Just a few end of the day thoughts. . .
I don't personally know many people who have served in the military -- whether living now or passed on -- but I know today was special for many touched by the loss of a loved one who served as a soldier. Today I did reflect on some of those I love who have already passed on; mostly I recall with fondness my grandparents on the Dalzell side. I do miss them a lot.
Today I went fishing with my boys and a good friend, Paul. And that's all it was for most of us: fishing. Not catching. Paul did catch one small trout, but none of the rest of us got anything (except wet feet, smelly hand, and sunburns!). But, it was nice to be out casting a line on a beautiful day here. There was an hour -- or probably more like 40 minutes -- where a guy not twenty feet from us on the bank pulled out his limit of five fish (all decent, plump trout too!). It's hard to figure how that happens. He was catching fish while folks on both sides of him got nothing. There's a special skill or one of life's mysteries there or something.
I also was thinking this holiday weekend about how a year ago at this time our kids had just finished the school year, we were packing things up for a move, and we were pretty unsettled about jobs, where to live, etc. I feel blessed to be where I am today! I'm also praying for a blessing on friends far and near who stood by us, supported us, prayed for us, helped move us, and so much more. May God bless you all as you have blessed us.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
My Rant Against Gas & Oil Companies
Outrageous! Unbelievable! Gas prices are out of control and nothing seems to be getting any better. Gas is now $3.38 a gallon in Oregon and rising. The price has gone up .88 cents per gallon since the beginning of the year! Hmm. . . no natural disasters, no oil fields blown up, no pipelines shut down. What's up???? Here are my main reasons why I think something is wrong here:
Lack of competition. Our free-market, capitalist system is not operating correctly; supply and demand are not regulating prices. Why? We have too much of a monopoly in the oil business. If this wasn't true then why wouldn't some company say, "hey, we are willing to ONLY make a couple billion dollars this quarter, so we'll undersell these other greedy companies that are making multiple billions." There just isn't any competition to lower prices (or any incentive by the few big companies left -- heck, their boards & CEOs are happy to be raking in the billions and billions). I think that the huge oil companies need to be broken up.
Lack of new refineries. Some may point to supply issues, but I think the big companies keep manipulating prices by claiming they have a lack of refinery capacity. So, they rotate shutting down refineries for "maintenence" and claim that they always have supply problems when doing the annual switching over between summer and winter blends. This is all bogus, of course. They know every year exactly when they'll have to switch blends and they know just when they'll need to do any maintenence. Also, though it really is going to be difficult (read "expensive") with new environmental regulations to open any new refineries, you can't tell me that with all the billions and billions coming in as profits in each of the last several quarters that they don't have the capital to make some new refineries a reality! (Back to my first argument though; with no real competition why should they? They're making way more now than ever before!)
Greed. Simply put: big oil is making lots of money and they don't want to back down. They want to make more and more. Greed. They don't care that the average American is getting killed on their gas and oil expenses. They don't care that companies that have big travel or transportation costs are either going out of business or else having to hike up their prices to all the rest of us. They don't care that these costs are starting to have a huge effect on our economy and on individual families financial well-being. They have tasted big profits and they just want more and more and more. . . My rant is not just against the big boys here either; many of the suppliers and local station owners are profiting too as prices seem to jump up overnight, but never seem to go back down. I heard a commentator a few months back saying that OPEC had set some goals (this would have been 2-3 years ago) for supply levels that they would be happy with if oil was only in the $30-something per barrel cost. So, when the market went crazy and climbed rapidly up into the 50s, 60s, and higher per barrel, their original price expectations and production levels were all shook up. Now, would OPEC be willing to sell oil at only $30 a barrel? Would American and other world suppliers ever go for those old prices? They could still make lots of money, but greed keeps them from ever lowering the prices back down once it has come up. There may have been some reasons (hurricanes, for example) that caused some (though certainly not ALL) of the price hikes a couple of years ago; but once these causes were gone, the prices just don't ever go back down. Greed!
Futures trading. This is actually just more greed. There are people that are making money by playing the market and they want prices to go up. And stay up. And go higher. This is not in the best interest of anyone except those making money trading. More greed.
Is there anything wrong with a company making money? Nope. A well-managed company that supplies a quality product or delivers good service should make a profit. But what we have going on right now is unconscionable (sp?) and perhaps could be criminal; at the least it seems to be based on low ethical and moral standards. Are we -- the average American people -- outraged enough yet? We have a system where we are all trapped by our reliance on fossil-fuels for personal and commerce transportation, for heating, and for much electrical energy production. How can our big suppliers with any small measure of conscience keep raising the prices for all of us and then quarter after quarter declare record profits? We're being robbed!!! I guess we either have to have a revolt or the government has to step in.
