Push-ups; No regrets; Dawn Treader

Sam is doing 100 push-ups as well as a whole lotta (500? can't remember) sit-ups every night as requested by his soccer coach.

The little man had the audacity to challenge his dear old dad to also do some push-ups every night. I proceeded to explain that when I was in high school running track, I was up to 220 *consecutive* push-ups every night. That's what I'm talkin' about.

I smiled and nodded, patiently awaiting his sure expression of reverence and amazement.

Sam: "Haha... can you even do 10 now?"

No respect. I sure showed him... I ripped off 2 SETS

(...of ten).

---

I regretted posting that last post for a while and almost removed it, but changed my mind when I decided that it wasn't offensive, it was just true. Plus I'm just as guilty as anyone.

---

I'm slowly reading through the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time in my life, reading a few pages every other night or so. This passage from the fifth book, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, where Eustace is transformed from a dragon back to a boy stuck with me:

(pages 116-117)

"Then the lion said -- but I don't know if it spoke -- 'You will have to let me undress you.' I was afraid of his claws, I can tell you, but I was pretty nearly desperate now. So I just lay flat down on my back to let him do it."

"The very first tear he made was so deep that I thought it had gone right into my heart. And when he began pulling the skin off, it hurt worse than anything I've ever felt. The only thing that made me able to bear it was just the pleasure of feeling the stuff peel off. You know -- if you've ever picked the scab of a sore place. It hurts like billy-oh but it is such fun to see it coming away."

"I know exactly what you mean," said Edmund.

"Well, he peeled the beastly stuff right off -- just as I thought I'd done it myself the other three times, only they hadn't hurt -- and there it was lying on the grass: only ever so much thicker, and darker, and more knobbly-looking than the others had been. And there was I as smooth and soft as a peeled switch and smaller than I had been. Then he caught hold of me -- I didn't like that much for I was very tender underneath now that I'd no skin on -- and threw me into the water. It smarted like anything but only for a moment. After that it became perfectly delicious and as soon as I started swimming and splashing I found that all the pain had gone from my arm. And then I saw why. I'd turned into a boy again. You'd think me simply phony if I told you how I felt about my own arms. I know they've no muscle and are pretty mouldy compared with Caspian's, but I was so glad to see them.

"After a bit the lion took me out and dressed me--"

"Dressed you. With his paws?"

"Well, I don't exactly remember that bit. But he did somehow or other: in new clothes -- the same I've got on now, as a matter of fact. And then suddenly I was back here. Which is what makes me think it must have been a dream."

"No. It wasn't a dream," said Edmund.

"Why not?"

"Well, there are the clothes, for one thing. And you have been -- well, un-dragoned, for another."

"What do you think it was, then?" asked Eustace.

"I think you've seen Aslan," said Edmund.

Like Eustace, why do I insist on waiting until the point of desperation before I allow Him to "undress" me?

Open friendship circles

I've become increasingly frustrated, confused, and disheartened about a general attitude of not greeting or welcoming visitors which I've seen exhibited in several area churches that we have visited lately. What is the deal?

A friend told me a couple of years ago -- "Many aspects of a church that you think are important really aren't all that important -- worship, preaching, etc. The most import aspect of a church is 'open friendship circles'."

I didn't give what he said all that much thought at the time. He hit the nail on the head though.

If you're not accustomed to looking for and greeting outsiders in your assemblies, here's my 101 class...

1. Look for them - They usually sit by themselves and the ones that want to be spoken to won't bolt for the door. Some don't want to be spoken to, and they will hit the door running, which is fine. Let them.

2. Say something to them - Just speak to them (preferably smiling while doing so). You don't have to say anything more than "Hey!" or "Hi!". If you really get up the guts, say something bodacious like "I'm glad you're here." If you really feel the confidence coursing through your body... ASK THEM THEIR NAME. Scary, I know.

I know it may be difficult to remember these steps, so you might want to write them down on a 3x5 index card that you can carry with you.

After you've mastered these introductory steps, you might be ready to move on to more advance steps, such as ... remembering their name, greeting them a second time, finding out something that is important to them in their life.

What's that? You say you're to shy to ever attempt such extreme activities? You're "not wired" that way?

Get over it. People need you.

Pillows

(afomft, cont'd.)

22. A good pillow

After watching a morning news show a week ago which described how much disgusting 'stuff' the typical aged pillow contains, we purchased a couple of pretty nice $9 'fiber-filled' pillows at Wal-Mart.

