As I mentioned before, Blogger just hasn't been cutting it. I've moved my site over to my shanelife.com domain and am now using WordPress 2 (genius). This page should redirect you within 3 seconds. If it does not, the new address is:
http://shanelife.com
Please update your bookmarks and feeds.
Thanks,
Shane
Monday, January 09, 2006
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Blogger to Wordpress. Complete.
I have to hand it to the dudes who wrote Wordpress 2. I just set up my new Wordpress blog (http://topfivedesign.com/shane) and it seriously took me less than 30 minutes. I've even got all my old posts from here moved over there.
So folks, in less time than I thought it would take, I am going to say sayonara to this blog. From now on, I will be posting all my stuff on my permanent PAID FOR domain. The style is OK right now, but I need to change it up because it is BO-RING. I'll get to it.
Next up: moving Alli's journal to Wordpress.
Seriously, I still can't get over how easy that was.
So folks, in less time than I thought it would take, I am going to say sayonara to this blog. From now on, I will be posting all my stuff on my permanent PAID FOR domain. The style is OK right now, but I need to change it up because it is BO-RING. I'll get to it.
Next up: moving Alli's journal to Wordpress.
Seriously, I still can't get over how easy that was.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
End of the Year Post
I haven't posted in what seems like forever.
So I had an awesome Christmas. My wife, who rules all, got me a beautiful black ipod nano. I am having so much fun with it, especially since I lost my ipod shuffle about 2 months ago.
It is so stinking small.
Our parents went way above and beyond what we ever thought. We got enough money so that we can tile our kitchen (can't wait for that) and I got 2 pairs of shoes. And I love me some shoes. My parents got me some custom Nikes (or gave me money to do so) and my brother gave me some retro sneaks. I also got Season 1 & 2 of Scrubs...can't wait to watch. Awesome show.
And now, our friends are here for the new year...good times. I have made a decision this year (similar to last year's new year's resolution) that I am going to read 2 books a month + 1 this year. This will go from Christmas to Christmas. I have the list and I've actually already read my first book, A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. I've been waiting to read this for a while and I liked it a lot. More than How to be Good at least.
Next on the list is How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young, a memior about the rise and fall of a British journalist on the New York and Hollywood social scene while he worked as a contributing editor to Vanity Fair. I'm about 1/3 of the way through it and it is pretty funny. I'll be blogging all my books so stay tuned.
Happy New Year and all that. Good times.
So I had an awesome Christmas. My wife, who rules all, got me a beautiful black ipod nano. I am having so much fun with it, especially since I lost my ipod shuffle about 2 months ago.
It is so stinking small.
Our parents went way above and beyond what we ever thought. We got enough money so that we can tile our kitchen (can't wait for that) and I got 2 pairs of shoes. And I love me some shoes. My parents got me some custom Nikes (or gave me money to do so) and my brother gave me some retro sneaks. I also got Season 1 & 2 of Scrubs...can't wait to watch. Awesome show.
And now, our friends are here for the new year...good times. I have made a decision this year (similar to last year's new year's resolution) that I am going to read 2 books a month + 1 this year. This will go from Christmas to Christmas. I have the list and I've actually already read my first book, A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. I've been waiting to read this for a while and I liked it a lot. More than How to be Good at least.
Next on the list is How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young, a memior about the rise and fall of a British journalist on the New York and Hollywood social scene while he worked as a contributing editor to Vanity Fair. I'm about 1/3 of the way through it and it is pretty funny. I'll be blogging all my books so stay tuned.
Happy New Year and all that. Good times.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
King Kong: Kong-tastic
What a great movie.
Peter Jackson is so hot right now. So hot. Kong is awesome. Jack Black...best acting since High Fidelity (though he was hardly acting in that). Naomi Watts was great. Adrien Brody was...whatever.
A great 3 hours and 15 minutes of moviemaking. Good times.
Peter Jackson is so hot right now. So hot. Kong is awesome. Jack Black...best acting since High Fidelity (though he was hardly acting in that). Naomi Watts was great. Adrien Brody was...whatever.
A great 3 hours and 15 minutes of moviemaking. Good times.
Friday, December 16, 2005
The Apprentice Finale
I don't know if it's that I'm enamored with Donald Trump's hair or that I just like a reality show that focuses on talent, rather than drama, but ever since the first season, I've been a loyal watcher of The Apprentice.