I'm sure I could think of some more arguements, but that's probably enough for now. Still, I'm burning about this issue a little bit every day. Especially when almost every night there's a story about new record prices. We've paid over $80 the last two times we filled our Yukon XL (yes, it's a big gas-guzzling SUV, but I don't have the capital to switch vehicles right now and need something to travel in as a family of six); even our Toyota Camry is killing us as it topped 50 bucks for a fill the other day. You know, if gas prices go up by just .01 cent a gallon and you multiply that out by the gallons sold across the country on a given day, that's a HUGE profit jump. So, what's happening when prices are jumping 5, 6, 7, or 8 cents a gallon on a given day? Unreal!
I walk to work every day and I've told my two oldest kids to look for summer jobs at nearby business places that they can ride their bikes to. When electric cars get more common, efficient, and affordable, I'm right there! I wish I had one now. We're going to have to quit paying these oil bandits by weaning ourselves off of their products. But since that won't happen overnight, something's going to have to change now to bring relief.
Lack of competition. Our free-market, capitalist system is not operating correctly; supply and demand are not regulating prices. Why? We have too much of a monopoly in the oil business. If this wasn't true then why wouldn't some company say, "hey, we are willing to ONLY make a couple billion dollars this quarter, so we'll undersell these other greedy companies that are making multiple billions." There just isn't any competition to lower prices (or any incentive by the few big companies left -- heck, their boards & CEOs are happy to be raking in the billions and billions). I think that the huge oil companies need to be broken up.
Lack of new refineries. Some may point to supply issues, but I think the big companies keep manipulating prices by claiming they have a lack of refinery capacity. So, they rotate shutting down refineries for "maintenence" and claim that they always have supply problems when doing the annual switching over between summer and winter blends. This is all bogus, of course. They know every year exactly when they'll have to switch blends and they know just when they'll need to do any maintenence. Also, though it really is going to be difficult (read "expensive") with new environmental regulations to open any new refineries, you can't tell me that with all the billions and billions coming in as profits in each of the last several quarters that they don't have the capital to make some new refineries a reality! (Back to my first argument though; with no real competition why should they? They're making way more now than ever before!)
Greed. Simply put: big oil is making lots of money and they don't want to back down. They want to make more and more. Greed. They don't care that the average American is getting killed on their gas and oil expenses. They don't care that companies that have big travel or transportation costs are either going out of business or else having to hike up their prices to all the rest of us. They don't care that these costs are starting to have a huge effect on our economy and on individual families financial well-being. They have tasted big profits and they just want more and more and more. . . My rant is not just against the big boys here either; many of the suppliers and local station owners are profiting too as prices seem to jump up overnight, but never seem to go back down. I heard a commentator a few months back saying that OPEC had set some goals (this would have been 2-3 years ago) for supply levels that they would be happy with if oil was only in the $30-something per barrel cost. So, when the market went crazy and climbed rapidly up into the 50s, 60s, and higher per barrel, their original price expectations and production levels were all shook up. Now, would OPEC be willing to sell oil at only $30 a barrel? Would American and other world suppliers ever go for those old prices? They could still make lots of money, but greed keeps them from ever lowering the prices back down once it has come up. There may have been some reasons (hurricanes, for example) that caused some (though certainly not ALL) of the price hikes a couple of years ago; but once these causes were gone, the prices just don't ever go back down. Greed!
Futures trading. This is actually just more greed. There are people that are making money by playing the market and they want prices to go up. And stay up. And go higher. This is not in the best interest of anyone except those making money trading. More greed.
Is there anything wrong with a company making money? Nope. A well-managed company that supplies a quality product or delivers good service should make a profit. But what we have going on right now is unconscionable (sp?) and perhaps could be criminal; at the least it seems to be based on low ethical and moral standards. Are we -- the average American people -- outraged enough yet? We have a system where we are all trapped by our reliance on fossil-fuels for personal and commerce transportation, for heating, and for much electrical energy production. How can our big suppliers with any small measure of conscience keep raising the prices for all of us and then quarter after quarter declare record profits? We're being robbed!!! I guess we either have to have a revolt or the government has to step in.
I'm sure I could think of some more arguements, but that's probably enough for now. Still, I'm burning about this issue a little bit every day. Especially when almost every night there's a story about new record prices. We've paid over $80 the last two times we filled our Yukon XL (yes, it's a big gas-guzzling SUV, but I don't have the capital to switch vehicles right now and need something to travel in as a family of six); even our Toyota Camry is killing us as it topped 50 bucks for a fill the other day. You know, if gas prices go up by just .01 cent a gallon and you multiply that out by the gallons sold across the country on a given day, that's a HUGE profit jump. So, what's happening when prices are jumping 5, 6, 7, or 8 cents a gallon on a given day? Unreal!