I have never shopped for pillows. I could not believe that they wanted $40 for a down-filled pillow. Later, while shopping at a department store in the mall, I noticed some $300 down-filled pillows. What kind of feathers are in that thing? Are they really that good?

Well, after a week on a $9 fiber-filled pillow, I'd had enough. I'm a bit embarrassed to say that I'm now the owner of a $40 down-filled pillow.

Puttin' on the Ritz

A co-worker sent me this audio clip yesterday from the scene in Young Frankenstein where Gene Wilder and the monster are singing "Puttin' on the Ritz", which brought back some memories and really made me laugh (especially... "super duper", or "cooper duper"?... I dunno).

It's interesting that Peter Boyle, whom most people recognize as Frank on Everybody Loves Raymond, played the monster. I want to watch the movie again now and see if he is actually singing, but I bet he is.

Reading about Boyle at IMDB...he and John Lennon were apparently best friends, and Lennon was the best man at his wedding.

Other?

Filling out some paperwork at the doc's office, the following question weirded me out:

Sex: Male Female Other

...uhm, er..., what was that? ... "Other" ?

Beth suggested that the person who created the form snuck it in as a joke. I hope so.

Celebrating and forgetting

I spent a couple of hours working with Anthony on his pinewood derby car today.

My attitude toward these pinewood derby cars has changed dramatically since I started making them with my oldest son William and then Sam starting about 12 years ago. I'm sorry that it has taken me this long to let them build the car *they* want to build, regardless of it how it looked or its aerodynamic qualities. I can honestly say that I now enjoy watching Anthony build *his* car, regardless of the result. Wish, I'd learned to do this a few years earlier.

Fortunately, our local Cub Scout pack has realized how destructive a traditional pinewood derby can be to a young boy's self-esteem, and over the last 10 years have changed the rules to take the pressure off and simply make the event more enjoyable for everyone. I experienced a few of these 'by-the-book' derbies as a scout myself, and they were some of my most miserable experiences as a scout.

We simply run heat after heat after heat, 8 cars at a time. We don't record times. The boys celebrate over who won a single heat, then all is forgotten, and we run another. Then we run some 'backward' races, heat after heat. More celebrating, more forgetting.

Finally, we award ribbons for...

- Craziest
- Goofiest
- Coolest
- Least help from parent (Sam won that award one year)

...and some more superlatives that I can't remember (we usually make them up on the fly anyway).

And the best part -- everyone leaves having had a great time.

Celebrating and forgetting, then finally celebrating all the previous celebrations is what makes the event work.

agnostic, dyslexic insomniac

Q. What does an agnostic, dyslexic insomniac do?

A. Stays up all night pondering the existence of Dog.

[My Mom told me that joke last night. Beth had heard it before, but I hadn't and it made me laugh out loud.]

Lenny and the Squigtones

I'm weirdly excited right now about some nostalgic stupidity. I just received a package containing an original copy of the one and only album by that famous rock band, Lenny and the Squigtones.

After occasionally searching for this album for about 5 years now, and only able to find a collector selling it for around $70, I was finally able to find a few online last week.

I'm really pumped that it is in such good condition after 27 years. No scratches. Even includes the full-color poster.

You see, in 1980, as senior in high school, my best friend and I sang a near perfect rendition of "Night After Night". I was Lenny, Paul was Squiggy. We brought down the house (ok, well, that's what I remember anyway). Sweet memories. Sadly, my entire LP collection, including this gem, was taken back in the late 80's during a move.

Some interesting facts about this album... Christopher Guest ("Nigel Tufnel"), appeared playing guitar at least 5 years before he and Michael McKean achieved fame in Spinal Tap. Also includes 'Murph', the keyboard player from The Blues Brothers.

I'm now realizing that I am probably the only person on the face of the planet that has purchased this album twice.

Welcome Herman Edwards

Welcome to KC, Herman Edwards!

I'm excited about this guy. He's student of Dick Vermeil and another first class guy.

Any chance Ty might come along for the ride?

Age before beauty

(make sure your speakers are on)



That's what I'm talkin about.

Mickey D ... who needs ya?

My son Anthony talked me into helping him buy this gadget for his Mom for Christmas.

I thought to myself, "We'll use this thing a couple of times and it will hit the shelf." But, I figured he'd enjoy giving to Beth.

Dude. This little baby rocks. Seriously. Without a doubt.

Chatting with a buddy of mine in Philly this morning over IM, and I had the sudden urge to diverge from our normal conversation, and I asked...


