells artisan crafts for non-profit, while paying the artisans fairly. And we went to SouthPointe Mall, which is a mall such as Oak Park connected to outdoor shopping, similar to the Legends or Town Center. It was really busy, and we almost couldn't find a parking spot. It was nice to see stores that we don't have in our area.

Then we went to the Butterfly Museum, so that I can begin usher duties. BJ was quite nervous, and James Beecher took charge and became our head usher. The guys decided that I was the most computer literate, so my main responsibilty was to set up a laptop with music and slideshows, and an additional laptop with the slideshow. It went pretty well. One of the laptops was set up near the tarantula. It was also an insect museum, so there were displays for ants, cochroaches, stick bugs, and a bunch of other stuff.

The butterfly museum itself is a tropical environment, so I was wearing a T-shirt, and Courtney wore the new Hawaiian dress that her parents got her in Hawaii. Courtney got some good pictures of butterflies. We also had a good view of the ceremony. The ceremony was about 15 minutes, and BJ couldn't wait to kiss Natosha, who looked beautiful. I got to hang out with old college friends Eric Nally, Brandon Lowden, Mark Grapengator, and James and Emily, and of course BJ himself.

Jake is going to pick us up soon to take us to his home in Winston-Salem.

Durham, NC

We're in Durham, and will be headed to Chapel Hill in a few minutes to visit Trader Joe's. I wonder if they know that they are a tourist location.

We got here just in time for the rehearsal. We followed a local guy through the forest to the dinner. It was really scary, because he didn't go a normal way, and I thought we were going to be stuck in a forest, and I wondered if we were following the wrong car. But it worked out. I played one game of pool last night. Then our luggage arrived at 1 AM, right after I went to bed. the wedding is at 7 at a butterfly museum.

The Next Great American Band

Probably few people have watched the FOX show "The Great American Band", so I'll summarize it for you. Even though it is hidden in an 8 PM Friday slot, I have really come to appreciate the show.

The finale featured 3 great bands. The winners are decided by phone vote.

Denver and the Mile High Orchestra (already a nationally known Christian band)

Six Wire - a talented country rock band

The Clark Brothers - grew up playing at evangelistic tent meetings. They don't have a drummer.

-----

I was rooting for Denver, but the Clark Brothers were my 2nd choice. Denver was awkwardly told that they did not win. Then the Clark Brothers won the show, and you'll probably hear more from them over the air waves.

The finale also featured a 10 minute Christmas medley from the top 6 bands. It was really entertaining. Also notable was that they didn't shy away from using the term Christmas, and it was nice.

The best thing was that 2 of the 3 bands are practicing Christians, and glorified God the entire show.

Movie Review: The King and I

I think gramatically, this could also be called "The King and Me", depending on the context. But I'm open for any corrections on that. Anyway...

This was another great color movie! It was a nominee but not a winner for an Oscar Best Picture in 1956.

It featured an old-fashioned and pretty teacher, who went to Siam by the invitation of the King, to teach the children Western ideas. The King is quite steeped in his traditions, and resents the teaching at first, but he warms up. The movie hints at romance, but it was not tenable, because the King had like 200 kids or something from all his wives.

It featured some Buddha worship, which was unusual. There was a beautifully choreographed play within the play about the Siamese interpretation of Uncle Tom's cabin. This tied into the idea that one of the King's wives is a slave in his palace, and she wants her freedom.

There are some good tunes and some bad ones. Yul Brynner was well-deserving of his Best Actor award. The costumes were incredible throughout.

Presidential Pick Dec 07

I'll stick with Rudy, until another nominee proves to me that they should be President.

Of course, I'll be stuck with whoever people of Iowa, New Hampshire, and Michigan pick. And that is ok. I think they are all great nominees. And I think the Democrat nominees are all horrible.

Train Intersection Open, but Closed

Our closest intersection with I-35 is 67th Street, and it has been closed for 20 days for much needed repairs. This intersection also includes a train crossing, before you can get anywhere important. I headed that way this morning to finally take advantage of it being open.

A train was crossing. Really good luck.

Then the train slowed down and came to a complete stop, and everyone had to find alternate routes. It may as well not have been open!

First Council Meeting and Pastor Tom farewell

We went to St. Andrew's golf course for a dinner and the first Church Council meeting. This is an exclusive club of Committee Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen. (The golf course is also an exclusive club.) Courtney was recently elected to a 2-year term as Youth Committee Chairman.

We were probably an average of 25 years younger than everyone else. That is the by-product of not really being a young church anyway, but add to that fact that people our age are not usually Committee Chairs.

