by Greg

Mac Game: Burger Shop

Burger Shop

I found a cool game via a web link from Facebook, I believe. It’s a site that sells lots of games for the Mac, offering a free 1-hour demo of each. I saw this one called Burger Shop at #3 on their Most Popular list and decided to try it… it was a blast! I showed it to the boys and they loved it, too!

Basically, you fill fast food orders 🙂 Jen and I think this was made by the fast food industry, because when I was playing it with the boys, we were all really starting to crave burgers, fries, milk shakes and more. 🙂 It’s got a fun little story that goes along with the game, and is super fast paced but pretty simple. Click on the photo above to check it out.

If you don’t have a Mac… come visit me at the Apple Store… 🙂

by Greg

A Lesson From Monopoly

It’s probably not even accurate, but tonight while I was playing a game of Monopoly with my nine-year-old son, Ian, I couldn’t help but notice how the game paralleled life – and how I did not like that.

First off, it was just a really fun night. We call them OK Nights. (One Kid Nights.) It’s been Ian’s turn for a while, but as my prolonged silences here at GregsHead.net demonstrate, there is not much time for, well, anything these days. Not much time, and not much money. Which factored into the decision to do Ian’s OK Night in our basement. (That, and the huge thunderstorms that were wreaking havoc on our entire area tonight…) It all worked out, as Ian loves the game Monopoly (and so do I!) and we shared a nice pot of tea while we played together.

Ian even learned how to find 10% of something tonight. Bonus home school lesson!

But my lesson was in the crazy notion that to make money you have to have money. It’s true in life, and in Monopoly, and vice versa.

Poor Ian had me on the ropes. He had Boardwalk and Park Place with 3 houses on each. I managed to find my piece on Boardwalk shortly following his new construction project, and owed him $1400! That’s a lot for Monopoly! I had to mortgage several properties, and spend all my cash, but I managed to stay in the game. A few lucky rolls, and I had enough cash to stick around long enough for Ian to land on one of my expensive properties. But somehow, that was his undoing.

He also stuck around for a while, but no matter what we tried to do, he just couldn’t dig out of the hole that the first big hotel stay got him into. The problem started to become that in order to pay his debts, he had to get rid of all the stuff that could make him money. So in essence, he was getting rid of any chance he had to win, even though he was still in the game.

I, on the other hand, kept collecting Ian’s money… and then, since my cash stash was growing larger, I invested in more houses. I even bought a mortgaged monopoly from Ian… paid the bank, built houses, and cashed in again on Ian. It was too easy. As I cruised effortlessly around the board (because of my cushy abundance of wealth) Ian fretted every roll of the dice.

It was so crazy to see how it really does “take money to make money.” I really couldn’t believe it. But it was true. Somehow, but a bit of strategy, and admittedly, a bit of luck, I managed to make the first amount of money, and then from there wise investing made the money earn money for me.

Right now my problem seems to be what Ian’s problem was. Debt and other ongoing expenses keep me in a position of not having any vehicles to earn income. If I do, it seems to be just a little, and then it goes right back out to someone else. That’s a frustrating place to be.

So, I have not figured out in the real world how to take the next step to get just enough money to start making money from having money… but maybe some day.

Perhaps I should just play a few more games of Monopoly with Ian? 🙂

by Greg

A Picture of 54,000 Words

GregsHead.net Words from 2008 - Thanks to Wordle.net

I followed a link to a pretty fun site yesterday. It’s called Wordle, and lets you take any text, or URL, or feed from any site and make a random word picture from the text that you give it. Very fun, actually!

I did a couple more images. First, when I just took the text and pasted it in, the biggest word was “just”. Ha! Guess I just say that a lot… 😉 So, here’s the JUST version. And, I took the “Life With God” posts and made this image from that.

I also discovered that I have written approximately 54,800 words in the year 2008. (That’s to my GregsHead.net blog alone, does not include all my other sites!) I have … a lot to say.

Anyone can do it… with any text. Jen made some with the names of our family. 🙂 Go try it out for yourself…

Wordle.net

by Greg

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. 🙂

by Greg

Content

The past three weeks – maybe four – have been mostly a blur. I’ve been sleeping even less than normal, and been working much more than normal … and yet, there is a strange contentment like I have not recently known.

For quite sometime, financial pressures have been slowly bearing down on us, threatening to completely crush us. Well, at one point early this month, it seemed they would. We were at the end, literally, of every financial rope. We really didn’t know what to do.

So, I decided to try this online package that was only $499.95 that promised I could be making $600,000.00/week in just three short steps! The first week, my check was only $4537.84, but the second week, it tripled to $12,450.32! Now I’m getting checks for over $50,000/week!!! It worked for me, and I can share all my secrets with you in my online resource, “Everything I know about making money online, and why it will work for you!” – at a discounted rate for all GregsHead.net readers – only $399.95!!! So act now!

No. I didn’t do that. But I was tempted to… 🙂

See, what really happened was I just let go. I already knew that stuff is just stuff, and if we even lost all of it, we’d still be OK. Life would go on. It would be different, but it would go on. I had been holding on so tight that when the money didn’t come in, and “God didn’t provide” I would just borrow more money (usually with credit cards) to pay for what we obviously “needed.”

What I have come to learn (really, again) is that God gives us what we need. And if we don’t have what we “need”, then we don’t need it. (Note: I want to say “probably don’t need it” there, but I am really learning that I don’t need the probably!) The key to the whole things is contentment. Content with what we have, and trusting that God will provide our “daily bread.”

And he has.

Seriously, since we decided to just live on what we have – and have not used any credit cards in any way since then, probably four weeks – we have had everything we needed. I have been working many more hours (because I have always had the work, but never had the time to do it… hoping this extra work time is just to dig out of the hole we are currently in!) and so that has helped, but beyond that, there has been the generosity of some friends, as well as funny little moments along the way.

