Foreigners

I've been thinking about "home" a little bit recently. We were visiting family this weekend who live about an hour and a half from our home. I was thinking about how if we lived there, it wouldn't ever quite feel like home. At least, to me. It would feel like we were always visiting. Never home.

A friend of ours is a native of Argentina, but also a citizen of Italy (and lived there for several years) and now resides here in New York. (Married to a US citizen.) So she has many homes, and in a way, often feels like she's "not home".

Home is interesting. It's definitely a location, but it's also a state of mind. The Bible says we who follow Jesus are foreigners. That we are never quite home. We read about the first disciples of Jesus today (the boys and I) who left everything at Jesus' simple invitation to, "Come follow me." He had no home, they had no home. They were travelers. Foreigners. Strangers.

Jen & I have also noticed recently how different we are. We are not like most of the people we know. Our priorities, what we want our family to live like, be like, look like. We're different. We feel, quite often, like foreigners.

So, how do you endure that? I guess the way you do is to know that no matter where we are in this life we are always foreigners. We are never home. We belong somewhere else, and until we leave this life or Jesus comes back for us, we'll always feel a little homesick.

With all the burdens of this foreign place that I am bearing lately, I am definitely "longing for home". For peace. Rest. But, that time has not come yet.

For now, I enjoy the "home" that God has given me. My beautiful wife, and five amazing kids. And our little yellow house. :-) Oh that life were only that simple.

Perhaps it can be.

Energized

I got back just a while ago from my first shift at the Apple store. I was really looking forward to it, wondering just how it would actually play out. I know Macs, for sure, but I didn't really know how thing go at the store. I knew I was going to tag along with a more experienced Apple Specialist (that's what I am doing also) so I figured it would just be fun.

What happened was great, but very unexpected.

When I got there, it was obvious that it had been pretty busy. I wasn't quite sure what to do, but found the manager on duty and they tried to pair me up with someone... but there was no one to be found. They finally decided on someone, but he was on break. After lots of indecision, I offered (if they were OK with it) to just jump in, with no training. :-) The person who was assigning me my duties confirmed that with me, and then, in a bit of desperation perhaps, said, "OK! Get out there!"

I headed into the sea of people and found a mom and daughter standing by the laptops whose body language suggested they were not certain what to do next. I approached them and introduced myself, and explained that even though this was my very first shift, I would try to help them best I could. And help I did. After fifteen minutes or so, and explaining all the great stuff Apple has to offer (that applied to them) they were ready to make their purchase! I really couldn't believe how fun (and easy?) it was!

From then on, it never stopped. Ever. It was 9:01 when I actually did not see anyone who looked like they would like assistance. 5:30-9:00 ... straight. Every minute was spent talking to someone about Macs, and selling lots of stuff! It was fun and crazy! (They assured me that it's not usually that busy!) :-)

And do you know what I did when there was no customer to assist? I found some fellow employees to talk to. I asked one of the other "new hires" how she liked her second shift. I spoke with a few of the other Specialists. I met one of the Creatives (the guys who train people in using their Macs) and talked with him at length about Macs and their software.

By the time all was done, it was just after 11pm that I was getting in the van and heading home.

I called Jen. I couldn't wait to. I had wanted to. We have a cell phone that is pay as you go, and the minutes are super low right now, so I only told her a few quick things, and then said we'd get to chat more when I got home. And I couldn't wait to do that. But then, as I was going home a different way, I thought of our very good friends (one of whom is in Mexico right now!) and I decided to call the one who is not in Mexico to see how all of that was going. (I had forgotten that normal people don't feel like it's 5pm at 11pm....) Again, with limited cell minutes, we only spoke for 2-3 minutes, but here's my point.

I am energized by being with people. I literally can not get enough.

When I got home, I told Jen some stories from my first shift, and I listened to her stories of what she and the kids did. We chatted about various things, and she finally asked, "Aren't you hungry?"

I thought about it and then said, "No. I'm really not." And kinda chuckled about it. I hadn't eaten since lunch (12:30) so... I should have been hungry.... but... I really wasn't.

The only thing I could figure was that being with people - and helping them learn about Macs - energized me. To the point that I didn't even notice or feel hunger? I didn't even need food!

And even though I needed to take a shower from the day, I really didn't want to. The only thing I could tell Jen was that it seemed, "boring" ... that's not a word I use, so that was weird. But I think I figured out that all I wanted to do was stay with Jen, and keep enjoying the interaction. I really love interaction with other people. A lot. Like, I never really want a time where there isn't interaction. Maybe I do, but it's very rare. (You could argue that me writing this blog is a form of "interaction" as well...)

So, it's most definitely settled. I am a people person to my core, and that is most certainly what I need to be doing with my time. I need to be with people. We have seven living in this house, so I have that covered, but it really puzzles me why God has given me office work to do. Granted I do get to work with people on some level, but mainly I am working by myself at my desk most of my days.

After tonight, I am just reminded that it is nice that God gives me relatively short chapters. Hopefully the next one more directly involves interaction with people. :-)

Apple Retail = Me!

As you are well aware, if you have spent any time at all here at GregsHead.net, I am a big fan of all things Apple. I have informally been a "representative" for Apple for many years (often the number one resource for Apple info and assistance amongst people who know me) and was even officially a representative for a year and a half from 2006-2007 as an Apple Authorized Business Agent. Most recently, I signed on as an Apple Business Store Affiliate, which allowed me to place banners on my websites that paid me a commission when a click turned into a sale.

All very nice. But now, as of Saturday July 26th, 2008, I am actually employed by Apple, Inc. :-)

OK, I'm just working as a specialist at the Apple Retail Store, but hey, it's true: I'm an Apple employee. Most are convinced it's just where I need to be, and I'll admit, I'm looking forward to being around all the other Apple fans (my coworkers) and helping people solve their computing questions and even dreams by listening to them and recommending solutions from my 13 years of experience on the Mac platform. (And a few years as an Apple-trained agent as well.) Really, should be a blast.

This week I will be working a couple shifts, and actually get to get "on the floor" and do that. So, we'll see how it goes, and if you're in the Rochester area, make sure to stop by and visit. I'll hook you up with the perfect Apple solution for you! It's what I do. :-)

[editor's note: As an official employee of Apple now, I may not be as free to discuss Apple products, definitely not rumors, and other such things. That saddens me greatly, and I'll definitely still be a huge promoter of all things Apple, but will also try to not overstep any boundaries. Apple is very good at boundaries...] :-)

Faith Without Doubt

If you ask God for something specific (and do not doubt), that is faith.

If you do not receive what you asked for, but you remain unwavering in your trust of your Father, presuming that He knows better than you, and by not receiving what you asked for, you are actually better off ... is that the epitome of faith? Or is it just back-door doubt?

I'm really trying to figure that out.