The 2-hour (semi) live season finale was last night and pitted Randal against Rebecca in a competition of charity events. I really enjoyed the finale a lot until the end of it (but we'll get to that a little later). Randal and Rebecca both had to overcome enormous obstacles on their final tasks...Randal's charity softball game was rained out and Rebecca's celebrity emcee, Joe Piscopo, backed out at the last minute.
Both made the proper adjustments and held extremely successful events. It started to become very clear as they made it to the board room that both candidates were very successful and it was possible that Trump might hire both of them.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Let's be honest. Randal was the odds-on favorite to win. Undefeated record. Impeccable education. Respect from his teammates. Yadda yadda yadda. NO CLASS.
First, I felt it was unnecessary for him to ask his fellow candidates who supported him and who didn't. Who cares what they thought? All of them were FIRED. And Alla was completely classless, showing her true colors, acting like nobody's opinion was more important than her own.
I thought that Rebecca showed incredible poise in the final boardroom and, in my opinion, should have won. Toward the end, Randal got a little cocky and a little complacent. He allowed his team to do most of the work while he sat back and got all the glory (I hate hate hate people like that). Rebecca came into the boardroom with fire, but she refused to make the boardroom about the weaknesses of Randal. Even when she was asked what his biggest weakness was, she turned it into a compliment, stating that Randal just tends to overthink things.
Randal, on the other hand, turned into Alla and started fabricating stuff about Rebecca that, frankly, wasn't very accurate. Not only that, but he had been extremely complimentary of her up to that point. When cornered, he lashed out. Now I understand the need to defend yourself, but I really don't think he had to do it negatively.
So Randal was hired.
And there was much celebration from the crowd.
Then, Trump calls Randal back to the table and asks him if he should hire Rebecca, and Randal, who has gained the respect of millions of people, promptly loses it by refusing to share the title.
Unbelievable.
What is worse is that I think that if Trump would have hired Rebecca first that she would have shared with Randal. But Randal wanted all the glory for himself, which really disappointed me. And now, even on the news site of the network that puts out the show, MSNBC, there are negative stories about Randal and his selfishness.
Overall, Trump really couldn't have gone wrong firing both of them, but then he takes the advice of his brand new APPRENTICE on who he should hire. It's no wonder so many of his companies go bankrupt.
The 2-hour (semi) live season finale was last night and pitted Randal against Rebecca in a competition of charity events. I really enjoyed the finale a lot until the end of it (but we'll get to that a little later). Randal and Rebecca both had to overcome enormous obstacles on their final tasks...Randal's charity softball game was rained out and Rebecca's celebrity emcee, Joe Piscopo, backed out at the last minute.
Both made the proper adjustments and held extremely successful events. It started to become very clear as they made it to the board room that both candidates were very successful and it was possible that Trump might hire both of them.
SPOILERS AHEAD
Let's be honest. Randal was the odds-on favorite to win. Undefeated record. Impeccable education. Respect from his teammates. Yadda yadda yadda. NO CLASS.
First, I felt it was unnecessary for him to ask his fellow candidates who supported him and who didn't. Who cares what they thought? All of them were FIRED. And Alla was completely classless, showing her true colors, acting like nobody's opinion was more important than her own.
I thought that Rebecca showed incredible poise in the final boardroom and, in my opinion, should have won. Toward the end, Randal got a little cocky and a little complacent. He allowed his team to do most of the work while he sat back and got all the glory (I hate hate hate people like that). Rebecca came into the boardroom with fire, but she refused to make the boardroom about the weaknesses of Randal. Even when she was asked what his biggest weakness was, she turned it into a compliment, stating that Randal just tends to overthink things.
Randal, on the other hand, turned into Alla and started fabricating stuff about Rebecca that, frankly, wasn't very accurate. Not only that, but he had been extremely complimentary of her up to that point. When cornered, he lashed out. Now I understand the need to defend yourself, but I really don't think he had to do it negatively.
So Randal was hired.
And there was much celebration from the crowd.
Then, Trump calls Randal back to the table and asks him if he should hire Rebecca, and Randal, who has gained the respect of millions of people, promptly loses it by refusing to share the title.
Unbelievable.
What is worse is that I think that if Trump would have hired Rebecca first that she would have shared with Randal. But Randal wanted all the glory for himself, which really disappointed me. And now, even on the news site of the network that puts out the show, MSNBC, there are negative stories about Randal and his selfishness.