The dinner was very nice, and was almost all gluten-free. It actually tasted really good. My best restaurant dinner since Houston's. We had several friends that we ate with.

Some Council business was taken care of, and we got a bunch of paperwork. Then at the end, Pastor Tom and Sandie read cards that they received out loud. (Gras family,we wrote a thank you on behalf of all of us.)

We'll probably see Pastor Tom 2 more times, on Dec 23rd and Dec 24, and then we'll be gone the next Sunday, and then Pastor Tom and Sandie will be gone from CCC.

Ice Storm pictures Chez Gras

Here are some pictures Courtney took of our surroundings after and during the ice storm

View from my office window

This picture was taken by my cube neighbor Dan Guinn as the ice started to melt from the trees. I believe he put a slight effect on it. Click on the picture to see the big version. I should be posting some of Courtney's pictures later.

Pete Eye Trio

We just saw the Pete Eye Trio at church, of all places. It felt different, and somewhat refreshing to hear secular music on the sanctuary stage. Secular in the sense that they played music that had nothing to do with Christianity. But that is not at all the purpose of my post.

Pete Eye is also my parents' piano tuner. It is rumored that he once played a rendition of "Sweet Georgia Brown" at my dad's request, and you can imagine all the hollerin' and jumpin' around.

If Pete Eye had any trace of web presence, I'd post a picture.

The concert was also a benefit for a church friend who was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. He is being a major witness with his attitude and his willingness to talk about his faith in a frank and honest way during this trying time.

I couldn't decide which one of the trio I liked the most. The pianist and bassist really impressed me. The drummer was good too, and if I knew anything about drums, I'd probably be more impressed.

Book Review: The Crucified God, by Jurgen Moltmann

I have been reading this book for months and months, and I finally finished it! It is by far the most challenging book I have ever read. The reason I read it is that my Mike King, who is bald, recommended it in response to my post about baldness here.

I don't regret reading it. I feel that I have gotten about 15% smarter. And every other book I read now feels dumbed down. I learned many new words such as theodicy, iconoclast, stoical, and many more.

The most lasting spiritual application that this book had on me was that it focused on how Christ was crucified as a rebel, blasphemer, and he was forsaken by his Father. He was crucified as an outsider, and not an accepted person. He did not come and take away all of our suffering in this present life. But he gave dignity and purpose to all who suffer now.

After all, God himself was crucified, and he is sympathetic and feels pain for us. Early religion beleived that God had no feelings, that the actions of men do not affect him, and that is the model that Islam is currently in. But the cross shows that he does indeed suffer. The Father suffered to spare his Son, and the Son suffered separation from the Father.

Anyway, that is a small and probably slightly errant way that I can explain the extensiveness of this book - 330 pages of theology.

my ongoing baby list

Yes, we are that age when this happens.


Jake & Trisha: due August
Hayley & Arlen: due July
Laura & Levi: due March 13
James & Emily: due sometime
Erik & Rachel: due in February
Kerry & Adam: Kade born Dec 12
Matt & Michele: Lilian Ruth born Dec 9
David &Catie: Ethan Paul born Oct 28
Amanda & Scott: Emma Grace born Oct 11
Mary & Steven: Maya born Oct 9
Vince & Jay: Isaac Dean born Sept 10
Melody & James: Harrison born August 23
Eric & Sarah: Lucas born August 12
Lynn & Devin: Claire born July 7

What we did the day Lilian was born

Sunday provided some excitement, as my 4th niece was born. Lilian Ruth was born to Michele and Matt. For pics see Michele's post here.

Also, I played bass in church, and left Courtney's cell phone there. I know that's not as exciting as a niece being born. She gave it to me because she thought I needed it more in the inclement weather because my car is smaller. But I'm not used to carrying one, so I left it there.

Courtney had attended mass while I played bass. Then I went to Courtney's 2nd cousin's infant baptism, and lunch at Ike and Linnie's. And we watched a K-State Basketball win there.

Then at night, there were a few lights on unnecessarily, and I told Courtney mockingly, "why don't you turn all the lights on?". And she proceeded to turn on every light connected to our house. I turned them all off, and there were 20 in all. Not counting the oven light. She can be feisty. So there, Lilian, that's what we did the day you were born.

Movie Review: Around the World in 80 Days

This movie was unique, not only in fact that it was British, but it was part comedy and part adventure. Most of the Oscar Winners we've seen have been boring character pieces. Plus, this one was in color again. (Yay).

A British gentleman bets that he can traverse the world in 80 days. And he and his new servant (Paspartou?) go ahead and do it. Spoiler::: There is some drama at the end when they think they lost, but they really gained a day by traveling around the world.