What I Know Right Now

Recently I have been trying to figure out what it is that I like to do. I have plenty to do, but in trying to simplify I have been taking inventory of what I both like to do, and do well.

Here's what I have so far:

• I love people. I am a people person through and through.
  
• Hosting. Probably goes along with the above, but I love having people at my house, and I love serving them.
  
• Food. I love to cook/bake, and from every response I've ever gotten from others, it would seem I'm quite good at it.
  
• Writing. Really, I love to write. I think and communicate best through writing. In general, I just love words.

I'm pretty good at the design work that I do. And I'm pretty helpful to people re: computer stuff. I can also sing and play the guitar/piano pretty well. There's some more, but that list seems to be pretty accurate.

So... a restaurant? Coffee house? Bed & Breakfast? Maybe just somehow become independently wealthy so that I can do all those things above just for fun?

... that would be cool...

This post is mostly for me, just to look back on and see what I was thinking in June of 2008. But, if you have any thoughts... you know what to do.

Too Much

The word of the day in the Campbell home is "busy." It's been the word for many days, many weeks, and even many months. We know some of the causes (one being that we have five children, one of whom is an infant) but we just keep scratching our heads when we look at what life is now, and think about what it used to be. How did we get here?

I left the house this morning to take a quick trip to the library to return a DVD. My plan was to drive, but when I stepped out the door, I realized I had left my keys inside. I debated for a few moments whether to go and retrieve them, or to just go for the walk to the library I had originally wanted to take. (I had reasoned that feeling short for time, it would be better to just drive.) I eventually decided to just walk, as the circumstances seemed to dictate.

On my walk (which was begun at a hurried pace) I was greeted by our 4-year-old neighbor girl from her window where she was eating breakfast. I said hello with a smile, but kept on going. As I turned the corner, I was greeted by several more people just enjoying a nice morning sit on their porches. I began thinking, "Man... I wish I could do that..."

As I got to the library, I saw that they have placed a couple rocking chairs on the front porch. All I wanted to do when I saw them was sit in them with a nice book, and maybe a cold iced tea. Don't you? Why is there no time to just sit, relax, and enjoy some quiet time? Is it just me?

I don't think that it is.

These thoughts have been bothering me for a good long while now. We continue to feel rushed almost every day of our lives. Whether it's just taking care of the kids, or me trying to balance work for around fifty different clients, or any of the various other endeavors I have undertaken (my Buffalo Bills website, or this blog, among others)... there's always something to do. It can even be fun, relaxing stuff like home projects, just playing games, and/or visiting with friends and family, etc.

There's just always a lot to do.

We have been pretty social of late. Whether visiting friends or family locally, or semi-locally (we have family about 90 minutes away) or even chatting with friends online or over Facebook, there are plenty of people to keep in touch with. It's amazing because, no matter how many people we get to spend time with, there are three more we didn't get to. So crazy!

When I saw the rocking chairs today, I just wanted to go back to a time when there was no internet. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love the internet. I think it's just incredible. Instant information and communication right in your home. Really incredible. But I harken back to the days when the information you got was by word of mouth (so it traveled a bit slower) and the communication you had was with people within walking distance, or perhaps a horse-back ride's distance. Much simpler times.

I think I am longing for that. For simplicity. Are you? Do you feel like you are stretched incredibly thin? We do not have a cell phone (just an emergency one) because we don't really want to be accessible everywhere we are. But almost everyone else is. You can reach them anytime, anywhere. They are always "connected." If not by regular phone calls, then by text messaging over the phone. The iPhone sure looks like a fun toy to me - seriously, amazing device - but I am not certain I want to be "connected" everywhere I go...

I scan the bookshelves in my house and just long for a free afternoon to sit and read and soak in and think along with other thinkers. I long to just relax and enjoy a quiet read. I long to just sit, really. Not always be doing. I am always doing. Even if it's just fun.

So where does that bring me to? I haven't officially decided yet, but I think I might be approaching a cease and desist of some sort. Temporary, as far as I can tell now, but still quite complete. Complete meaning, whatever I choose to cease and desist, I really will.

It could be any number of things. Facebook. Instant Messaging. Reading blogs. Reading other websites. Watching DVDs. Playing vintage video games. Playing Facebook word games. :-) Perhaps even blogging. (Though, probably not. Blogging is usually a great and necessary outlet for me when I finally get a chance to "take in" again.) I might even set aside a certain time of the day to read/reply to emails. That takes up a lot of time, too. I get emails every five minutes or so. And I usually read them right away. Whatever it is, I think I might start the C & D as early as Monday.

Should be an interesting experiment.

Would love to hear from anyone reading this who feels the same way. Are we too connected? Too much to do. Too many possibilities, informationally, entertainment-wise, relationally, etc? Or, am I overreacting, and perhaps a relic from a time long gone? Your thoughts are invited. Post below.

This weekend, I will be pondering all of this very much.

Hopefully not too much. ;-)

[NOTE: Further proof that I am too busy? I began this post at 9:22 this morning. Distraction after distraction has kept me from finishing it. Argh.]

A-Social, or Hyper-Social?

I have been spending a lot of time using Facebook of late.

Whether just playing word games with friends, or making use of their live, instant message chat feature, or just keeping in touch with friends however possible - I've been there.

I am a people person (as I have said before) and so it would make sense to find me at a "people" site. But is connecting with people on Facebook really a social activity?

We were talking with our friends about social networking sites, and how in a strange way they are almost a-social. It's almost a way to keep from seeing people, and really interacting with them. By leaving a message here or there, or even using the real-time chat, some may consider that they are enjoying a relationship with another human being, and in a way they may be, but in reality, they are staying home and spending time on the computer instead of being with people.

My take on that was that I use Facebook to stay in touch with people I couldn't otherwise, and to just add to the other communication I have with friends who are local. It's another way to communicate.

What I noticed recently was that my time is spent very differently these days. I don't do a lot of things I used to do. I was talking with Jen about that... what has changed? And the only thing I could figure was Facebook. I've been using it a lot, and that corresponds with the time I have not been doing other fun stuff I used to do. And that's been fantastic. I have totally enjoyed keeping in touch with people I wouldn't otherwise have been able to talk to.

And that's what I think Facebook does for me. It actually is too social. :-) Maybe instead of a-social, Facebook is really hyper-social? You see, maybe we were only meant to relate to the people we could actually visit with in a given day? But now with electronic means of connecting - and Facebook makes that even easier! - I can have daily conversations with many folks I have met along the way in life.

That can fill up your time!

So, we're feeling a bit busy lately, and maybe that is why. We're hyper-social! Well, at least I am.

I may try a week or so without Facebook soon, and see what happens to my time. Could be an interesting experience.