I walk to work every day and I've told my two oldest kids to look for summer jobs at nearby business places that they can ride their bikes to. When electric cars get more common, efficient, and affordable, I'm right there! I wish I had one now. We're going to have to quit paying these oil bandits by weaning ourselves off of their products. But since that won't happen overnight, something's going to have to change now to bring relief.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Earth Day & Enterpraise
Yesterday the entire school I work at celebrated Earth Day by going out and doing service projects in our community. Some walked to a senior center and worked on their grounds, some walked to the Gresham Main City Park and mulched (& other stuff), and I went with a group that went to Butler Creek Park and then worked on the trail from there down toward the Springwater Trail Corridor (one of my favorite destinations to run to from my house). It was a gorgeous day with sunshine and highs in the 60s -- just perfect for our work. The group I was with (we had classrooms of kids from 1st through 5th graders, plus staff members and parents) probably did the hardest actual work and I'm sore today from it. We were asked to remove ivy and holly from the trail area. Both are highly invasive -- and non-native -- species that crowd and choke out other plants. We worked hard and pulled and cut and chopped lots of plants and created piles and piles of stuff along about a mile-long section of the trail. The last half-hour or so, we moved down near Binford Lake and tackled a thick band of blackberries that have taken over the west bank. From that work I got lots of pokes and scratches, even through my sweatshirt and leather gloves. I was proud of how hard our kids (& adults) worked! (Note to Texas friends: Earth Day is a MUCH bigger deal here in Oregon!)
Last night, we went to hear Enterpraise (www.enterpraise.com, but this is mostly a placeholder right now) do a "practice program" at the Metro Church of Christ. They are heading down to Pepperdine this coming week to sing at the Lectures there. Lani's sister, Shauna, sings with them and had invited us to attend. It was great to see and hear them all (and sing along in worship too).
Tonight Hannah goes to the prom. So we've been hearing about and her life has been focused around this for most of the last week or so.
Last night, we went to hear Enterpraise (www.enterpraise.com, but this is mostly a placeholder right now) do a "practice program" at the Metro Church of Christ. They are heading down to Pepperdine this coming week to sing at the Lectures there. Lani's sister, Shauna, sings with them and had invited us to attend. It was great to see and hear them all (and sing along in worship too).
Tonight Hannah goes to the prom. So we've been hearing about and her life has been focused around this for most of the last week or so.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Happy Easter!!!
He is risen! Hallelujah!
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday and remembered what a hope we have because of Jesus' resurrection!
Lani commented this afternoon that this was a busy day (we had eight other people join us for Easter dinner), but not nearly as busy as the last thirteen or fourteen years (or is it more?) when I've led Easter worship services. True. But I kind of miss it. OK, at times I really miss it. I love the preparation and build up and investing of my energy in celebrating the biggest of God's miracles in Jesus' resurrection. We celebrated in worship at Abundant Life Church here, and there were lots of guests (which is cool, in a genuine, significant way), but it is different for me to not be making choices and be involved in the whole thing.
It was a glorious morning here. I got up early and saw a bright, sunny sky. I decided to take a run and went up a mountainous trail to Butler Creek Park. It was so nice out and there were lots of other people (and dogs! my dog, Molly, was with me) out walking, riding bikes, and running. I greeted most everyone we passed with a cheery "Happy Easter Morning!" and nearly all smiled and returned a similar greeting. I was singing all kinds of Easter songs in my head as I ran and totally enjoying the experience (well, maybe not the huffing and puffing on some of the hills). Back at home, we had cinnamon rolls as a special treat and the kids looked through their Easter baskets as Lani and I got some food prep for our special dinner done in the kitchen.
May you be filled with a full measure of the hope that is ours because of God's victory through Jesus' resurrection!
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter Sunday and remembered what a hope we have because of Jesus' resurrection!
Lani commented this afternoon that this was a busy day (we had eight other people join us for Easter dinner), but not nearly as busy as the last thirteen or fourteen years (or is it more?) when I've led Easter worship services. True. But I kind of miss it. OK, at times I really miss it. I love the preparation and build up and investing of my energy in celebrating the biggest of God's miracles in Jesus' resurrection. We celebrated in worship at Abundant Life Church here, and there were lots of guests (which is cool, in a genuine, significant way), but it is different for me to not be making choices and be involved in the whole thing.
It was a glorious morning here. I got up early and saw a bright, sunny sky. I decided to take a run and went up a mountainous trail to Butler Creek Park. It was so nice out and there were lots of other people (and dogs! my dog, Molly, was with me) out walking, riding bikes, and running. I greeted most everyone we passed with a cheery "Happy Easter Morning!" and nearly all smiled and returned a similar greeting. I was singing all kinds of Easter songs in my head as I ran and totally enjoying the experience (well, maybe not the huffing and puffing on some of the hills). Back at home, we had cinnamon rolls as a special treat and the kids looked through their Easter baskets as Lani and I got some food prep for our special dinner done in the kitchen.
May you be filled with a full measure of the hope that is ours because of God's victory through Jesus' resurrection!
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Big PHAT Band!
Last night, thanks to my son, Micah, who bought me a ticket, I got to go to a concert of Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band. Although I'd not heard of them before this (which proves that I'm not really up with the current jazz scene), they were one really hot, tight, talented jazz/big band.
You can check them out at www.bigphatband.com
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Growing Boys!
