All of us. 

Good looking kid! 

Cute! 

Cousin Jacob with Owen (today). 

Nana Smith and Owen. 

Happy (and posessive) big sister. 

Big sister with her brand new brother. 

The guys. 

Daddy's kids. 

The four of us. 

Top Jobs for 2005

Here.

Create A Monster

Here.

Sidewalk Chalk Art

Wow.

Ideas For Opening A Door

Here.

The Mark

This is creepy.

Owen

In a word. Cute beyond reason. OK, three words.

Howard Hughs, golfer

This article I found very interesting and equally disturbing.

Here's the new (to me) Scotty Cameron Newport 2 putter. Nice. 

Jeffrey Owen

You can see a picture and read some stuff about our son Owen here. Be sure to sign the guest book.

Mark Easterly

I didn't know Mark well. Mom and Jamie (Mark's wife) used to spend lots of time together when I was a kid. I'd see Mark around Ketchikan sometimes. Mark died of cancer on January 22, 2005... yesterday. This is a very touching memoir.

Parenting

You know you're a parent when your daughter has gone to brush her teeth and you continue watching "Veggie Tales" when she's gone. I didn't even see her leave.

Mac Mini Review

For those of you interested, Dan Frakes weighs in from Mac Central with a nice little review of the new Mac Mini here.

This book is worth a look. It may help you struggle toward an understanding of faith in the USA. 

Sen. Clinton Urges Use of Faith-Based Initiatives

Story here. Gearing up for the next election.

These Are The People In My Neighborhood

Here.

Top Ten Myths of Disaster Relief

Click here.

Jaws

Jaws and Bunnies. Yeah, it sounds wierd.

Inspiration

Got a little inspired after reading Jacob's entry about rock climbing...

I remember about four years there when a few of us guys would head up to the Naha River for some early season fly-fishing for trout. It was late May or early June. Here's some of those involved... Always Jeremy Wolf and I, sometimes or once... Matt Wolf, Jim Parrott, Sam Miller, Michael Bjur, Calin Bjur, Josh Hendrick, Justin Lanfell?, and who knows who else.

Here are some random memories:

Jeremy Wolf putting gas on an already lit fire and then throwing the flaming can with gas squirting everywhere into the bushes. Don't worry, no wildlife was hurt in the episode.

My waders having a blowout half way through our trip one year.

Jeremy and Matt wading the river without waders... remember that the river was full of water strait from snow fields? They were miserable and I was laughing. I can see them both upriver saying "Shut up Jeff!"

Catching some big trout. Cooking steaks partly with a stick and partly with our bare hands (on White River). I don't think that steak ever got done. It was so dark we couldn't tell.

Dunking all of our sleeping bags because someone came up with the brilliant idea of rafting down river to the campsite. That was a cold night.

Sleeping on a bear trail.

Forgetting a can opener.

Jeremy making cheese noodles one time with water and mayonnaise when it called for milk and butter (they were sick but he said "Hey... these are pretty good").

Writing wacky stuff in one of the trail cabin's guest book. Stuff like "There are bears everywhere. We've already lost one of our fellow campers."

It makes me so thankful for some of those memories. And the best memory of them all... standing waist deep in the Naha river in waders with a 5 weight fly rod in my hand working the riffle water. Jeremy is up stream somewhere around the corner and the other fellas are downstream. I hook a 16" rainbow, admire him without taking him out of the water and pull the barbless hook free. He swims away. I can't restrain a smile. I do the same thing three casts later. All you can hear is the water. The sun peeks through the clouds and you get that warm feeling on your back when you're all sweaty and a little cold. The best part of it is you get to go make hamburgers on a campfire that night and get up tomorrow and do it all over again.

Now that is living.

Peter Mayer

Just a reminder to you that Peter Mayer is a fabulous musician. His thoughtful lyrics, songcrafting ability, and soulful voice are a perfect convergence of talent for me. I have his album Stirrin' Up The Water and, apart from a couple of songs, feel it is a masterpiece. A couple of songs don't grab me, but the album is well worth the purchase.