But then, would that be a-social, or even anti-social? Would definitely be some sorta "social". :-)

English Class

Riding home from the long weekend in Buffalo, Jen & I were talking in the front seat about anything and everything. (It is a 90 minute ride.) At some point we got talking about technology, and specifically the iPhone (I think wished we could look something up on the internet) and I said, "Maybe we can get one when (I forget what the first part was) ... and when there's ubiquitous wi-fi."

There was only a brief pause, and then I added, "Do you like it when I use big words like that?"

She replied, "Well, it makes me feel like I'm back in English class..."

Hammer & Nails

This weekend has been a “work” weekend for me. No, not more hours in the office (although, I have been working on a project for a client in the background the whole time as well). I was invited to help my sister and her husband finish their basement. My Dad made plans to come up for Memorial Day weekend and get it done, and I was invited to join them.

Well, let’s just say that craftsmanship and working with tools and building stuff - that’s not my number one gift. :-)

But it is my Dad’s. Or at least right up near the top. He is doing a great job, and it’s fun to see him put stuff together from what to me is just a pile of boards.

It’s not just that I just don’t even know where to begin with all this stuff. Certainly after so many years of working on home improvement projects with my Dad, I basically know how to do stuff. (Well, when I am told exactly what to do...) :-) But, maybe partially because of that, I really just don’t enjoy it. I do it to help out, or because it needs to be done... but it’s not fun for me.

Well, after two days of working hard on several different projects, we were getting nearer to the end. My dad and my brother-in-law were working on a project and I decided to see if I could start another one. They had to box in the stairs (they were open) and so, it seemed that just meant cutting boards and putting them in. I confirmed that, and so got to it - with a little help from my son, Ian!

I forget if this was my choice, or recommended, but on this project, I attached these boards to the existing stairs just using a hammer and nails. Yes, manually pounding them in. And do you know what? After doing a few of them, I thought, “I’m actually enjoying this!” And I was. I didn’t really understand why, but I loved pounding the nails in and seeing the project come together.

And then I noticed how consistent that was with the way I do lots of things.

When I build my websites, I actually write the code for each page. (Usually at the consternation of my fellow web developers.) When I cook, I like to make everything I can “from scratch”. There are tools you can use to automate processes on your computer, and other technologies - I don’t trust any of them. To me it just seems like every situation is slightly different, and can’t be automated.

It seems that I like to be closer to the process. I prefer to not automate. I guess maybe I don’t like power tools, either? :-)

Well, time to get back to work this morning. I’ll see if I can find some jobs that let me do more manually. :-)

Update from Greg's Head

I must say this poor blog has been quite neglected for the past couple weeks. It seems that my writing certainly goes in cycles. Sometimes I have lots to say and just can't help myself, so this blog is full of things to read. Sometimes I am so full of things to do that even though I do have things to say, I am not able to sit down and write them out. Other times, it's simply time for intake rather than output. I'd say we're definitely in a cycle involving a little of both of the last two.

So, instead of writing lots of detailed blogs (which I could certainly do, but must tend to other things) I will try and cover a lot of the stuff I'd like to chronicle here in bullet-point fashion.

• Work
  I have been very busy with web and graphic design, so much so that I am considering expanding. It feels as though the work load has grown too much for one person to handle. (At least, and still have family/free time.) I'm not certain how to work that out just yet, but the influx of clients continues, as well as a regular stream of work orders from satisfied current customers. A week or so ago I felt as though I was cresting the seemingly insurmountable hill of open projects, but then the hill just got a bit taller. So, I press on... Have made a few cool additions to my site (linked above) in the middle of the various projects I have been working on. I seriously need to update my "samples" page though as several of those clients have closed up shop and are no longer on the internet! :-)
  
  
• Music
  Oh, I finally did take our "Christmas decorations" down at our basicmm.com website, too. :-) I forget what motivated me to do it, since it was already late April or May when I did, but ... anyway, it's done. Also on the music front, our trip to Virginia in June may be in jeopardy because our family is too large to house! :-) We'll see what happens there...
  
  
• Fun
  Jen & I both have been enjoying Facebook and the many fun things therein. They added a live chat feature recently which has been extra cool. Realtime re-connecting with people you haven't spoken with in many years, or perhaps barely even know. Fun! (At least, for me that's fun!) Also, definitely loving playing the various word games there. I do love word games...
  
  
• Brennan Manning
  Jen cleaned out the attic recently and found a bunch of old cassette tapes. In one of the boxes was a set of teaching tapes we had purchased. It was "Healing Our Image of God... and Ourselves" by Brennan Manning. Manning's background as a catholic priest (and a monk, I believe) gives him an interesting perspective on the Gospel. But the heart of what he says is so great. It's the simple truth of the incredible love that our Father - Abba - has for us. We heard Brennan at a retreat over 10 years ago, and got his tapes there. He's been saying the same thing for decades - and I believe God has been re-emphasizing this basic point to me and Jen in recent years again - because it's the core of the Gospel/Good News. God loves us more than we can ask or imagine, and invites us to live life side by side with him, as his kids. Great stuff... on tape 4 of 5 right now. More on this to be sure...
  
  
• Friends
  Our closest friends - who are more like family - are moving. Their last day in town is next Wednesday. We have lived in the same town as them since we met in our college years. I moved up here to Rochester area with them right after college. Our kids have grown up together, sharing most of the fun/special days together. We've known of the move for a couple months now. That's kinda nice. Been a nice long goodbye. But it's still a goodbye, and life will definitely change. Very exciting for them, and I'm sure God will blow us away with the way(s) he fills what we can only see now as a void. But it's pretty sad at the same time. We're sure there will be tears next week. In the mean time, been helping with packing and moving as much as we can, and also just visiting as much as we can, while they're still here. We'll certainly see them again, but 15 minutes is a lot closer than 6 hours driving time. :-)
  
  
• Family
  We've also been visiting family a lot this month. We got to see my sister's new house in the Buffalo area. Then went over the next weekend for a big garage sale, and I made a nice mother's day lunch for my mother-in-law. :-) We're going over again this weekend, and then the next for various family events, too! It's nice that they are close, but it's also certainly an expense with gas being near $4.00/gallon!! Yikes!
  
  
• New Friends
  Jen has been going to the community center on Thursday mornings to join (mostly) moms with their pre-schoolers for a couple hours of playtime/funtime. This has been a cool way to meet people we have seen around town (at other similar events) and get to know them better. We obviously have the common link of having tiny kids :-) Looking forward to getting to know all of these new friends - who mostly live right around the corner(s) from us - over the summer.
  
  
• Lilacs!
  Whether you pronounce it "lie-lock" or, the proper, phonetic way (li-lac)... :-) I am just loving these flowers again this year. Been a neat spring in general. The flowering trees have been beautiful. Our neighbor has several lilac bushes and has generously allowed me to snap of some blooms whenever I'd like. And so, I've had beautiful, fragrant lilacs on my desk for the past week or two! Love it!
  