There are some strange moments, such as when they show boring bullfighting for a serious 5 minutes. Overall it was really interesting, but not that great by today's standards. It looks like the movie was redone in 2001, so maybe we'll take a look.

Movie Review: Marty

Whew. This started out well. It is the story of a single 34 year old man, who is discouraged about his failure at relationships with the opposite sex, especially since everyone bothers him about it. He is a nice, sensitive man. He happens to meet another girl at a club who was just rejected. they like each other, and are good for each other. That is where the movie has its charm.

Then his friends call her a "dog", and his family says she's not Italian enough. And he almost rejects her. Then he calls her about 6 hours late. The movie ends with him closing the phone booth.

It was the most abrupt ending of any movie we've ever seen. Nothing was resolved. So who knows where it will end up in my Oscar Winner movie rankings.

Ruth Bell Graham TV Special

The writer's strike provided the opportunity for the new TV special to air about Ruth Bell Graham on secular TV stations. We watched it Wednesday night on CBS.

It told the story about her faith, her relationship to Billy Graham, and all about her life. It also had a few musical selections, the best of which was Avalon singing "In Christ Alone". (which I am singing in Elissa's wedding in January)

It was refreshing to hear all about a woman that was behind the scenes. It was a honoring to all of those people behind the scenes who love Christ. It was inspiring how she sacrificed and never complained. It was a very good production. It also featured a gospel message, along with a phone number that people could call. It wasn't fake like some might imagine, but it was genuine.

(Mich, it's on in your town on 12/8 on NBC 7 PM, if you're interested. I wouldn't organize my life around it.)

Like a Tattoo

American Idol hit one of their low spots, when their newest winner, Jordin Sparks, came out with her debut single. It's a low, because the song is called "Like a Tattoo." But I'm not willing to call it their lowest moment, because I'm sure some singles from earlier winners were so bad that they didn't get any radio play.

The chorus:

You're still a part of everything I do
You're on my heart just like a tattoo

Just like a tattoo,

I'll always have you (I'll always have you)

Best of November

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: Amazing Grace
Best Life Happening: Thanksgiving 2007
Best Book I Read: Movers & Shakers, Deaf People Who Changed the World

Movie Review: On the Waterfront

This movie was dogged by an annoying soundtrack that played at odd times. It is annoying even if it was orchestrated by a famous person - Leonard Bernstein.

The Oscar winning performance by Marlon Brando was the most unique acting we've seen in old movies. His style was very relaxed, and refreshing.

Basically he is loosely part of a mob or gang that controls the waterfront and longshoremen union. His brother is higher up in the mob, so that's his biggest connection to it. He was unknowingly part of a murder, and the whole movie, it's on his conscience, and he has to decide whether to testify against them or not. There is a famous cab scene with his brother. Watch it below:




Oscar Best Picture 1954

Movie Review: From Here to Eternity

This latest movie "feels" better than earlier ones, but is still kind of a joke. I felt empathy for the main character. However, I didn't have any interest in the other characters. They were all drunks and adulterers, doing those things the whole movie.

It is a movie about an army unit in Hawaii right around the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. The main character has a previous reputation as a good boxer, and most of the movie is about him getting "the treatment" for not wanting to box. If he were to box, he would supposedly make the unit look good, and get everyone some vacation. Meanwhile, a sergeant is having an affair with his captain's wife.

Him and his buddy find love interests. His buddy dies due to some corporal punishment from a guy who didn't like him. Then the main character kills the guy who killed his friend, and becomes AWOL. Then Pearl Harbor attack happens and the main character dies from friendly fire, because he is apparently an idiot and doesn't halt when ordered to.

This movie also has what people call Frank Sinatra's "career-defining role".

Also features an unfortunate return to Black and White.

Oscar Best Picture 1953

CCC Modern Worship Service in Gym

Our church has moved our worship service to the junior-sized gymnasium.

This post may be awkward, because there really are some negative things about this. I cannot ignore the negative side; I really have to express my true feelings about it. Therefore, I will probably not broadcast this post to my co-leaders in the worship service. However, there are many positives as well.

The main negative is that we are $7 million in debt, mainly to build a beautiful sanctuary. The church leaders now admit that this was an error. The sanctuary is too small for the $$$, and it has sound reverberation problems. (It was a great place to get married, though!)

Even with this huge financial investment, about 150 people weekly initially worshipped in the youth room. It was a lot of fun, but it doesn't make sense to have a brand new building, and to take over the room that was made just for youth. I actually enjoy worshipping in the gymnasium now, and I think it will be a real blessing to the community. However, the fact will always be apparent that we are worshipping in an unnatural location in a brand new building that we designed. This is because our worship style differences were not resolved before we planned the new building.