Overall, Trump really couldn't have gone wrong firing both of them, but then he takes the advice of his brand new APPRENTICE on who he should hire. It's no wonder so many of his companies go bankrupt.
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
It was cold, but it was worth it...
I got to go to the Chiefs game on Sunday.
The later start meant that the game would end in the dark and with a forecast of...well...COLD, I bundled up, excited for the game.
And what a game. It started off badly, with Denver scoring on its second play from scrimmage. However, the Chiefs battled all game and Jake "the Snake" Plummer turned into his old self and managed to hook up with two different Chiefs for interceptions at key times during the game, one particularly in the endzone to Patrick Surtain.
During the game, I looked up to the jumbotron and read the words:
I've been to plenty of Chiefs games in my life to know that something like that is plenty to motivate the fans to bring the thunder. And that's what it felt like. It was so loud, everyone was yelling. And I lost my voice by the second quarter.
Young, you need to shut up. You haven't been back to Arrowhead since you got rocked there the last time. How about the Arrowhead mystique on Denver's 4th-and-2 play where the Chiefs needed replay to have the refs get it right (everyone in the stadium could tell he was short).
Sadly, however, I lost my cell phone in the parking lot and I think it got run over, so if you try to call me, you'll get a weird message...hopefully, I can fix that today.
The later start meant that the game would end in the dark and with a forecast of...well...COLD, I bundled up, excited for the game.
And what a game. It started off badly, with Denver scoring on its second play from scrimmage. However, the Chiefs battled all game and Jake "the Snake" Plummer turned into his old self and managed to hook up with two different Chiefs for interceptions at key times during the game, one particularly in the endzone to Patrick Surtain.
During the game, I looked up to the jumbotron and read the words:
"Arrowhead is not what it once was. It has lost its mystique."
-Steve Young, NFL Countdown, December 4, 2005
PROVE HIM WRONG!
I've been to plenty of Chiefs games in my life to know that something like that is plenty to motivate the fans to bring the thunder. And that's what it felt like. It was so loud, everyone was yelling. And I lost my voice by the second quarter.
Young, you need to shut up. You haven't been back to Arrowhead since you got rocked there the last time. How about the Arrowhead mystique on Denver's 4th-and-2 play where the Chiefs needed replay to have the refs get it right (everyone in the stadium could tell he was short).
Sadly, however, I lost my cell phone in the parking lot and I think it got run over, so if you try to call me, you'll get a weird message...hopefully, I can fix that today.
Monday, December 05, 2005
Joey's Pizza?
No, not a Friends reference.
It's a reference to another one of my favorite shows, which is unfortunately getting cancelled after the end of this season. Since my friend Sarah introduced us to Alias midway through Season 2, we haven't missed an episode of this show.
Season 4 SPOILERS AHEAD
With the onset of the season, it was obvious that Alias had lost some of its sheen...Sydney was pregnant, Vaughn's gone, Irina is nowhere to be found and we now have 2 new agents doing all the work (who aren't bad, it's just different).
Why couldn't they bring back WILL?
Oh yeah, that's because he had his own show to get cancelled before it even got a chance. I'll be totally honest, I'm a big fan of Bradley Cooper (particularly after his hilarious turn in Wedding Crashers this summer), so I really wanted this show to succeed. Fox didn't really give it a great chance, especially since it was off the schedule forever because of the stupid World Series.
TV is getting better. Less reality shows is always good. And there are some great new shows this season. Lost continues to be awesome. The Office is SO FUNNY. Scrubs is coming back. How I Met Your Mother is a hilarious new show. So we have that going for us.
But still. I will miss Alias. And I hope that the rumors aren't true. I hope that Fox can find room on its schedule for Kitchen Confidential.
It's a reference to another one of my favorite shows, which is unfortunately getting cancelled after the end of this season. Since my friend Sarah introduced us to Alias midway through Season 2, we haven't missed an episode of this show.
Season 4 SPOILERS AHEAD
With the onset of the season, it was obvious that Alias had lost some of its sheen...Sydney was pregnant, Vaughn's gone, Irina is nowhere to be found and we now have 2 new agents doing all the work (who aren't bad, it's just different).
Why couldn't they bring back WILL?