  
• Entertainment
  Almost forgot... been watching the NHL playoffs mostly these days. TiVo has been very helpful as we are usually out for evenings, but then watch the game in fast-forward once we are home! As close as the season was, it was surprising to see Pittsburgh and Detroit each take 3-0 series leads. The other teams both won their game fours, but should be a fantastic Stanley Cup Final between Pittsburgh and Detroit! They're both amazing.
  
  And, we've rediscovered our fondness for the 80s TV show, The Knight Rider. Our friends, the Vs, enjoy it as well (we loaned them our iPod to watch Season One in its entirety) and Season Two is now coming to our mailbox via Netflix. :-) Pretty corny at times, but also pretty fun. Ah, the good ol' days...

There have been lots of other fun events the past several days/weeks. Really can't share them all here. As I said, it's been a time of doing and intake more than a time of output :-) Suffice it to say, all of these social events have reminded me again that I am (or have become) a people person. I am not sure why I am doing an office-related job, then... :-) But am still super thankful for the provision we see from God in that.

More to come on the stuff I have been thinking through from the Brennan Manning tapes, as well as some good conversations with the church (friends who are fellow followers of Jesus), and just the stuff God has been placing on my heart and mind. So fun to share every bit of life with someone who loves me so much. Hope you know that, and you're experiencing that, too.

Just What I Needed

After a frustrating morning (perhaps nearly entirely self-inflicted - at least, maybe it didn't need to be as frustrating as it was) and a frustrating lunch, I reluctantly decided that I should take our two-year-old Julia on her OK Night. She's been waiting for quite a while (I've been busy) and there's an eager queue behind her, of course.

We gathered everything together for a walk. I had planned some fun things for her, but also was going to make efficient use of my time and make the post office our destination on the walk, so I could pick up my mail. Gotta multi-task, right?

Nope. And it took a beautiful little two year old to remind me of that.

As we embarked on our walk (under the windy, rainy, overcast skies) we were chatting. Julia is a wonderful talker. She has a lot to say, and mostly I know what she's talking about. :-) As she was talking, she would just throw in a happy, sing-songy refrain of "OK Night" every once in a while. :-)

She definitely began to melt my heart.

As we walked - not really all that far yet - I saw some flowers, and we crossed the road to go see them up close. She was very excited, and loved everything her Daddy suggested they do. At this point, she started helping me to enjoy the moment, and I cancelled all plans for multi-tasking on the trip and decided to just enjoy each moment of this short hour or so with my little Julia.

We ended up walking to a store to get some baseballs for the boys and to get a fun snack to eat at the park. Except, when we left the store, she said she wanted to see the water... so, we headed up to the Erie Canal marina not too far from that store. We sat on the bench eating iced animal crackers (she loved the pink ones!) and just had fun time looking at the water.

The rain brought us home, but we still enjoyed every moment along the way. Stopped to smell every flower. Listened to every word. Breathed every breath.

I am pretty sure that is all I need right now. For whatever reason, my work, and my life have become "pressure" to me. I have had a hard time recently just stopping to relax and enjoy. Julia knows how to do that well, and helped me to do that today. I thanked her for it when we got home as I laid her down for her nap. :-)

There's good reason for the pressure I think. The bills still need to be paid. The work still needs to be done. Raising kids is hard work. When will I ever get to enjoy a nice evening out with my wife again? (Without the attached baby?) :-)

This too shall pass. But hopefully not too quickly. I'd like to enjoy the moments along the way.

The Path I Have Trod

Going way back to my college years - when I first started to grasp the reality of life with a living and interactive God who loves me more than I can possibly imagine - I have seen God lead me. Almost step by step.

When I was a student at the University of Buffalo, studying English towards the goal of being a journalist as my profession, God began to gently suggest to me that I should somehow make a "career" (my word, not his) out of helping people understand him the way I had come to. He had finally reached me as the living Being that he is, not just the main Protagonist of the stories I heard at Sunday school. Not only was he alive, and reaching out to me, he loved me and accepted me completely, and wanted me to do life together with him. This was fantastic, and he was right, it's what I wanted to spend my life doing: helping people know him like I had come to know him.

So, following his lead, I transferred to Cincinnati Bible College to pursue some "career" in "ministry". I have said before, I had no intention of being a preacher, or pastoring a church, or anything like that. I just wanted to make spend my days helping people know Jesus. It was up to God to show me what that would be.

For two years I studied under people who had spent many more years that me studying Scripture. I still very much appreciate those days and weeks and months spent learning from those guys. I may not feel exactly the same way about every detail in Scripture, but I respect them and am glad to have learned from them.

Right about the time we were to graduate, it seemed God had directed me to work with college students, and I had an opportunity to do so at Miami University in Oxford, OH. I was all set to go there when - I believed then and do believe now - he opened another door, and suggested I go through it.

A tiny church in Victor, NY was looking to hire a youth and worship minister, and their main candidate was my college roommate! Add to that the fact that the preacher there was the brother of Jen, who was even then one of my bestest friends. There were many appealing things, and it seemed God was saying, "Go there." So, I did.

And there were many fruitful years of meeting people, and I think, helping them know Jesus as I had come to know him (and was still growing in knowing him.) I (and later Jen too) worked with a couple fledgling groups at a couple different local colleges. We worked with college and young adult folks who were part of the church who had brought me in to work with them. All good, years well spent. Certainly there were difficulties, but only the fond memories remain.

Looking back now, that seems to have been a season of life working through the "local church". (I don't like to use that term, but you know what I mean when I say it.) I was chatting with a friend the other day and realized that God has been "suggesting" new avenues for me to help people know him in roughly five-year intervals. This one was from roughly 1996-2001. In 2001, we began (in earnest) a new journey.

And boy was it a journey! :-)

2001 was the year that I resigned as the worship minister of that tiny church (which had grown quite a bit in those 5 years!) and began focusing full-time on our music, basic music ministries. God had actually led us back into that around 1999, and we were slowly moving toward it from 1999-2001, but it took several extenuating circumstances in that year to move us fully into the place I really believe he wanted us to be.

Looking back now I can see that God was completely leading that, arranging the places we would sing and share and help people to know him as we were coming to know him. It was really cool to see him lead and provide along the way, and more confirmation that he was the One behind all of it is that now, since we have transitioned to the next five-year phase... the music has almost completely dropped off the radar!

How did that happen? I really did not change that much in what I was doing. The requests to come share our music basically just stopped coming in! Before, they came all the time. But in 2004, God prepared both Jen and me separately for a coming change. We weren't sure what it would be, but were confident he was "suggesting" again.