Well, I've been cleaning up and organizing my garage during Spring Break and today one thing I did was put up our well-worn and traveled height-measuring chart. It has been hung in our last three houses and documents how our kids have grown over the years with lots of marks and then the name, date, and age at the time. It's kind of fun to compare how tall our kids are in comparison to each other when they are the same age.
So, after carefully measuring and taping it up in our garage, I measured our three boys (Hannah is still in Mexico and Lani declined to be measured!). Levi is now 4' 8", Caleb is 5' 4", and Micah is up to 6' 2.5"! All have grown quite a bit since their last measurement! Lani and I were laughing as she imagined eventually having to look WAY UP at all her guys!
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We all watched "The Pursuit of Happyness" tonight. That's a good movie! A touching story of character and persistance. It makes me wonder if I could make it through such dire times. It also reminded me how blessed I am.
So, after carefully measuring and taping it up in our garage, I measured our three boys (Hannah is still in Mexico and Lani declined to be measured!). Levi is now 4' 8", Caleb is 5' 4", and Micah is up to 6' 2.5"! All have grown quite a bit since their last measurement! Lani and I were laughing as she imagined eventually having to look WAY UP at all her guys!
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We all watched "The Pursuit of Happyness" tonight. That's a good movie! A touching story of character and persistance. It makes me wonder if I could make it through such dire times. It also reminded me how blessed I am.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Spring Break!
Spring Break began for me and all my family yesterday (Friday, Mar. 23)!!! It was so nice this morning to not set an alarm and not have anything we HAD to do today. This is the first Saturday in a looooooong time that there wasn't even one scheduled thing we had to do (no basketball games, no meetings to attend, no rehearsals, nothing!).
So, I enjoyed a lazy morning and read most of the paper and then worked most of the rest of the day on painting and putting up shelving and peg board in my garage. The garage is still needing lots of work, but I reduced a lot of the piles of stuff today, so that it's only about half full of stuff on the floor (now. . . what to do with the remaining stuff. . . hmm. . .).
Hannah left yesterday with about 120 or so teens and chaperones from Abundant Life Church to do a Mission Trip in Mexico, near Ensenado. They all rode the train from here to L.A. -- about a 30-hour ride -- and now should be off the train (they rented about a dozen or so vans) and ready to enter Mexico tomorrow morning. They are supposed to post updates at www.coolchurchyouth.com
Lani's mom is in town, so we're enjoying hanging out in the evenings, and the cousins playing together during the daytime. We played "farkle" tonight and Lani was the winner.
Go Ducks! Beat Florida tomorrow. Quack, quack!! It was fun to see UCLA beat Kansas in a good game. Go Pac-10. USC sure looked good yesterday until they just ran out of steam against N. Carolina. March Madness rolls on.
So, I enjoyed a lazy morning and read most of the paper and then worked most of the rest of the day on painting and putting up shelving and peg board in my garage. The garage is still needing lots of work, but I reduced a lot of the piles of stuff today, so that it's only about half full of stuff on the floor (now. . . what to do with the remaining stuff. . . hmm. . .).
Hannah left yesterday with about 120 or so teens and chaperones from Abundant Life Church to do a Mission Trip in Mexico, near Ensenado. They all rode the train from here to L.A. -- about a 30-hour ride -- and now should be off the train (they rented about a dozen or so vans) and ready to enter Mexico tomorrow morning. They are supposed to post updates at www.coolchurchyouth.com
Lani's mom is in town, so we're enjoying hanging out in the evenings, and the cousins playing together during the daytime. We played "farkle" tonight and Lani was the winner.
Go Ducks! Beat Florida tomorrow. Quack, quack!! It was fun to see UCLA beat Kansas in a good game. Go Pac-10. USC sure looked good yesterday until they just ran out of steam against N. Carolina. March Madness rolls on.
Friday, March 16, 2007
What a beautiful Spring day!
Today was warm, sunny, a Friday -- just a gorgeous day! We went over 70 (I think for the second time this Spring) and trees and flowers are "bustin' out all over". Only stressful thing was that grades were due for me today at school, so there was extra work last night and during breaks and lunch today and after school until they were all done.
I didn't get to watch it, due to work and the aforementioned grades to finish after school, but I saw that Oregon eeked out a first-round win in the Big Dance today. Glancing at the box score, I see that they were way off on their 3's; they can be the hottest team around when those long shots are falling, but when they go cold then there's not much else to do. Hopefully the hot Oregon team will show back up in their next game against Winthrop.
God bless you wherever you are!
I didn't get to watch it, due to work and the aforementioned grades to finish after school, but I saw that Oregon eeked out a first-round win in the Big Dance today. Glancing at the box score, I see that they were way off on their 3's; they can be the hottest team around when those long shots are falling, but when they go cold then there's not much else to do. Hopefully the hot Oregon team will show back up in their next game against Winthrop.
God bless you wherever you are!
Friday, March 09, 2007
1 week's worth or so of thoughts. . .