Oh yeah, that's because he had his own show to get cancelled before it even got a chance. I'll be totally honest, I'm a big fan of Bradley Cooper (particularly after his hilarious turn in Wedding Crashers this summer), so I really wanted this show to succeed. Fox didn't really give it a great chance, especially since it was off the schedule forever because of the stupid World Series.
TV is getting better. Less reality shows is always good. And there are some great new shows this season. Lost continues to be awesome. The Office is SO FUNNY. Scrubs is coming back. How I Met Your Mother is a hilarious new show. So we have that going for us.
But still. I will miss Alias. And I hope that the rumors aren't true. I hope that Fox can find room on its schedule for Kitchen Confidential.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
WITFV30: This Exercise
This last day of November, I'm really thankful for the thankfulness project (thanks, Rachel!). I have really enjoyed thinking about all of the things that I'm thankful for in my life. It's been a good experience this month, forcing myself to post every day (although they may not have been released exactly on the day)
It was fun though...and it was the most regular posting that I have done on here in a really long time. As a review, here's the stuff I was thankful for this month:
Free Stuff, Days Off, Alli, My Company, Chili, Burritos, My Computer, DVR, Fall, TV Shows on DVD, My Music and my iPod, My Dog, Technology, Our House, JJ Abrams, Good Books, My Friends, My Family, "Friends" (the TV Show), The Chiefs, Freedom, My Church, Thanksgiving, Lazy Days, My Camera, Life, My City, and Alli (Take 2).
So the project is over...Alli had the idea to maybe do something for the month of December where I reviewed a new Christmas movie every day...I like the idea, I don't know if I could watch and post every day. Might be kind of difficult. I haven't decided if I'll give it a shot yet or not, but keep your eye on here...there's a possibility I might move this site soon. Stay tuned.
It was fun though...and it was the most regular posting that I have done on here in a really long time. As a review, here's the stuff I was thankful for this month:
Free Stuff, Days Off, Alli, My Company, Chili, Burritos, My Computer, DVR, Fall, TV Shows on DVD, My Music and my iPod, My Dog, Technology, Our House, JJ Abrams, Good Books, My Friends, My Family, "Friends" (the TV Show), The Chiefs, Freedom, My Church, Thanksgiving, Lazy Days, My Camera, Life, My City, and Alli (Take 2).
So the project is over...Alli had the idea to maybe do something for the month of December where I reviewed a new Christmas movie every day...I like the idea, I don't know if I could watch and post every day. Might be kind of difficult. I haven't decided if I'll give it a shot yet or not, but keep your eye on here...there's a possibility I might move this site soon. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
WITFV29: Alli
Now, I know I don't ever talk about my wife on here, but I have to close this month out by reiterating how lucky I am to have such an amazing wife.
Her business is starting to pick up and I'm very excited that she is doing exactly what she wants to do with her life. She's also beautiful and she's my best friend. I'm so thankful that I get to go through life with her.
Her business is starting to pick up and I'm very excited that she is doing exactly what she wants to do with her life. She's also beautiful and she's my best friend. I'm so thankful that I get to go through life with her.
Monday, November 28, 2005
WITFV28: My City
Technically, I live in a suburb of Kansas City - on the Kansas side, but I consider the Kansas City metropolitan area my home.
I lived in Iowa from the ages of 1 - 4 years old (and also during college, sort of), but outside of that, I have always lived in the KC area. When Alli and I got married, we moved into an apartment in the suburb of Lenexa, then got a house in 2001 in Olathe.
Suburban sprawl runs rampant in Kansas City. Unfortunately, the metro is so geographically large that it is difficult for the city leaders to develop an identity because everyone lives outside of Kansas City proper.
However, that suburban sprawl does not prevent a fierce loyalty to our sports teams, particularly the Chiefs. In addition, there is an intense movement to revive the downtown area right now and I am hopeful that it is successful because I would like to see Kansas City return to its status as one of the premier cities in the country.
One of the things that I have always loved about the city is that it has all the amenities of a large metropolis, but the attitudes of the people are significantly less harsh.
Not only that, but we also have WINTER.
I'm a big "changing seasons" kind of guy. I couldn't live on a coast where the weather is always the same. It snowed today in Kansas City and it was glorious.
So I'm thankful for where I live.
I lived in Iowa from the ages of 1 - 4 years old (and also during college, sort of), but outside of that, I have always lived in the KC area. When Alli and I got married, we moved into an apartment in the suburb of Lenexa, then got a house in 2001 in Olathe.