But, that being said, our worship service leaders did an incredible job of purchasing equipment, and creating a nice look-and-feel for the gym. We also have incredible volunteers that set up and tear down each week. We also had a generous anonymous donation that made it all possible. Don't get me wrong on my previous sentiments. The move to the gym was a good one, and it will work out.

I played keyboard on the opening week, guitar the 2nd week, and bass the 3rd week, and last week I was in the seats. We have an incredible in-ear monitor system that I love.

*God has been blessing our church, and we are thankful.

Thanksgiving Weekend 2007

We kept busy this past weekend. I had rented two movies in anticipation of having tons of free time, but we used it all on social time, sleep, and home projects! We didn't watch any movies

It started out with a time with the Tim and Janice family. I had many cousins there and 2nd cousins, including a 3.5 week baby. Baby below with parents.

Then after the wonderful food, we had a music and sharing time. (Courtney is thankful for me. yess!) I'm thankful for her, and for my enormous extended family who live everywhere. We played some Rummikub. Then I practiced some songs at the piano with Aunt Janice for Elissa's wedding. Courtney played a game named Set.

Then we headed to their neighbor's house, where Ben's girlfriend was housesitting. (By very strange coincidence, they are great friends with their next door neighbors). We watched the KSU basketball game on TV, along with Ben's new dogs, who had bad gas from gorging themselves on the cat food stash.

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Friday, we spent a couple of hours raking and bagging leaves. Courtney cleaned out the gutters. Then we went to Nate and Ann's house just to hang out and make sugar cookies. Second cousin Elizabeth was awake for the first part.



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Saturday, Dad came over, and we measured and cut the bathroom baseboards for a couple of hours. Then Courtney and I headed to the Bade's for Thanksgiving dinner. It was excellent, and we watched part of the KU-MU game, which I thought was very boring, and didn't live up to the hype.


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Sunday we headed to Union Station and saw a Christmas tree auction, and a really tall fake Christmas tree, with a train for kids around it.

Book Review: The Cat Who Wasn't There

One of the most boring books of the series. Qwilleran took a tour of Scotland with many Moose County residents, and one of them died during the trip. It was called the Bonnie Scots tour, but we liked to call it the BS Tour.

Anyway, Courtney did make an excellent correct guess at the identity of the "Goodwinter Prowler". Anyway, not much more to say about it. It was kind of interesting involving a former love interest of Qwilleran.

Book Review: How to Settle An Estate

Probably the most dry non-fiction book I've read this year. I read it more out of necessity. I will most likely someday be required to be an executor. I read this book to give myself an introduction. I'm honestly intimidated by the whole idea. There is a ton of work to do. And it really goes on a long time before beneficiaries can get their inheritance. The most important thing is to avoid taxes. It is also important to keep very detailed records, because an executor is accountable to the courts and to the beneficiaries.

Maybe every few years I will read an updated book on the subject. Tax laws continually change for the better. I would love it if death tax did not exist. There doesn't seem to be anything more disrespectful to citizens.

K-State game continued

I also want to mention that this is the 3rd sports event (college or better) I've attended with my wife, since being married. We have been to 2 Royals games previously.

Also, I got to see my grandparents briefly in Manhattan. It was raking day, and they had a lot of Chinese students helping them.

Movie Review: Amazing Grace

Courtney and I rented Amazing Grace, the store of Willam Wilberforce and his quest to end the slave trade in England.

I thought it had good acting, good art, and a good story. We learned about the slave trade along with Wilber. With support from his pastor, John Newton, and several other friends, he fought to end the slave trade. It met opposition, due to several politicians with financial interests in slavery. It was delayed further due to the war with France.

Then Wilberforce was able to sneak a law in, that would technically end 80% of the slave trade. Then 2 years later, with not really any explanation of why, his final bill had overwhelming support, and the slave trade ended in England. That is my only criticism of the movie. It didn't explain that change of support.

Wilberforce almost gave up after 15 years, but then met his future wife, who encouraged him to keep fighting. He was very sick, and took opium for a long time. He died 3 days after the final bill was passed.

I almost forgot to mention that the movie ties into my blog name - I once was lost, but now am found.

KSU Football Game in Manhattan

It was a beautiful day, and Courtney, Dad, and I went to Manhattan along with Dad's game buddy Mark

May I repeat, it was a beatiful day. We brought jackets to weather the predicted 55-65 degrees, but it ended up being around 70 the entire day. I just left mine in the car.