Like this one:

Last Monday, after paying some bills, buying some food… we literally had just a few dollars left. Jen’s parents had just gotten home from a three-week vacation tour, and were coming to see the grandkids and give us a chance to go out for our summer anniversary (the day we decided to get married, July 16). I really, really wanted to take Jen to Red Robin as she has been wanting to do that for a very long time, but the cost was definitely prohibitive! So, with no money, we just weren’t going to be able to do it. Unless… God wanted to give that to us. So, Jen asked him.

Not too long after Jen asked our Dad for enough money to go to Red Robin that night, I got an IM from a friend who I do some web work for… he needed a hosting account, ASAP. 🙂 So, I told him what it would cost, sent him the invoice, and he paid right away (and he paid a ridiculous bonus amount as well!) I told Jen, and she told me excitedly, “I asked God to do that!!“

How awesome is that? 🙂

So, the point is not “don’t use credit cards, just ask God for money for fancy date-night cuisine.” The point is that we have found such contentment living on what we have. We are still in a pretty big financial hole, but God keeps providing, and giving us ideas I think, and we are listening and happily enjoying what God gives us – rather than going ahead of him, as I think we were before, to things he had not yet given us. Even things like food, gas, etc. Now if we don’t have the cash, we don’t get it.

And we have not been wanting. (Which is partially due to God’s provision, and partially due to our contentment. Both working together.)

He really does love us, and take care of us. We know that, and we are getting to see it even closer and more clearly every day now. Honestly, though I don’t like the financial pressure of where we are, and can’t wait to pay off this debt, I hope that we will always be able to see so clearly how God provides – daily – for exactly what we need.

It’s a fantastic place to be!

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”
Matt 6:34 (MSG)

by Greg

Apple Retail = Me!

Apple, Inc.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…] 🙂

by Greg

Psych

PsychFor a while now, my parents, knowing we are fans of the show Monk, have said that we would enjoy the USA Networks show, Psych. So much so that they gave us the first season on DVD!

But, as you might already know, life has been quite busy around here, so we have not taken/found the time to watch it. Until last night.

Jen and I popped in the pilot episode DVD, honestly, not sure we would like it. We really don’t like TV in general, and especially current/newer TV. But we do like Monk, and we do trust my parents’ recommendations. So… we were curious as to what we’d think.

We loved it. 🙂

The characters are fun, the story was funny and intriguing, I was laughing aloud much of the time we were watching. We definitely recommend. Looking forward to watching the rest of Season 1.

I’m assuming that we are late to the party here, I’m not even sure what season they are one. Lemme check… Season three. So, not too far behind, actually! But, if you have not seen it yet – as we had not – we do recommend.

by Greg

Book Review: Dangerous Wonder

I finished the book Dangerous Wonder earlier this week, and just wanted to say a few words about it, and again, highly recommend the read. It’s actually a very short book, and full of very cool stories of people living life recklessly, irresponsibly, and altogether fantastically.

You might not think reckless and irresponsible would lead to “fantastic” but in this case, they do.

Mike Yaconelli presents a case for living life like a child. The last chapter kind of surmised the whole thing: be like a little kid. Jesus told us that we wouldn’t see the kingdom unless we did, and it’s so true. When we lose our kid-ness (and become “grown ups”) we forget what it’s like to trust, to play, to enjoy the moment, to be excited about the ordinary, and to be able to ask for help. All of those things are essential parts of life in the kingdom of God. And all are far too easy forgotten.

There were a few great, real-life stories of unabashed, unashamed grace and love shown to people – who did not deserve it. Usually from a child to an adult. You really need to read the book, but let me give you a couple examples.

He told of a type-A dad who had a very set routine every day when he came home from work. It was so set that his three-year-old son knew it by heart as well. One day, when he came home, the son came up to him and told him he had something for him. So he went over to the counter where the cookies were, climbed up (almost knocking down all the glasses) got a cookie… spilled the rest of them, but put them back… even poured a glass of milk for his dad – spilling a bunch on the floor in the process.

The best part of the story — the dad just smiled, and accepted the gift of love from his son! It would have been easy to criticize all the mistakes, and the mess… but in a moment of greatness, he just let his son love him. What a great story!

The other story was near the end of the book, and featured the author himself. He and his wife had taken in a teenage boy for a time who had an abusive, drunken father. He eventually went on his way, but as “luck” would have it, a couple years later, the author and his wife needed to have some flooring installed, and the only contractor available to do it was the “drunken father!” They protested, but the supply company insisted, it was him or a very long wait. They chose the drunken father, but kept a very careful eye on him, assuming he would somehow try to cheat them.

As the work progressed to the final stages, Yaconelli came in to inspect and said that he’d be in his office, so the contractor could come get his payment there. Drunken father replied, “Oh yes, I need to talk with you about the bill.” Yaconelli was infuriated and was certain that the man would try to weasel more money out of them – but he would hold firm!

When the man came in, finished with his work, he sat down and began writing out the bill. Yaconelli said he was quite ready to take on anything this guy had to dish out. But when the contractor finished writing, he looked up and said, “A couple years ago, I was a drunk, and I abused my family. You guys took in my son at a crucial time in his life, and saved my family. I’ve been sober ever since, and it has a lot to do with what you did for our family.” Then he handed them the bill marked “Paid In Full”.

That is just a perfect picture of grace. The unloveable was the one doing the loving. So cool.

Lots of great moments like that, and a reminder to live life to the fullest – like Jesus said he came to bring us – and definitely worth the read! Click the book cover above to buy a copy, or just check it out at your local library.

Next, in the queue… CS Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, as well as In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day.