Suburban sprawl runs rampant in Kansas City. Unfortunately, the metro is so geographically large that it is difficult for the city leaders to develop an identity because everyone lives outside of Kansas City proper.
However, that suburban sprawl does not prevent a fierce loyalty to our sports teams, particularly the Chiefs. In addition, there is an intense movement to revive the downtown area right now and I am hopeful that it is successful because I would like to see Kansas City return to its status as one of the premier cities in the country.
One of the things that I have always loved about the city is that it has all the amenities of a large metropolis, but the attitudes of the people are significantly less harsh.
Not only that, but we also have WINTER.
I'm a big "changing seasons" kind of guy. I couldn't live on a coast where the weather is always the same. It snowed today in Kansas City and it was glorious.
So I'm thankful for where I live.
Sunday, November 27, 2005
WITFV27: Life
I know.
It sounds corny. It's a corny thing to be thankful for. But this evening, I'm very thankful for it.
Tonight, we went to see RENT. I've been looking forward to this movie since I first saw the trailer, but as it approached the release date, I became more and more skeptical. Would a film be able to capture the incredible lyrics and music of the late Jonathan Larson?
Alli and I first saw the musical in 1998 (or was it '97?) in Des Moines at the Civic Center. The musical was touring and we had seen lots of advertisements for it in our small Iowa town where we were attending college. We had a couple of friends who had seen it and highly recommended it, so I got us tickets and we went to "the theater".
I was so taken by the story and the musical that I went out and bought the soundtrack. Alli got sick of me listening to it over and over again.
It's weird. I can't figure out what it is that makes me identify with this story so much. I've never been a starving artist like the characters in the movie and I've never been diagnosed, nor have I known anyone who was diagnosed with HIV. But this story rings true to me because the characters in it are real and they are dealing with real issues and real life. RENT captures the early '90s extremely well (as I remember them) even though the musical did not reach the stage until 1996.
What makes this story resonate so much is that the main characters create a family that is non-traditional, but functions as a support group and I think that everyone looks for something like that in their life. I'm fortunate enough to have that familial support in my life. Not only that, but I'm so thankful to have a life as blessed as mine is.
RENT is about finding life and love amidst the chaos of life and love. It's about struggling to find the one thing that makes everything worthwhile through it all. That thing may be different for others, but for me, it's love. And I am truly thankful for that.
It sounds corny. It's a corny thing to be thankful for. But this evening, I'm very thankful for it.
Tonight, we went to see RENT. I've been looking forward to this movie since I first saw the trailer, but as it approached the release date, I became more and more skeptical. Would a film be able to capture the incredible lyrics and music of the late Jonathan Larson?
Alli and I first saw the musical in 1998 (or was it '97?) in Des Moines at the Civic Center. The musical was touring and we had seen lots of advertisements for it in our small Iowa town where we were attending college. We had a couple of friends who had seen it and highly recommended it, so I got us tickets and we went to "the theater".
I was so taken by the story and the musical that I went out and bought the soundtrack. Alli got sick of me listening to it over and over again.
It's weird. I can't figure out what it is that makes me identify with this story so much. I've never been a starving artist like the characters in the movie and I've never been diagnosed, nor have I known anyone who was diagnosed with HIV. But this story rings true to me because the characters in it are real and they are dealing with real issues and real life. RENT captures the early '90s extremely well (as I remember them) even though the musical did not reach the stage until 1996.
What makes this story resonate so much is that the main characters create a family that is non-traditional, but functions as a support group and I think that everyone looks for something like that in their life. I'm fortunate enough to have that familial support in my life. Not only that, but I'm so thankful to have a life as blessed as mine is.
RENT is about finding life and love amidst the chaos of life and love. It's about struggling to find the one thing that makes everything worthwhile through it all. That thing may be different for others, but for me, it's love. And I am truly thankful for that.
Saturday, November 26, 2005
WITFV26: My Camera
A couple of years back, I got a digital camera for my birthday. It's an amazing camera, a Canon EOS Digital Rebel, and I love using it.
I haven't been using it very much in the past couple months, but we've gotten a lot of use out of it recently. We have some great Thanksgiving photos, like this one of my brother doing a spinning jumping kick for no reason:
Or this one of two of my cousins, Hunter and Carly:
Or this one of everyone who was at my parents' house:
But what is especially great about digital cameras is that you can take random strange pictures, like the one below and you can keep them as long as you have room on your computer.