Mayer isn't a "CCM" artist in the traditional sense. His lyrics are infused with a Christ-centered heratige but you would consider him an indie artist. Worth a look and a listen has his website.

Kid #2

By the way, with two extra days in the oven, there is still no kid.

Unbelievably Wierd

Somebody was really reaching here.

Jesus In Our Time

I leave you the lyrics of Bob Bennett's song:

Countless legions of the faithful crossing every generation
Hand to shoulder in an unbroken line
Lead us to this Sabbath morning we humbly count ourselves among them
To seek and find the face of Jesus in our time

Though an imprefect congregation fully of folly and of doubt
We presume to ask our questions and we wrestle with they're finding out
We break the bread and pass the cup and try to bear each other up
To live the mystery of Jesus in our time

Oh, Jesus
Oh, Jesus
Jesus in our time
Oh, Jesus
Oh, Jesus
Jesus in our time

There are those who are among us who believe they are not worthy
We offer you the word of life, we bid you come and dine
Upon the mercy we have tased, upon the love given so freely
Come take your place at table now with Jesus in our time

Deer killed in filming of "The Simple Life" episode

Don't these people ever watch "The Outdoor Channel?" Sensless killing is bad, ok, but it's a deer people. If its in season and you don't waste the meat it's just fine! Hello!!? Welcome to America, land of the sissies. It's not like deer are an endangered species.

You should know that I hate hunting because I could be doing a thousand things more pleasant but I don't have a problem with wildlife management and true conservation which is exactly what hunting can be.

George Washington on the seperation of church and state

Here is a quote from the farewell address of the United State’s first president:

"Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of Men and Citizens. The mere Politician, equally with the pious man, ought to respect and to cherish them. A volume could not trace all their connections with private and public felicity. Let it simply be asked: Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.

"It is substantially true, that virtue or morality is a necessary spring of popular government. The rule, indeed, extends with more or less force to every species of free government. Who, that is a sincere friend to it, can look with indifference upon attempts to shake the foundation of the fabric?"

Incomplete

We are incomplete and we know it. God uses our desire for wholeness to draw us to himself.

Satirical reading of Scripture - worth a look

The folks at catholicoutlook.com are on to something here.

Why the Mac Mini will succeed

There are some who would say that Apple's new little box called the Mac Mini is a flop. Reference the post just below for proof. There is no question that Windows is the platform with near total control on computing. I think the Mini is just the ticket for Apple to carve out more market share. Here's why:

1. The Mini is beautiful. Like all Apple products the Mini is well designed. It looks good. "Tech lust" will get the better of you.
2. People like to tinker. Once folks realize that this little box doesn't come with a display, keyboard or mouse they'll think, "hey, I've got all that right now, hooked up to my present PC." That is precisely what when through my mind when I saw and understood the Mini for the first time. I've got a 21"display, an ergo keyboard (which I prefer anyway) and a Logitec Marble Mouse all in position for this little wonder.
3. It is at an affordable price point.
4. My digital video camera is plug and play into this thing. I know for certain that I can plug a video camera into it and do light editing out of the box. I'm not so sure about that with Windows machines.
5. The public has been asking for one of these for so long that the demand is self-evident.
6. I can now buy the iPod Mini and have a cool one two punch that doesn't cost as much.

There are my six reasons why the Mini will succeed.

Bill Palmer bitter over... nothing

Bill Palmer, a proponent of the mac platform is all bent out of shape over the new Mac Mini. Why? Here's his article... I apologize for the offensive title.

He's missing it by a long shot. This is the computer that may get me into the mac platform and he's complaining. I have a 21" display running off of my age old laptop and a very nice keyboard and marble mouse just sitting there ready for something different to plug into. The mini didn't make it harder for me to switch, it made it WAY easier.

Off to coffee

I'll be out of the office this morning... Jacob B. encouraged me to fly the coup for a while since he and Larry and at the pastor's conference. Change of scenery will be nice.