We realized in the middle of a tour that it was time to lay that down and see what else God had for us. My only inkling was that I could probably do web design for people. Up to that point I only did my own and two or three others, very much on the side.

But again, God confirmed immediately that we had made the right decision. Almost the instant we agreed with him that we should not schedule future tours, and "lay down" a "ministry" that seemed to be still in its prime... the requests came pouring in. For web design!

Too funny. So amazing to see God provide and lead like this. The year 2005 was spent phasing out of the music "career" (for now, at least) and phasing in the web and graphic design "career". The other very obvious "phase" that we are in now is the family phase! We have five young kids now, three of whom have been born since Feb 2004. That is certainly another emphasis of this current "five-year phase". :-)

So 1996-2001 was local church related. 2001-2006 was our musical phase (roughly, as 2005 was still fairly populated with musical things). And now since 2006 I have been doing web and graphic design for people, and it has been the same as the music - completely at God's provision. He is the one who has brought every single client to me. Every one. I have not advertised, nor sought out new clients. Haven't had to! God has again led the way!

But there's the issue I face today, and have faced recently. Maybe even most of this "phase". I don't think I am made to do what I am doing, nor do I really enjoy it - at least, not as much as I had the other things.

Am I just ungrateful? Am I missing God's blessing? Certainly not that. As I have said, I am completely aware that God is providing this current "career" as a way to provide for our family. And certainly I am grateful for that. I am confused at how it still seems to not quite completely "provide" but I see him providing, and so I am confident that he will figure out the details.

This is the first phase that I am wishing would end sooner though.

Perhaps that is just a temporary glitch with me. Perhaps I am overwhelmed by other things in life? It is a lot to take care of five children! :-) Money is always an issue, as I know it is for most folks who will stumble across this blog entry. But really... I am frustrated. Frustrated by the provision I am seeing, and just not really wanting this particular provision.

Maybe it's like my kids at the dinner table. I most always make meals considering their fairly limited pallets, but frequently they will still complain that the food is "not their favorite". My typical response is to let them know that the current meal is all the food we have for tonight, and that they need to just eat it. Even though I know they don't really like it that much, I know it is good, and their little bodies need it.

Perhaps it's time to eat my vegetables?

I do certainly enjoy many parts of this current "tour of duty". Really. I obviously love computers, and the internet, and have considerable knowledge and experience that I can offer to people. I also think I have a pretty good eye for design. There are certainly many ways that this current "career" that God has provided fits me well. I'm not sure why it's not as fun. Could just be these are the vegetables I don't like so much. According to the path I've trod so far, it would seem I have till 2010 or 2011 to figure it out. :-)

If you've read this far you are a true friend, a good/fast reader, or just had some extra time to kill. I appreciate it. One way I process things is to write them out. God definitely - most definitely - made me a writer. A word smith. I look forward to that five-year phase. :-) (Certainly, that theme has woven through all of my years so far. But perhaps there will be a season where that is the primary focus?)

The best part of the story, and what keeps me going on? Very clearly seeing that God is leading all of this. This is where he wants me, and I know and love and trust him... and so I know it's where I also want to be.

Just have to get my heart to match my head on that one.

Greening

It's been really warm here the past week or so. Today promises to be a bit nicer (at least, by my standards) with a high around 62ºF. Mostly I don't like spring - probably least of all four seasons - because it means the hot weather is coming, and usually with melting snow and even more rain, it's just a muddy mess.

But today, as I was out for a quick morning walk, I was looking around at all the new growth - the "greening" of our town again - and I just thought it was cool. The new life is a very cool thing about spring.

See? You can find a "silver lining" just about anywhere... ;-)

5 Things I Hate

1. When my kids are trying to tell me a fun story from their day, and it's just the wrong time and I hurriedly dismiss them in order to accomplish the task of the moment.
   
2. Anytime I am mean to my wife (words, actions... however) whether real or perceived.
   
3. Deadlines/promises/goals not met or kept.
   
4. Seeing my kids hurt.
   
5. Staying up later than I wanted to. :-)

Good night! :-)

I'm A People Person

There's no denying it now. I am officially and completely a people person.

This past weekend we kept our friends' three girls while they made a super-packed-full trip to their new home in the Washington, DC area. They dropped them off Thursday morning, and we had them until Sunday night. At first glance that seemed like a pretty long time, but I knew it would go really fast. And it did.

The best part was not the four days of two adults and eight kids though. The best part came on Sunday afternoon.

My sister and her husband and their four kids were on their way to their new home in the Buffalo, NY area, and were planning to stop by and visit. So, now we had twelve kids (ages 9 down to 1 month) and only four adults. But we didn't stop there! Later in the afternoon, our friend Laura and her son came to visit bringing the total up to 5 adults and 13 kids! All in our little yellow house!!!

And I could not have been happier. :-)

I looked around at one point at the four families represented in my living room and just smiled. I couldn't help it. That is what I want my house to be. The place where people hang out. Come, visit, hang, for no reason ... just to be together. It was wunderbar.

Later that night, our friends came back to retrieve their kids and ended up sticking around to sample the good food from the day (cinnamon rolls and chicken wings and skyline chili, etc) and taking in an episode of the Knight Rider. It was a great ending to a fun day and a great weekend.

But then...

On Monday, Jen's parents came over with our nephew to spend a couple fun days with our kids and Jen (while I was here working). They were gone most of yesterday, and are gone again today now doing some fun things around our area. I'm glad for the kids. They are having a blast. But it's really quiet here.

I have officially discovered that I am a "people person". Fellow people people seem to need "down times", but I can't get enough. I miss those little girls we had here for the long weekend. A lot. I certainly miss my family right now. And last night, the two boys spent the night with Grandma, Grandpa & their cousin... and it just wasn't right. The house felt empty, though we still had the three girls here with us.

I am definitely a people person.

[Tangent... Last night when we just had the three girls, I thought to myself, "This seems way too easy!" I felt like it was "parenting-lite". I guess the hardest part of parenting these days is not the feeding and cleaning that we mostly do for the three girls (ages four and down) but the relational and life-training that we are doing with the boys (and probably Kirstie, too). So without that "challenge"... I felt like we had the night off! :-) Tangent over...]

So, I am incredibly grateful to God for the big family he has placed me in, and look forward to it growing if that's what He's got in mind. I'm super blessed to be part of a great extended family, too (my mom & dad, sister & fam, my aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and even all my in-laws).

Guess that's probably why I'm a people person. :-)

Back To (The New) Reality

My two week hiatus from my desk job is over. As is my two week adventure of being the primary caregiver for four young kids, as well as taking care of daily household duties and helping Jen & Emma here and there when needed. It was wonderful, and I already miss it, but I am looking forward to moving back into a more normal routine.

I am in the office preparing for the craziness that will be my first Monday back. (Mixed feelings about that, to be sure.)