I took my family on a tour of my new building at work today and we brought the camera along to remember some of the best moments. Like this great picture of Alli and Ashley coming down the slide:
I love my camera and I really enjoy taking pictures. I wish I had more time to spend with photography because I think if I wasn't a graphic designer, I would like to probably do that for a living. I always thought that being an Associated Press photojournalist would be a totally sweet job.
For now, I will just be thankful that I have a nice camera to take day-to-day photos with.
I haven't been using it very much in the past couple months, but we've gotten a lot of use out of it recently. We have some great Thanksgiving photos, like this one of my brother doing a spinning jumping kick for no reason:
Or this one of two of my cousins, Hunter and Carly:
Or this one of everyone who was at my parents' house:
But what is especially great about digital cameras is that you can take random strange pictures, like the one below and you can keep them as long as you have room on your computer.
I took my family on a tour of my new building at work today and we brought the camera along to remember some of the best moments. Like this great picture of Alli and Ashley coming down the slide:
I love my camera and I really enjoy taking pictures. I wish I had more time to spend with photography because I think if I wasn't a graphic designer, I would like to probably do that for a living. I always thought that being an Associated Press photojournalist would be a totally sweet job.
For now, I will just be thankful that I have a nice camera to take day-to-day photos with.
Friday, November 25, 2005
WITFV25: Lazy Days
Today, I'm thankful for lazy days. Lazy days are the days in the fall when you can snuggle up on the couch, cover up with a blanket and watch as much TV as your eyes can handle. Alli and I did that this afternoon.
Her family is in town for the holiday weekend, but they were off at the car dealership all day with my sister-in-law picking up her new car (congratulations Ashley!). Since they were there much longer than they expected, Alli and I got to chill out and relax longer than we had planned.
And that was fine by me.
We caught up on The Apprentice episodes (bye bye Adam) that we missed last night, as well as Joey (Thanksgiving episode just not as funny without the rest of the Friends) and My Name is Earl (getting better as the season goes on, but still needs some work). Later, we watched 2 rented movies, Kingdom of Heaven (terrific flick) and Millions (odd British film that wasn't bad, it just wasn't great).
Overall...it was a great day of being lazy. That's what the day after Thanksgiving is all about...laziness.
Her family is in town for the holiday weekend, but they were off at the car dealership all day with my sister-in-law picking up her new car (congratulations Ashley!). Since they were there much longer than they expected, Alli and I got to chill out and relax longer than we had planned.
And that was fine by me.
We caught up on The Apprentice episodes (bye bye Adam) that we missed last night, as well as Joey (Thanksgiving episode just not as funny without the rest of the Friends) and My Name is Earl (getting better as the season goes on, but still needs some work). Later, we watched 2 rented movies, Kingdom of Heaven (terrific flick) and Millions (odd British film that wasn't bad, it just wasn't great).
Overall...it was a great day of being lazy. That's what the day after Thanksgiving is all about...laziness.
Thursday, November 24, 2005
WITFV24: Thanksgiving
It's not just about the food today.
Okay, that's a big part of it, but it really isn't why I'm thankful for this day. I'm thankful today because I get to spend the day with my family, including my dad, who has been overseas for the past 6 weeks on business.
I'm also looking forward to the after-meal time of fellowship, games, and laziness that always seems to accompany this holiday.
But I'm thankful for turkey, too.
Okay, that's a big part of it, but it really isn't why I'm thankful for this day. I'm thankful today because I get to spend the day with my family, including my dad, who has been overseas for the past 6 weeks on business.
I'm also looking forward to the after-meal time of fellowship, games, and laziness that always seems to accompany this holiday.
But I'm thankful for turkey, too.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
WITFV23: My Church
When I was about 5 years old, our family began attending church in Olathe, KS, switching from the congregation we were going to in Mission. Being 5 years old, I don't remember it all that much, but I do know thatI still attend the same congregation today that I did 23 years ago.
When I was young, I forged friendships and relationships in that congregation that are still strong today and my family has been warmly accepted as a member of that church.
Alli and I had the opportunity to plan the Thanksgiving Eve service this evening and we were so thankful for the turnout and support that we received. It was a great experience for us in planning the service, but I really believe that the service was a good experience for all. I'm so thankful that we have a place where we can worship and that, in this country, we are free to worship as we feel best.