The Wildcats were expected to be beaten, and they kept the crowd interested by being within 2 touchdowns most of the game. But they really didn't bring their A game, with 3 fumbles and 1 interception on the 3rd play of the game, and at least 1 dropped pass, and 2 missed extra points, and 2 red zone trips with no touchdown. I thought the coaching was too conservative. With 4th and 1 on the 1, in an unlikely victory, they decided to kick a field goal.

The field officials also did not do much to prove their competence, indicating a fumble, and then changing their minds, and not explaining it.

It was my first trip to Bill Snyder Family Stadium since 2002. And my first football game of any kind since Sat, Nov 6, 2004, when I saw K-State at Missouri.

Guys and Dolls at SMNW

Courtney and I had the priviledge of going to SMNW to see Guys and Dolls. It was special, because I also performed in Guys and Dolls in Fall of 1997. We really enjoyed it. the part of Adelaide was played really well.

It all made me want to dig into boxes at my parents and find my old Guys and Dolls program from 1997, so that I can remember exactly who played what part. Strangely, I think that I played the MC (just a few lines), but I'm not sure.

Book Review: Movers & Shakers, Deaf People Who Changed the World

Due to our recent interest in deaf culture, I decided to look in the library. They don't really have much on the subject, but this was a good small book. It was written, illustrated, and published by deaf people.

This book shares the story of 26 deaf people who made a huge difference in the world.

It included stories of people I did not previously realize were deaf, such as James "Deaf" Burke and Erastus "Deaf" Smith.

No, just kidding, the people I'm really referring to are Thomas Edison, and Daisy Gordon Low, the founder of Girl Scouts in America.

It was educational about how deaf people really made a difference in the world.

Restaurant Review: Ted's Montana Grill

Sometimes referenced as "Buffalo Ted's", we have one of these near the Kansas Speedway. I had always wanted to go, and since we spent the night at Hollis Renewal Center, it provided a great opportunity to go.

The setting was nice. The waiter first bragged about how they didn't use microwaves or freezers (except for ice cream).

I also wanted to take advantage of their Gluten-Free menu. Unfortunately, most of the things on the GF Menu were steaks, and more than I wanted to pay.

I ordered a Buffalo Burger without a bun. They actually accidentally put it on a bun, so they re-made the whole thing. It was actaully not that great. It was better when I microwaved it the next day. Made they should have microwaves there.

My salad also came late, and I ended up getting that for free. The fries were good. Overall, it was not that great. Go with something else.

Hollis Renewal Center

I spent a day at the Hollis Renewal Center, a Lutheran Run place out by the Speedway. Courtney and I won a gift certificate at a silent auction, and it expired in Oct 2007, so I figured Oct 31 was the best day to go.

The highlight was finding a baby mouse indoors. At first it was really gross, but then we realized it was still alive, and it was very cute. I put it outside, and found an ideal location for it, but unfortunately, it could not survive the day.

Best of October

Best Movie That I Saw for the First Time: The Greatest Show on Earth
Best New-To-Me Restaurant: Ted's Montana Grill (review forthcoming)
Best Life Happening: tie between Debt-free BBQ and Elton John at Sprint Center
Best Book I Read: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

State #2: NC

It's official. We've bought the plane tickets to go to North Carolina on Dec 28. We'll have the Carolinas covered on our first two big married trips to different States.

I'm an usher for my buddy BJ's wedding. Then we're hanging out with the Taussig Clan in Winston-Salem. Then they're giving us a ride to Knoxville, where I'm singing for Elissa and Martyn's wedding. Then hopefully we'll be getting some transportation back home.

Sorry about the lack of blogging. Partly due to being busy, and partly due to sharing 1 computer with my wife. We're in the market for a laptop.....

1 Thing I Love about Blogging

One thing I love about blogging is the comments I get from completely random people. I recently got this one below. No doubt this is a Southern person who is used to vinegar and mustard BBQ, and is shocked at my lack of understanding about it. But I definitely like KC-style BBQ better.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Restaurant Review: Shealy's Barbeque":

Truely you are an ignorant person when it comes to Bar B Que.

my ongoing engagement list

I've had a few friends and relatives get engaged recently. Here are their wedding days:

Jill and Blake - June 15
John and Brianna - May 2008
Dana and Marc - February
Rebecca and Eric - January 26
Matt and Kathleen - January 5 (Sophie's birthday)
Elissa and Martyn - January 4 (Courtney and Dad's birthday)
BJ and Natosha - December 29
David and Holly - December 15
Christian and Lindsey - October 28, 2007