Me: hey man, do you like egg mcmuffins from McDonalds?
Him: yea why
Him: if you say what i think your gonna, im gonna laugh
Me: my 9yo son talked me into splitting the cost of this toaster thing....
Him: DUDE
Him: I GOT ONE
Him: hahahahha
Me: you serious???
Me: http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.gsp?adid=1500000000000002592790&dest=113568&product_id=3999075
Him: YES
Him: i dont even have to look.....................
Him: i didnt click it yet...............
Me: man, we've been using that thing every morning
Him: does it cook the eggs and warm the meat too?
Me: yeah
Him: YEEEEEP!!!!!!!!!!!
Me: hahahha
Him: wife got me one.
Me: that's hilarious
Me: well, we got one for my wife... but i'm not sure she's used it yet
Me: everyone in the family is using it
Him: my wife got me one for xmas.......................
Him: i open it up and go.........
Him: "o look honey, a toooooooooaster. Wow, uummmmmmm, gee thanks"
Me: hahhahahahah
Him: then i look at it and im like.........o wow
Me: man, it works better than i thought it would
Him: yea man, ive used it a few times. makes a perfect sandwich

Him: the steam keeps them like perfectly moist too. there not all dried out
Me: oh yeah
Me: it took me a while to figure out you can flip that thing over with the egg in it
Him: cant believe we are 2 grown men all excited about this toaster. hahahah
Me: hahhahahahha
Him: flip it over?
Me: it's got that little grid thing over the egg that you put the meat on?
Him: right
Me: take the meat off, then flip it upside down over the sink to get the extra water off
Him: ooooooooooooooooooooo nice....................
Him: i been getting water all over my sandwiches
Him: hahahaha
Me: it was kinda drippy putting on the muffin
Me: yeah
Me: hah
Him: learn something new everyday


Me: but man, i'm impressed with the thing
Him: yea man, absolutely
Him: i told the guys at work about it and 2 of them already went out and got one
Me: hahhaha
Him: only thing that could be better...........
Him: all the way on the highest setting it doesnt brown the muffin enough for me
Me: ah, hmm
Him: but thats a small set back


Him: my kids think im the mac daddy now
Him: hahah
Me: hahaha
Me: my kids can all do it by themselves, except my 9yo can't get the egg cracking thing down
Me: but, it's really pretty fast
Him: Yea i think they said 4 minutes total........and.............
Him: sounds stupid but the first time i did it when the eggs cooked first then the muffin went down later to synchronize it, im like GET OUTTA HERE
Me: i'm still laughing about this
Him: hahahahahha... classic
Him: you feel like an idiot aobut being excited cause of a toaster. but the thing is so cool
Me: exactly
Him: funny thing was. as soon as you asked me if you like them. i kinda knew your were gonna say that
Him: i started laughing


I'm still laughing that we even had this conversation.

There ya go. A couple of resounding recommendations for the "Back to Basics Egg & Muffin Toaster"

Mighty Vince Young

Wow. Can we recount that Heisman vote?

This morning I'm still in shock 'n awe over that game. I've never seen any player dominate a game like Young did. And nevermind Young, what a great game in spite of Young.

Poor Reggie probably didn't have to deal with the press like he expected he would.

I especially like the Heisman pose Vince displayed during the post-game celebration.

I'm not a Texas fan by any means, but I'm even less of a USC fan, so I did enjoy the game and the outcome.

Classy post-game quote:
"Reggie, he's the Heisman, he's a phenomenal player," Young said. "I wasn't motivated because of that, I was motivated because we're a football team."

Tackiest post-game quote:
Leinart: "I still think we're a better football team. They just made the plays in the end."

Separated at Birth...

Marvin Phillips...



Dick Vermeil...



Two guys I admire an awful lot. I've always thought it was uncanny how much they resemble each other. Part of the similarity probably has to do with their enthusiasm and their quick smiles.

I'm very sad that Dick couldn't have hung in there another year, but he went out with style -- before he burned out and before he started to fade. He'll be hard to replace on the KC sideline.

Could it be Bob Stoops in the Red and Gold? I really hope not.

Happy 2006

(afomft, cont'd.)

21. Horses

Dreamer was showing at the $1 theater last night, so Beth and I took the two little boys. A very good cast and a good, touching horse story. A story of hope lost, then found. In spite of a predictable ending, was still a great story worth re-telling.

I miss being around the horses I grew up with as a child. There's something exhilarating and awe-inspiring about being around and even just watching such powerful, beautiful, majestic animals.

...

A pet peeve: Fast-food restaurant employees that take your order without looking at you and/or don't really pay attention to what you are ordering.