Once upon a time I was a fresh new blogger and enjoyed posting every day. These days a week or two can slide by and I may have hardly visited my site (or my friends' pages either). Life just keeps moving.
Last night we hosted a bunch of Hannah's friends here at our home for a surprise 17th birthday party (for Hannah, whose actual birthday is this Sunday). One of her friends had talked to Lani about doing something either at our house or somewhere else -- and we'd been thinking about doing something like this on Saturday night -- so we thought it would be fun. I'm thankful for Hannah's life, for her gifts and talents, and for the quality friends she has made here. We had a house-full and they were all really nice kids!
How about Oregon's men's basketball team? So far they've won two games in the Pac-10 tourney and they sure look strong in doing it. I hope this is a sign that they've got in going for the "big dance". I love college basketball and am eager to watch and follow the NCAA tournament coming up! (One recent year I gave up watching TV for Lent, but stated one exception to my TV fast: I could still watch the March Madness games. Ha!)
We had a couple of days this week that slipped up into the 60's, though it was cooler today. All my 300 or so bulbs I planted are sprouting up and should burst out in beautiful, brilliant colors soon!
I noticed that the berries and bushes and trees along my favorite running trail -- the Springwater Corridor -- are all budding or just starting to leaf out. There's such a joy in the renewal of Spring after the cold, dull months of Winter.
Our Spring Break here is still two weeks away (I saw on a couple of other blogs that I follow where they were starting their break now). We'll have our week off during the final week of March. Seems like a good time for working on projects, sprucing up the yard, and watching good college basketball games!
Last night we hosted a bunch of Hannah's friends here at our home for a surprise 17th birthday party (for Hannah, whose actual birthday is this Sunday). One of her friends had talked to Lani about doing something either at our house or somewhere else -- and we'd been thinking about doing something like this on Saturday night -- so we thought it would be fun. I'm thankful for Hannah's life, for her gifts and talents, and for the quality friends she has made here. We had a house-full and they were all really nice kids!
How about Oregon's men's basketball team? So far they've won two games in the Pac-10 tourney and they sure look strong in doing it. I hope this is a sign that they've got in going for the "big dance". I love college basketball and am eager to watch and follow the NCAA tournament coming up! (One recent year I gave up watching TV for Lent, but stated one exception to my TV fast: I could still watch the March Madness games. Ha!)
We had a couple of days this week that slipped up into the 60's, though it was cooler today. All my 300 or so bulbs I planted are sprouting up and should burst out in beautiful, brilliant colors soon!
I noticed that the berries and bushes and trees along my favorite running trail -- the Springwater Corridor -- are all budding or just starting to leaf out. There's such a joy in the renewal of Spring after the cold, dull months of Winter.
Our Spring Break here is still two weeks away (I saw on a couple of other blogs that I follow where they were starting their break now). We'll have our week off during the final week of March. Seems like a good time for working on projects, sprucing up the yard, and watching good college basketball games!
Sunday, February 25, 2007
A few updates
Haven't stopped to blog for a bit. . .
Last weekend when my folks were here, Dad and I put down the laminate floor in our kitchen. I've just about finished doing all the final cabinet trim boards and baseboards/quarter-round now. It's really nice to have it done and it matches the existing dining & living room flooring to a "T"!
Hannah sang at her District Solo Contest yesterday. I thought she sounded pretty good, but her judge gave her a "2" (personally, I thought it sounded like a "1-" or perhaps "2+". Hannah was down about it and Lani and I too. It's hard to know what to say. She really is making improvements in her sound and did a nice job. The girl after her was cracking all the time, couldn't produce a nice, legato tone, and scowled the whole time, yet she got a "2" also. Doesn't seem right to me!
We watched the Academy Awards show tonight. I hadn't really seen many of the nominated movies, but it was a fun broadcast. We kept a pad and pencil handy to write down movies we should rent and ended up with about ten on our list. A lot of the commercials were fun too. Seems like it's almost like you're getting the Superbowl-level commercials for this event.
Last weekend when my folks were here, Dad and I put down the laminate floor in our kitchen. I've just about finished doing all the final cabinet trim boards and baseboards/quarter-round now. It's really nice to have it done and it matches the existing dining & living room flooring to a "T"!
Hannah sang at her District Solo Contest yesterday. I thought she sounded pretty good, but her judge gave her a "2" (personally, I thought it sounded like a "1-" or perhaps "2+". Hannah was down about it and Lani and I too. It's hard to know what to say. She really is making improvements in her sound and did a nice job. The girl after her was cracking all the time, couldn't produce a nice, legato tone, and scowled the whole time, yet she got a "2" also. Doesn't seem right to me!
We watched the Academy Awards show tonight. I hadn't really seen many of the nominated movies, but it was a fun broadcast. We kept a pad and pencil handy to write down movies we should rent and ended up with about ten on our list. A lot of the commercials were fun too. Seems like it's almost like you're getting the Superbowl-level commercials for this event.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Valentine's Week
Well, I realized a few days ago that I didn't really have a single free evening this week due to choir rehearsals, kids' basketball practices, games, and pictures, and such, so Lani and I went out to dinner last night.