When I was young, I forged friendships and relationships in that congregation that are still strong today and my family has been warmly accepted as a member of that church.
Alli and I had the opportunity to plan the Thanksgiving Eve service this evening and we were so thankful for the turnout and support that we received. It was a great experience for us in planning the service, but I really believe that the service was a good experience for all. I'm so thankful that we have a place where we can worship and that, in this country, we are free to worship as we feel best.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
WITFV22: Freedom
OK, before this sounds like a complete cliche, I want to say that I am so thankful that I live in a country where views and opinions can be expressed so freely and that there is not outright persecution for beliefs (although it may seem that way sometimes).
Today, I'm thankful not only for the freedom that we are provided in this country, but those who fight for that freedom every day overseas. Turmoil surrounds us and we oftentimes forget that there are people all over the world that are in the center of that turmoil, struggling to make sure that our interests and our freedom is protected.
I'm also thankful that we have been so blessed as to allow Alli the freedom to pursue her dream as an artist. It's not always easy, but I have to say that it has been a blessing on both of us for her to be able to pursue her dream full time.
I'm thankful that we have that freedom and that she can do that.
Today, I'm thankful not only for the freedom that we are provided in this country, but those who fight for that freedom every day overseas. Turmoil surrounds us and we oftentimes forget that there are people all over the world that are in the center of that turmoil, struggling to make sure that our interests and our freedom is protected.
I'm also thankful that we have been so blessed as to allow Alli the freedom to pursue her dream as an artist. It's not always easy, but I have to say that it has been a blessing on both of us for her to be able to pursue her dream full time.
I'm thankful that we have that freedom and that she can do that.
Monday, November 21, 2005
WITFV21: The Chiefs
The game yesterday was a big relief. The Chiefs did exactly what they were supposed to do and spanked the terrible Houston Texans. Larry Johnson was huge and I expect to see him restructure his contract in the off-season when Priest decides to retire.
Trent Green looked good. Tony Gonzalez had almost 100 yards receiving. Even so, my home team has a really tough schedule until the end of the year. (Nothing like the Colts, which is almost a complete cakewalk except for the Seahawks and the Chargers... It's funny how the NFL makes schedules.)
I've been a Chiefs fan ever since I understood football. I remember the great Chiefs teams of the 1990's with Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith and the like. It's been a rough last few years and this might not even be the year for them, but they do have some great young players (Jared Allen, Larry Johnson) and I love watching them.
I tend to get pretty into the games, but that's only because I love them.
Trent Green looked good. Tony Gonzalez had almost 100 yards receiving. Even so, my home team has a really tough schedule until the end of the year. (Nothing like the Colts, which is almost a complete cakewalk except for the Seahawks and the Chargers... It's funny how the NFL makes schedules.)
I've been a Chiefs fan ever since I understood football. I remember the great Chiefs teams of the 1990's with Derrick Thomas, Neil Smith and the like. It's been a rough last few years and this might not even be the year for them, but they do have some great young players (Jared Allen, Larry Johnson) and I love watching them.
I tend to get pretty into the games, but that's only because I love them.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
WITFV20: Friends
Not my friends, but the TV show, Friends. I don't care if that makes me sentimental, but I loved that show and I still love it. I just purchased Season 10, completing our set of all of the seasons. Here's a list of my top 5 episodes:
But Friends represented a time of life to me. Alli and I always watched the show together (once we started dating) and it became a point of conversation. It was a cultural phenomenon, much like Seinfeld, except it was on TV longer and it had a point.
Great show. Good laughs. Good times.
- The One with the Rumor (Brad Pitt Episode)
- The One with the Prom Video (I'm a softie for Ross and Rachel)
- The One Where No One is Ready
- The One Where Ross Says Rachel
- The One with the Embryos (Lightning Round)
But Friends represented a time of life to me. Alli and I always watched the show together (once we started dating) and it became a point of conversation. It was a cultural phenomenon, much like Seinfeld, except it was on TV longer and it had a point.
Great show. Good laughs. Good times.
Saturday, November 19, 2005
WITFV19: My Family
I have a great family.
It's a rarity to have a fully-functioning family like I do, but I have been blessed and for that I am thankful. I have a hard-working father who has always strived to do nothing but provide the best for his family. I have an understanding and caring mother who really raised us well and has always been a great friend to me. And I have an awesome brother who would lie down in traffic for me or any of his friends, he's THAT LOYAL.