George W

Tue Jan 11 2005 22:37:08 ET

President Bush granted THE WASHINGTON TIMES an extensive and exclusive interview late Tuesday, sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT.

President Bush said yesterday that he doesn't "see how you can be president without a relationship with the Lord," but that he is always mindful to protect the right of others to worship or not worship.

Mr. Bush told editors and reporters of The Washington Times yesterday in an interview in the Oval Office that many in the public misunderstand the role of faith in his life and his view of the proper relationship between religion and the government.

"I think people attack me because they are fearful that I will then say that you're not equally as patriotic if you're not a religious person," Mr. Bush said. "I've never said that. I've never acted like that. I think that's just the way it is.

Cold for the PNW

24 degrees in Olympia right now.

Apple's iKill

Here.

Mini Mac

The Mini Mac... Here it is my friends. This could be the one that takes the Apple Mac into a lot more homes in America. It is about time they figured out that a bargain box is what will help their business.  

For the uninitiated, that is the whole thing you see in the picture above. That is the computer. I'd like to see a Windows manufacturer make something as powerful, tight and easy to look at. They might accomplish something close to it but then it would probably melt or you'd throw it through the window in frustration trying to make it work.

Apple hits home run

They did it... finally an affordable little bundle of computer from Apple! The Mac mini.

It's a Beautiful Morning

What a day! The sun is shining bright and I'm just about to head home for lunch. I wonder if there's any way they pay you for eating lunch. I did have a friend who was an "Arby's operative." He would go from one Arby's restaurant to the next checking out the quality of their service and food and report back to Arby's headquarters. It all sounds so "Cloak and Dagger." All, that is, except for the sandwich part. Heck, he got paid for it too. Sign me up!

This, my friends, is a big rock. 

I pulled this pic off the Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce site (thanks). There's a typical shot of the country that was all around us in Alaska. 

Newly Redesigned

I've chosen another template for the blog... I found the clock to your right at another blog. I appreciate anyone who stops by.

One more thing: feel free to interact with my by clicking on comments. If you aren't signed up with blogger I believe you can comment as "Anonymous" and just sign your name in the text box provided, if you like.

Have a great day!

Climber

Madeline has figured out that if she drags a chair around, she can get to the light switches and up to the counters. I feel like the captain of a ship... "Repel boarders!!!" So now more of our sacred space has been invaded by "the one who makes messes."

Really close

Beth's due date is January 15th and look at the date above. Wow. These things kind of sneak up on you. We'll keep you posted when the baby comes, hopefully we'll have some pictures for you.

Religious Lefties for your viewing pleasure

Here

Here's some of my youth pastor buddies from a couple of weeks ago. Left to right it's Jason, Daniel, and Kevin. 

This would fall into the category of cheeziest church signs I've ever seen. Beth and I saw this last night and I couldn't resist stopping for this snapshot. 

What a beautiful morning

It has turned crisp and clear here in Olympia. It is currently 19 degrees. I finally cleared out enough room in the garage for our two vehicles. No more scraping ice in the morning.

Visitors and a short road trip

We had some friends stop by for a visit this week. One of my college buddies, Erik and his wife Sarah, were in the area and we had a nice dinner with them at Red Robin. I think we may have put Beth to sleep with all the stories and memories. It was great to see them if only for a short time.

Friday we drove up to Beth's families place and spent New Year's with them. I'm beginning to wonder how many of these road trips we can handle, especially with the soon arrival of our second child. It's kind of a long drive for just one night. Enough thinking out loud... we had a good time with the family, opened some late Christmas presents and golfed a couple of times with dad Poet. It was good.

Cold

I'm going to have to factor an extra 15 minutes in the morning for scraping the truck off. Either that or just clean out a spot in the giant garage we are using. Hello!?! It is a cold one today. It is currently 24 degrees according to "The Weather Channel." Wow, I didn't think it was that cold.