As I put all the kids in bed tonight, told each one of them how much I love them, and how much I loved spending every day all day with them for the past two weeks. I also told them I plan to take several 5 minute breaks tomorrow to come and give them big hugs! :-)

Some might think that spending all day every day taking care of four very young kids would be exhausting, tiring, and draining. And, they would be right. But the part that might be missed is that those four very young kids are four of my most favorite people, and even though I was exhausted at the end of every day... it was so worth it!

Tonight (at the last minute) I thought it might be a good idea to get a babysitter for the oldest four and go out for the evening with Jen. I am going back to normal office hours tomorrow, and she's going back to normal Mom hours tomorrow. Seemed a good way to bring in that next season. It was very nice for neither of us to have the kids responsibilities for this one evening. We just got a sub from Subway, and some ice cream from Chill & Grill, and went up to the community center and played a card game while watching the Sabres (WIN!). So very nice.

And tomorrow, I am hoping that all of this niceness did not exhaust me to where I need a vacation. I don't think it did. I believe that tomorrow I will be ready to get "back to reality" and move forward as a family of seven!

I'm lovin' it! :-)

Lucky Seven

Being that it's the last few moments of this year's St. Patrick's Day, I figured that was a fitting title. And really, it's very appropriate.

We are now a family of seven, and learning what that means day by day. Of course, our seventh member is not really contributing all that much these days. She has managed to bring quite an influx of visitors through our humble abode - something her dad very much appreciates - but other than that she's almost hard to notice! She's doing everything a 4-day-old person should be doing, and doing it quite well, thank you very much!

Mom is doing fantastically. Never been better following the birth of our babies. Seriously. On Sunday, we went out for a birthday lunch for my dad (since she was feeling up to it) and on the way there, we stopped at the Walmart Super Center for diapers and other things babies need. Well, if you've been to one of these gigantic establishments you know that there is a LOT of walking involved! And Jen walked it all! Pretty quickly!! Amazing! She could have never(in a million years!) done that following any of our other babies.

Superb.

So this morning, in addition to our lucky green shamrock-shaped pancakes, I was feeling quite lucky to be part of this great family that God continues to build and grow together. From my favorite person on the planet (Jen) to my next five favorites (Ian, Alex, Kirsten, Julia, and now Emma) I couldn't be luckier.

And I'm not even Irish. I'm Scottish. And a bit Welsh. Maybe some German. But I digress...

On top of that we have some great friends who helped when the baby was coming, and more who are dropping by to meet the baby and calling to check on us and share in our joy, and more still who will be bringing some meals this week and next.

Ya can't get any luckier. :-)

So on this day associated with luck, I just wanted to count - and publicly proclaim - my many blessings.

I'm one lucky dude.

Sickness Invades The Campbell Home

Jen (the pregnant one) has been sick (on top of the discomfort of pregnancy) over the past couple weeks with a few various ailments, but it didn't stay with her. Kirstie has been complaining of ear/head/neck pain off and on for almost a week now. This morning, Kirstie was still very lethargic, and her oldest brother Ian joined her in her illness-induced lethargy.

The sickness canceled our plans for today. Which were quite plentiful.

Well, the two other kids and myself were not feeling sick at all - in fact quite the opposite for the "evens" (kids #2 and #4...). They were quite loud, boisterous, and generally making life more miserable for their sick siblings.

I decided to take the healthies out to Wendy's where a group of friends generally gather every Sunday afternoon. Was even hoping to catch our nephew there who turned 20 today! (Yes... I am old...) :-) No luck there, but there were about 6 or 7 families represented, so it was definitely a nice visit for Dad who is a "people person." :-)

Untill...

Half way through our time there, Alex started showing signs of lethargy as well, and even ended up laying his head down on the table at one point. :-( He removed himself from the group (sat at a nearby table, not very like Alex with his friends) and just seemed to be getting exactly what everyone else had.

Scary thing? So did I.

As we were leaving, all of a sudden, my neck started aching, and I just felt very weird... maybe light-headed, but not that bad. Just tingly all over. Made it through that, enjoyed lunch, but felt a little strange all the way home. When we got home we put the new sickie in bed, and that's when it hit me.

COLD!!! I could not have been colder! I got under 6 or 7 blankets, all the way under, and turned the heat up! If you know me, you KNOW that something is wrong! :-) I really didn't feel lethargic, but still had an achy body all over, and had the chills som'n fierce!

So, I had some tea, put on my warmest sweatshirt, and took the rest of the day a bit easier.

Dinner was funny. I just reheated some leftovers for all the sickies (which is all but Julia!) and no one really wanted much of anything. :-) I still ate a decent amount, but definitely didn't taste right.

Right now, at a VERY early hour for me, I'm gonna down some NyQuil® and hit the sack! Might not wake up till 10 tomorrow! :-)

Here's hopin'!

Old

I made a quick trip to our grocery story tonight (the local IGA is about 1 mile from our house) to get some baking cocoa for some chocolate icing I was making for the chocolate cup cakes I had already made for my pregnant wife. :-) I really didn't want to go - too much other stuff to do before the kids' bedtime - but Jen really needed those cupcakes, and she really needed them to be chocolate.

So I went.

It was actually kind of peaceful. It had been a (mostly) day off full of kids, and I think that little bit of peacefulness was kind of enjoyable. :-) I found what I needed, and since what I needed was strewn across the store, I found a couple other good deals as well. It was a relaxing - yet fairly short - stroll through the market.

I was standing in the check out line when I saw a young guy - late teens, early twenties - come running up to his friends, although it was more like "bounding" than running. He came to a stop with one final leap. I smiled at his youthful energy.

Almost simultaneously, I chuckled at how old I must be. I had none of that vigor this night. I just felt very tired and worn out from the day. I was happy to just be standing there. "Am I that old??" I thought. Then just smiled, realizing that I probably am. :-)

I took solace in the fact that I do at times still have almost that much energy. I would say it has dwindled a tad (not to mention that I am definitely out of shape as well) but there are still many moments that I feel that level of energy.

But not tonight. And for some reason, it was just a humorous glimpse at how I am definitely no longer in my early twenties.

And you know... that's actually a really good thing. It's kinda nice being old. What will be really funny is when Jen & I have watched our kids grow up, and maybe even our grandkids, and as we're standing in line at the grocery store... maybe only able to walk very slowly... we'll see some youthful character bounding down the aisles, and we'll just laugh.

Maybe you are only as old as you feel. (Or is it, you feel as old as you are?) :-)

Pondering

There are a few things that I am currently pondering regarding life with God and his church. I thought I'd just jot them down here, in a sort of short hand way. Perhaps you are pondering them as well and might add to my ponderings, but really I am putting them down here to look back later and see what I was pondering in 2008. :-)

• Worship:
  Do we need to publicly and corporately set God apart from all else, with or without musical aid?
  