For a lot of people, this would be plenty to be thankful for, but not only do I have all this, but I also have incredible in-laws. And not only are they great, but Alli's family and mine GET ALONG, which is even more incredible.
During this time of year, there's nothing that I'm more thankful for than my family.
It's a rarity to have a fully-functioning family like I do, but I have been blessed and for that I am thankful. I have a hard-working father who has always strived to do nothing but provide the best for his family. I have an understanding and caring mother who really raised us well and has always been a great friend to me. And I have an awesome brother who would lie down in traffic for me or any of his friends, he's THAT LOYAL.
For a lot of people, this would be plenty to be thankful for, but not only do I have all this, but I also have incredible in-laws. And not only are they great, but Alli's family and mine GET ALONG, which is even more incredible.
During this time of year, there's nothing that I'm more thankful for than my family.
Friday, November 18, 2005
WITFV18: My Friends
I have been blessed with incredible friends throughout my life. Some of them I was born into because our parents were friends. Others I found along the way.
Oftentimes, men find it difficult to have really good friends. We all have "buddies", but sometimes true "friends" are a rarity because male-to-male relationships are so difficult. I don't know what it is about those that make them so difficult, but I have been blessed with great friendships.
When I was 3, we moved from Iowa back to Kansas and we shortly started attending church in Olathe, KS. One of the things that I loved about going to church back in the day was the friends that I had there. When we started attending, I had a bunch of built-in friends, a group of guys who were either my age or within one year of my age and that group was probably about 8 strong at the time. Over time, amazingly NO ONE moved away.
Our friendship grew and we became closer friends. It helped that our friendship was based in a church relationship and all of our parents became friends as well (if they weren't already). Almost none of us went to the same schools. But as we got older, our friendships got closer because we began to play on a club volleyball team together. While our team probably could have been better with other players outside of our group, the way we had it was the way we wanted it and what happened was remarkable. Almost all of us went off to the same college that all of our parents had attended and continued to play volleyball competitively.
After graduation (at different times), things seemed weird. We all still kept in close touch (some more than others), but our lives were changing as we made the adjustment into adulthood. One-by-one, we began getting married (standing in each other's weddings was fun) and settling down, not surprisingly in the same areas where we had all grown up.
As we have all gotten settled, our friendships have changed, but not for the worse, more for the better. All of us have spouses and they have been added to the mix. Our conversation subjects have gotten more grown up (sometimes) and we all seem much more responsible (at least most of the time).
The one thing that hasn't changed over time is that we can count on each other. Our friendship will last even if there are those of us that move away. I'm glad for that. These aren't really my friends, they are my extended family, and I'm thankful for all of them. You know who you are.
Oftentimes, men find it difficult to have really good friends. We all have "buddies", but sometimes true "friends" are a rarity because male-to-male relationships are so difficult. I don't know what it is about those that make them so difficult, but I have been blessed with great friendships.
When I was 3, we moved from Iowa back to Kansas and we shortly started attending church in Olathe, KS. One of the things that I loved about going to church back in the day was the friends that I had there. When we started attending, I had a bunch of built-in friends, a group of guys who were either my age or within one year of my age and that group was probably about 8 strong at the time. Over time, amazingly NO ONE moved away.
Our friendship grew and we became closer friends. It helped that our friendship was based in a church relationship and all of our parents became friends as well (if they weren't already). Almost none of us went to the same schools. But as we got older, our friendships got closer because we began to play on a club volleyball team together. While our team probably could have been better with other players outside of our group, the way we had it was the way we wanted it and what happened was remarkable. Almost all of us went off to the same college that all of our parents had attended and continued to play volleyball competitively.
After graduation (at different times), things seemed weird. We all still kept in close touch (some more than others), but our lives were changing as we made the adjustment into adulthood. One-by-one, we began getting married (standing in each other's weddings was fun) and settling down, not surprisingly in the same areas where we had all grown up.
As we have all gotten settled, our friendships have changed, but not for the worse, more for the better. All of us have spouses and they have been added to the mix. Our conversation subjects have gotten more grown up (sometimes) and we all seem much more responsible (at least most of the time).
The one thing that hasn't changed over time is that we can count on each other. Our friendship will last even if there are those of us that move away. I'm glad for that. These aren't really my friends, they are my extended family, and I'm thankful for all of them. You know who you are.
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