We went to Red Robin, one of our long-standing favorite places (we actually went there for dinner on our wedding night, instead of the nicer place we had originally planned on!). It had been awhile since just Lani and I went out by ourselves for dinner, so that was nice.
Lani subbed in an elementary music position today for our friend, Phill. Turns out she'll be back there again tomorrow. Interesting that we're both teaching elementary music for these days!
My folks come to visit for this weekend. They'll get to see and hear Hannah sing in the All-N.W. Choir as they perform this weekend! Dad and I may also get a chance to put in our new kitchen floor.
Happy Valentine's Day to you and your special someone!
We went to Red Robin, one of our long-standing favorite places (we actually went there for dinner on our wedding night, instead of the nicer place we had originally planned on!). It had been awhile since just Lani and I went out by ourselves for dinner, so that was nice.
Lani subbed in an elementary music position today for our friend, Phill. Turns out she'll be back there again tomorrow. Interesting that we're both teaching elementary music for these days!
My folks come to visit for this weekend. They'll get to see and hear Hannah sing in the All-N.W. Choir as they perform this weekend! Dad and I may also get a chance to put in our new kitchen floor.
Happy Valentine's Day to you and your special someone!
Friday, February 02, 2007
Sick day
I took a "sick day" today to try to get over a nagging cold. I've had a mild cold for just over a week, but yesterday my throat started to feel more sore and I was sounding stuffed up (people asking all day, "do you have a cold?"). So. . . I figured a day of rest was called for. It was nice to have almost a solid day of vocal rest (except for a phone call or two; my buddy, Willie, called from Tomball).
This is about the least excited I've been about watching the Superbowl since I don't know when. No one has invited us over for any parties or anything and I don't care much about which team wins. I'll probably watch the game; if for no other reason than getting to see how good the commercials are.
This is about the least excited I've been about watching the Superbowl since I don't know when. No one has invited us over for any parties or anything and I don't care much about which team wins. I'll probably watch the game; if for no other reason than getting to see how good the commercials are.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Hannah does well at the One-Acts!
Tonight we went to watch "One Act Plays" at Gresham H.S. There were five of them and they were all pretty good (but we, in our unbiased way, thought the one she was in was maybe the best). We were impressed with the acting all around and the student directors.
At the end of the night, they gave out awards (they had six judges). The gave out about 8 or so awards for honorable mention actors and then five or six "Superior Actor" awards for the night and Hannah got one of these! We were so proud! There were lots of talented kids -- probably about 70 or so total actors -- and this was kind of a first real acting role for Hannah. They gave one overall top actor and one top actress award (which one of her friends got). Anyway, it was a fun night of performances and a special honor for Hannah!
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In other news, Lani and I were finally able to go to the "Membership Class" at Abundant Life Church and so now I guess we are real, full-fledged members. There were about 75 people at this class -- lots of new folks coming all the time.
Also, I coached Caleb's YMCA team in their first game today. Caleb had fun and got several rebounds and shots (but no points). We lost the game 10 to 12, but it wasn't too bad for our first outing. I got to see who the "gamers" are and what we need to work on in practice this week.
At the end of the night, they gave out awards (they had six judges). The gave out about 8 or so awards for honorable mention actors and then five or six "Superior Actor" awards for the night and Hannah got one of these! We were so proud! There were lots of talented kids -- probably about 70 or so total actors -- and this was kind of a first real acting role for Hannah. They gave one overall top actor and one top actress award (which one of her friends got). Anyway, it was a fun night of performances and a special honor for Hannah!
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In other news, Lani and I were finally able to go to the "Membership Class" at Abundant Life Church and so now I guess we are real, full-fledged members. There were about 75 people at this class -- lots of new folks coming all the time.
Also, I coached Caleb's YMCA team in their first game today. Caleb had fun and got several rebounds and shots (but no points). We lost the game 10 to 12, but it wasn't too bad for our first outing. I got to see who the "gamers" are and what we need to work on in practice this week.
Saturday, January 20, 2007
What a week!
We had a holiday Monday for Martin Luther King Day, then out of school on Tuesday and Wednesday for snow days, then a 2-hour late start on Thursday. . . finally yesterday we had to get up and go to work & school on time!
Today the cold weather has left and we're in the upper 40's. More snow would be nice, but they're forecasting highs in the mid and upper 40's for the next 10 days.
I'm coaching both Levi and Caleb's YMCA basketball teams and this morning had my first practices with both of them. Seemed like a lot of nice kids. I have no idea how skilled we are compared to other teams, but it should be fun for my kids and everyone. We get one more practice and then have our first game! I'll let you know how things go.
Today the cold weather has left and we're in the upper 40's. More snow would be nice, but they're forecasting highs in the mid and upper 40's for the next 10 days.