• Evangelism:
  Should I have more of an urgent desire to help people know they are loved by their Father?
  
• Praying:
  With other people, I mean. How do I make an ongoing conversation with God easily flow into conversation with other believers - and my family.
  
• Communion:
  It's important to some people. Really important. But to me, just meaningless. Does it matter? How?

The things I am beginning to understand more: (and usually write about here)

• Freedom:
  For me, and giving freedom to others.
  
• Grace:
  For me, and treating other people with grace.
  
• God's love:
  Again, for me, and learning to give that to others.
  
• Reality of God's presence:
  Learning to live with Jesus every day.
  
• Who Jesus is:
  The Word of God, my brother, God in flesh, "watching" him interact with people in the stories of the gospels

When I look at those lists, the first one mostly just seems silly, but to many people - including me for much of my life perhaps? - they are not silly but almost essential. Funny how perspective changes. Who knows the lists might change again after a while. They might be completely different. We'll see.

Anyone Feeling Generous?

I have officially come to the end of my chai supply. I'm pretty sure I have mentioned it here before, but many of you who know me in person have frequently heard me herald the greatness of this warm beverage. My favorite brand so far is Big Train chai. (Pictured to the right.) They have some great deals at Amazon.com, but with a stack of bills waiting to be paid... I'm going to hold off on the purchase for now.

So I just thought I would offer you the opportunity to be super (cali-fragi) generous and send a little chai my way... (all you need to do is click the photo of chai.......) ;-)

Anyone feeling generous? :-)

Flip Flop

I am a late night person. I love it, always have, and don't really get into the morning thing. Mornings for me start around 9am.

Somewhere near the beginning of the Buffalo Bills Review season I began moving toward a VERY late night schedule. I would stay up till 4 or even 5am at times to finish editing and publishing our show and website on a weekly basis, and that got me to a regular bedtime around 3am. That's pretty late. And shifted everything on me. Days seemed sorta rushed if I was trying to have any evening with my family after work. We don't mind it being kind of later, but it's been later than I like for sure.

So this week, following the final show of the year, I am trying to shift to an earlier schedule. Would like to get back to walking in the morning before I come up to the office. And get started on stuff here by 8:30 or so. We'll see how it goes. Pretty well this morning. Only 10:30am now, and have made some organizational process that would usually take me till noon. So, that's good!

Hopefully my bedtime will get back to a more normal 1am or so. We'll see...

Hugs

This blog is quite random sometimes, and tonight it feels particularly so. It is very appropriately titled, so I think I shall just leave it at that.

A few times recently I have found myself explaining my "hug policy", so I thought I'd try and do that here - if for nothing more than it should make for interesting reading when I am going back through these in a year or two or five. :-)

We have taken a "love languages" test many times through the years with the parenting course Growing Kids God's Way. I have scored super high every time in the "Physical touch and closeness" category. There are 5 love languages, and I think 5 questions on the test, and when you add up the points, I think that one is usually about a 21-23 for me, out of a possible 25. And, thought tests are not always entirely accurate, this one is.

I like hugs. :-)

So I was saying recently to a few various and random friends (and family) that my general thought is, I wait until 1) the person I am greeting or leaving demonstrates that they too are a hugger or 2) I know the person well enough that I already know they are a hugger. (This may explain why I usually greet you with a hug, or don't...) :-)

For now, I plan to keep to that general rule of thumb... so if you are a hugger, your hugs are welcome and I'll hug you back. If you're not... I'll return your firm handshake :-)

Just thought I'd get that out there.

Now I think I'm gonna go give Jen a big hug...

:-)

Seat Belts

I know this is silly, and probably has already been discussed too much, but the reason for this page was to share (and document?) my random and wandering thoughts. So...

This weekend I was returning from a visit to the grocery store that is less than a mile from our house. I was in a hurry (had to get something for the dinner I was trying to be making at that very moment) so I hadn't fastened my seatbelt, and really wasn't going to. It's such a short trip it kind of feels like just driving in my own driveway!

As I wrestled (very briefly) with whether or not to tether... I realized how insane it is that my state (yea, even my country) tell me that I have to wear it. Really? Should the government be regulating stuff that affects just a person's own life? Does not wearing a seatbelt affect anyone but the wearer? (Or, non-wearer, I suppose...) :-)

If pressed, I do say that I am libertarian (meaning, I don't think the gov't should be telling me what to do with my life) and in this I definitely am. Run campaigns, annoy people to no end, but do not make a LAW that makes them live up to a level of safety that some "larger group" thinks is "necessary" or should be "required". That kind of thinking is truly anti-American - anti-liberty.

OK. Down from the soap box. For now.

My Day (or two) As A Mom

I think I have written here before that when Jen has babies, I take a week or, last time, two off to take care of the other kids while she can focus completely on the baby. And of course, I take care of her too. :-) So, I am no stranger to being the "Mom" of the family. (Plus, I am the main chef of the household - by my own choice and desire - and often am accused of being the "girl" in our marriage ... so... I am kind of used to it. Kind of.)

Well today, due to extenuating circumstances, I offered to help out our good friends, the Velasquezes, by watching their three girls at their house while they went to a wedding. Their oldest had been really pretty sick yesterday... lots of throwing up... but mostly that kind of sickness has not affected me in life, so I figured I would be pretty OK, and it would help them out.

The day was to start at 9:45, but I did get there a little late. Just before ten I got there and got the scoop. They hadn't had breakfast so we did a little of that. Then once Mom & Dad left, we got into the fun. We watched an episode of the Knight Rider! (Yes, that instantly makes me the best babysitter ever. I carry episodes of the Knight Rider in my POCKET!)

No one was sick, thankfully, but it was a day full of being a Mom. :-) We had hurt feelings, we had sibling spats, we had ouchies - even needed ice for one! - and all of that fun. Of course I needed to make lunch, which was awesome! :-) We had diaper changes, bathroom reminders, and kitchen clean up. We also played games, and even had a nap time routine. I was quite the mom.

The real Mom & Dad returned around 4pm, and after a brief report, I headed out to do some returns and other shopping near the mall (more Mom stuff?) and then stopped by Wal-Mart for another quick surprise for the family. Finally got home - fairly exhausted - just after 6pm. Of course, Jen had our FOUR kids all this time, so she certainly had no picnic of a day! But after a few brief moments catching up with Jen... I realized that I had to make dinner for my family! Sheesh!

So, I did. I just reheated the big turkey dinner we had the night before, and it was great. But I was still tired. And I really just wanted to sit and watch football. But the kids were not really cooperating. And Jen was really worn out too. After giving it a go for most of the first half of the game mentioned just below... I finally gave up and just got the girls and got them ready for bed, and in bed.