I'm coaching both Levi and Caleb's YMCA basketball teams and this morning had my first practices with both of them. Seemed like a lot of nice kids. I have no idea how skilled we are compared to other teams, but it should be fun for my kids and everyone. We get one more practice and then have our first game! I'll let you know how things go.
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Snow play!
Here are some pictures of all our boys and Molly playing in the snow this morning at Hollydale Elementary School. There were 25-30 people there all the time we were playing, with some leaving and more coming all the time. Fun, fun, fun!
There are more pictures downloaded to my Flickr Photo page too!
There are more pictures downloaded to my Flickr Photo page too!
Snow day!
Hey! It snowed this morning -- and is still snowing pretty hard as I type this! There wasn't a single flake at 6:00 when I first looked out and so most schools were going ahead with plans to open. Then within a half-hour it started snowing and has just kept going. My district finally called at about 7:40 to say that we were going to open 2 hours late (and many teachers and some students were already at school); then, within 15-20 minutes they decided to just close for the day (along with almost every district in the Portland metro area).
Here are a few pictures looking out our windows a few minutes ago:
Maybe I can post some more pics later after we go play outside!
Here are a few pictures looking out our windows a few minutes ago:
Maybe I can post some more pics later after we go play outside!
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Snow!
So, my phone rang at 6:10 this morning and it was part of our school "phone tree" calling to tell me that my district was on a 2-hour late start. Yea! I reset my alarm and went back to bed (after looking out the window and not seeing any snow, however). Then when I got up around 8:00, it was really snowing hard. Within a half-hour my district decided to just stay closed for the day! Woo-hoo!!! So I had a nice day, getting to read the whole paper, do the crossword, clean up some of my garage, do a couple of little home projects, and go for a nice run in the afternoon.
Levi is feeling better, but still on meds. We'll see if he goes back to school or not in the morning. Caleb, on the other hand, is still not well at all and was still throwing up and feverish tonight. I guess we'll take him to the doctor tomorrow.
Lani's mom, Gladys, got here tonight -- coming over from Montana. She said there were a few slick patches, but no major problems.
Hannah goes to All-State Choir tomorrow. We had eight of the girls at our home tonight and I rehearsed their music with them (they get tested in quartets when they arrive there tomorrow).
Well, I guess I'll probably have to go to work tomorrow, so I'd better head off to bed! :~)
Levi is feeling better, but still on meds. We'll see if he goes back to school or not in the morning. Caleb, on the other hand, is still not well at all and was still throwing up and feverish tonight. I guess we'll take him to the doctor tomorrow.
Lani's mom, Gladys, got here tonight -- coming over from Montana. She said there were a few slick patches, but no major problems.
Hannah goes to All-State Choir tomorrow. We had eight of the girls at our home tonight and I rehearsed their music with them (they get tested in quartets when they arrive there tomorrow).
Well, I guess I'll probably have to go to work tomorrow, so I'd better head off to bed! :~)
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
Ups & Downs today
Up: It was supposed to snow today, so everyone was kind of excited!
Down: Mostly, it never happened.
Up: While eating dinner tonight, we looked out the back patio door to see HUGE white flakes coming down! It looked cool!
Down: It only lasted about 10 minutes, leaving just a trace amount on everything.
Up: I stayed home from work today.
Down: It was because Caleb & Levi are both sick. Both are running some fever (101-102). Levi has conjunctivitus (pink eye) and impatigo (like staph in his nose) and is on antibiotics and eye drops; Caleb threw up in our room last night, necessitating a 4-something a.m. cleaning of a dresser, carpets, and most of the bathroom floor and fixtures.
Up: Lani gets to stay home tomorrow.
Down: It's because the guys are still sick.
Up: It's finally getting a little wintery!
Down: It doesn't appear that there's enough snow or ice to close schools! (although maybe something could happen overnight)
Up: Lani's mom is coming tomorrow from Missoula.
Down: The roads may be bad, so pray for her safe trip.
Up: I'm going to sign off and hop in bed by 11:00 (a rare occurence indeed!)
Down: I'm exhausted and have an official "observation" tomorrow.
Down: Mostly, it never happened.
Up: While eating dinner tonight, we looked out the back patio door to see HUGE white flakes coming down! It looked cool!
Down: It only lasted about 10 minutes, leaving just a trace amount on everything.
Up: I stayed home from work today.
Down: It was because Caleb & Levi are both sick. Both are running some fever (101-102). Levi has conjunctivitus (pink eye) and impatigo (like staph in his nose) and is on antibiotics and eye drops; Caleb threw up in our room last night, necessitating a 4-something a.m. cleaning of a dresser, carpets, and most of the bathroom floor and fixtures.
Up: Lani gets to stay home tomorrow.
Down: It's because the guys are still sick.
Up: It's finally getting a little wintery!
Down: It doesn't appear that there's enough snow or ice to close schools! (although maybe something could happen overnight)
Up: Lani's mom is coming tomorrow from Missoula.