The boys followed not long after, but Jen was able to help with them. I spent the rest of the evening cleaning up the kitchen from the last day or two and baking corn bread and cupcakes for tomorrow's gathering. Then I called some good friends who live in California around midnight (9pm their time...) :-) just to catch up. Had a nice chat there.

Why am I telling you all of this?

Well... I'd like to salute Moms out there. My wife first. Maybe my own Mom second. (Sorry, Mom.. Jen has four... and another coming!) I really am able to do the "mom thing" ... but my experience today (and some of yesterday) left me exhausted and feeling unappreciated. :-) (Not really... just bear with me...)

I really noticed that all of the "mom" stuff I did or was doing was sort of just expected. There's never an end to the needs of your kids. They don't take vacations, or weekends off. And, even when I was off taking care of other kids for a day... I came home to more. (Ours are way cuter, of course...) ;-) And they just assumed I would be making dinner as I usually do. (Plus, Mom is super tired from making a baby!)

A Mom's job is never done, and almost always taken for granted. So to Jen, Mom, and all other Moms reading this... you rock. Keep up the hard work. You can't see it paying off now, but those kids you are loving - thanklessly - will remember it later.

And to my Mom ... thanks for all the hard work. :-)

See? :-)

So... I'll continue to keep up my end of the parenting duties, and maybe remember to remind Jen how awesome she is even just a bit more often. :-)

And, since it's Steven Curtis Chapman week here at GregsHead.net ... when you get a chance (no time to find a link tonight...) check out the song from his latest album, This Moment - "One Heartbeat at a Time". Perfect song for Moms.

And now... at 1:29... I can finally go to bed.

Good night!

In The New Year?

It's nearing the end of another calendar year, and this is the time everyone thinks of "new year's resolutions." Perhaps I am no exception. They are not really "resolutions" necessarily, but here are some things I am hoping I will have/make more time for in the very near future.

• Read books, especially the gospels. Want to observe Jesus again, and see how he treated people, what his priorities were. What is important to him.
  
• Go for early morning walks again.
  
• Play basketball at least once a week.
  
• Maybe eat a little less chocolate. But just a little. :-)
  
• Get up and start the days earlier, and subsequently end them earlier.
  
• Regular date nights with my wife.
  
• Regular "date nights" (or days) with my kids - one at a time.
  
• Write more. Here, and the two or three book ideas that I have kickin' around my head.
  
• Play football with my boys.
  
• Play dress up with my girls.
  
• More date nights with my wife.
  
• Finally get ahead in my workload!

The short of it is, I look forward to more regular time with my family, more reading (a lot!), and an earlier schedule starting with a walk most mornings. We'll see how much of that ends up happening...

Hey, You Never Know

This morning I awoke from a series of dreams that seemed mostly disconnected, except for the last two. The last two were definitely connected. Really, it was a dream where I awoke from a dream. That happened once before (even more crazy, though!) but in this dream, the two dreams were the same.

In the dream I awoke to find two people in business attire coming into my bedroom. They stood at the foot of my bed and began to introduce themselves. (Note: This was the room in my old house, where I had two twin beds. Jen was there, she was just in the other bed. For some reason, that part was not weird to me in the dream...)

They were from a local paper, the Courier Journal (which, is local to Palmyra, where we live now) and they just wanted to let me know that I had won their drawing. "You wanted to tell us that in person?" I asked. "Well, it was the grand prize."

"How much?" I was thinking $1000 or something. "$120,000," the business lady calmly replied.

I was just stunned. Silent. Until (still in the dream) I said, "Wait... I had a dream about this. Somebody from a small, local paper came and told me that I had won their drawing... and I think it was for $120,000!!" Everyone laughed, and at the same time thought it was very strange.

Not long after that - while thinking of all the joys of being debt free - I awoke from my dream. For real this time.

I can't remember a dream recently that I have been more sad to wake up from, and to realize it was only a dream.

But hey, you never know...

Some Teams...

There are just some teams that I never like to see win. I know, I should root for a team instead of against the other one, but ... that's just the way it is.

Tonight I am rooting for probably my second favorite team, the Cincinnati Bengals, but it's not looking good for them. The Steelers (one of those teams I never want to see win...) are getting lots of "homer" calls, and it's pretty annoying. Probably wouldn't be as annoying if I didn't like the Bengals and so strongly dislike the Steelers...

Just so it's in writing, here are the teams I always root against (and if they are both playing, I usually just don't even watch the game!) :-) Steelers, Cowboys, Patriots, Giants, Eagles, and Ravens. So yeah, remember those two Super Bowls that featured Giants vs Ravens and Eagles vs Patriots? Didn't see 'em. :-)

There are some other teams in other sports, but since it's primarily football season, I'll leave it at that.

On a more positive note... my Bills did pull out a last-second, one-point victory today! Nice job, Bills!

33

Well, yes, today is my birthday, but it has already begun to be celebrated. My sister made me a cake while we were down there with them at my Mom & Dad's... they sang and everything. I got presents from the extended family. Many have been wishing me a happy birthday, including calls/IMs from Dad & Sister who have started this interesting tradition of wishing me a happy birthday on November 29th, so they can be the first one or something... :-)

Last night we all went out as a family to celebrate. Red Robin gives you a free burger on your birthday, so we like to take advantage of that! We went there for dinner, they sang me a song. It was tons of fun!

During dinner, Kirstie (our awesome 3-year-old) says something about how we need to go to Chuck-E-Cheese for my birthday! I just smiled (as I am now!) and realized that to her, THAT is a birthday! We have done the Red-Robin-Chuck-E-Cheese birthday circuit for several birthdays running now! :-)

So after dinner, we piled in the van and headed over to Chuck-E-Cheese!!

We got inside and the guy at the entrance said, "Is there a special occasion today?" I answered, "Yes......" He probed further, "Is it a birthday?" We all said, "Yes......." He said, "Whose birthday is it???"

Everyone pointed to me and said, "Dad's birthday!" He looked a little surprised, but handed me the birthday balloon!

We got a few dollars worth of tokens and headed out to have some fun. Strangely, most of the stuff we tried to do was broken, but the one thing I wanted to do - that cool little sketch/photo machine - did work and we got a funny photo memory from the night. I did get to play one game of skee ball with the boys, too. :-)

So, for my 33rd birthday, I went to Red Robin & Chuck E Cheese! :-)

But, there's more. So far today I have received some awesome steak "plates" (they are boards!) hand-crafted by my almost-9 year old son and his crafty Grandpa Tom, and a BUNCH of e-mails, IMs, and other electronic birthday greetings. Jen has some plans for tonight too, but won't divulge them just yet. :-)

More later... unfortunately today is still a busy work day! Just wanted to tell the stories of how everyone has been celebrating my birthday. It's been really fun so far, and much appreciated.

Thanks! :-)