Down: The roads may be bad, so pray for her safe trip.
Up: I'm going to sign off and hop in bed by 11:00 (a rare occurence indeed!)
Down: I'm exhausted and have an official "observation" tomorrow.
Monday, January 08, 2007
First Week of January thoughts
Lots of interesting things this week. . .
Sunday at Abundant Life Church we must have had about 50 baptisms! The first Sunday of every month is always a "Baptism Sunday" and there were probably a dozen or so of these planned ones, but then after both the 2nd & 3rd services there was just a spontaneous response to the lesson and invitation and people just kept coming and coming! It was exciting (and also threw the schedule way off!)!
I signed Caleb & Levi up for YMCA basketball and indicated that I'd be willing to be a head coach. So, last Friday in the mail I got a letter saying I needed to show up Saturday for a mandatory coaches meeting. Turns out that I'm head coach for both of their teams. Should be a busy and fun season coming up!
Tonight it was back to regular rehearsals for Portland Symphonic Choir. I've been carpooling with my friend Phill Hurley and tonight we added another former college friend to our carpool as Lois Maxwell auditioned and made the choir. Hey, I know some more of you singers out there that might enjoy doing this too! A select group of us (32 of the 120) are singing this Monday for a special MLK community event. This should be a good experience.
The hopefull buzz in the area among kids (& teachers!) is that we might get some snow here this week! Who knows, really, but we'll all be watching the weather and the skies starting tomorrow night and all day Wednesday!
OK, sports fans. Anyone see this coming? In football, Florida totally spanks Ohio State! Sorry to my Texas friends, Rick & Dawn, who are huge Buckeye fans and were at the game. Hmm. . . that means that Boise St. is the only undefeated Div. I team! And way to go Oregon Ducks in knocking off #1 UCLA on Saturday in college basketball; if they only hadn't lost to USC two days earlier. Then there were the Cowboys blowing the game against the Seahawks; those are my two favorite NFL teams, so I guess I'm happy with either one winning, but Tony Romo will probably have a long off-season thinking about what could have been.
Well, that's enough for now. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Sunday at Abundant Life Church we must have had about 50 baptisms! The first Sunday of every month is always a "Baptism Sunday" and there were probably a dozen or so of these planned ones, but then after both the 2nd & 3rd services there was just a spontaneous response to the lesson and invitation and people just kept coming and coming! It was exciting (and also threw the schedule way off!)!
I signed Caleb & Levi up for YMCA basketball and indicated that I'd be willing to be a head coach. So, last Friday in the mail I got a letter saying I needed to show up Saturday for a mandatory coaches meeting. Turns out that I'm head coach for both of their teams. Should be a busy and fun season coming up!
Tonight it was back to regular rehearsals for Portland Symphonic Choir. I've been carpooling with my friend Phill Hurley and tonight we added another former college friend to our carpool as Lois Maxwell auditioned and made the choir. Hey, I know some more of you singers out there that might enjoy doing this too! A select group of us (32 of the 120) are singing this Monday for a special MLK community event. This should be a good experience.
The hopefull buzz in the area among kids (& teachers!) is that we might get some snow here this week! Who knows, really, but we'll all be watching the weather and the skies starting tomorrow night and all day Wednesday!
OK, sports fans. Anyone see this coming? In football, Florida totally spanks Ohio State! Sorry to my Texas friends, Rick & Dawn, who are huge Buckeye fans and were at the game. Hmm. . . that means that Boise St. is the only undefeated Div. I team! And way to go Oregon Ducks in knocking off #1 UCLA on Saturday in college basketball; if they only hadn't lost to USC two days earlier. Then there were the Cowboys blowing the game against the Seahawks; those are my two favorite NFL teams, so I guess I'm happy with either one winning, but Tony Romo will probably have a long off-season thinking about what could have been.
Well, that's enough for now. Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Monday, January 01, 2007
2007 Resolutions
Here are things I'd like to do this year:
Read the Word daily.
Invest time with my kids -- daily, if possible.
Sleep when I should! At least seven hours nightly on weekdays.
Exercise at least three times each week.
Be a servant and encourager to those I work with and live by.
Manage my finances better.
I could list more, but some of these are biggies for me.
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And now for a sports note: How about those NW college football teams?!!!
It was thrilling the other day to see Oregon St. win their game with the gutsy 2-pt. conversion, but then tonight's Boise St. win over Oklahoma was just incredible!
Read the Word daily.
Invest time with my kids -- daily, if possible.
Sleep when I should! At least seven hours nightly on weekdays.
Exercise at least three times each week.
Be a servant and encourager to those I work with and live by.
Manage my finances better.
I could list more, but some of these are biggies for me.
--------------------------------------------------------------
And now for a sports note: How about those NW college football teams?!!!
It was thrilling the other day to see Oregon St. win their game with the gutsy 2-pt. conversion, but then tonight's Boise St. win over Oklahoma was just incredible!
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