conflict

Scheduling conflicts.

That was the theme of my Sunday. I get together with a group of friends weekly - and last night we met together for the first time in six weeks.

We're not meeting next week. In fact once we figured out our next few months to really nail down our schedules - we realized that we couldn't meet in June or July...or August. One guy was going to India for two months and another to Texas for a month.

I'll be in Kansas (or is it Missourri?) for a week. Another guy is on a softball team and in a band.

Because us getting together isn't any of our top priorities, I imagine this will go on and on.

I don't think our conflict is really with our schedules. Our conflict is with our focus, our priorities and our dedication.

This isn't to say that our focus, priorities or dedication are off - I'm right there with the rest of the group. My family is certainly a bigger priority than the group getting together - I have other responsibilities - we all do.

It's just dissapointing when you'd love to do more, and there's energy with meeting with a group of people...but you just can't get it together.

I can't quite figure out how to get around this...

vloggin'

little sleepy

Griff decided to give strep another go round the other day. Crazy fever and sore throat - the whole shabang.

This time he put a new spin on it though. He decided to have an allergic reaction to his medicine. So we were off to the Children's Hospital. This visit was a bit different. We had to park a block away as though we were going to a Red's game and not shlepping a sick kid up a hill just to wait in line to see a doctor.

We were number 487. That's 4 HUNDRED and 87.

I've been to Children's before - I've never had more than 5 people in front of me.

It felt like we were at a Who concert. They have this huge contraption with video games and built in controllers in this waiting room...and I've never seen it work. It'd be like having a giant non working water fountain in a desert. I was cursing Kohl's - the sign indicated they were nice enough to buy this huge non-working video contraption for the hospital.

Two hours later they called us back...to give our insurance information.

Every kid in the state of Ohio was in there. Kids who cut their finger on their baseball cards, kids who saw someone cough on tv, kids who wondered what a stethoscope sounded like...everyone was there.

Three hours later we saw a doctor.

Long story much shorter than the visit - Griff has a new antibiotic that we're praying he isn't allergic to...

And now he has a new all time record for how late he's stayed up.

restaurant quality blog

I was watching a cooking segment on some show and they said, "you can have restaurant quality food right at home in just a few minutes" and I was confused.

Restaurant quality food?

First of all, what restaurant are we talking about? If you think I can replicate the chicken deliciousness of a Chipotle right in the convenience of my own home....well you've got another thing coming mister. And don't think I haven't tried. If I could make chicken like that, I'd never leave the house.

What sort of threw me is I've always thought it a bit odd when I'd see a sign at a restaurant that said, "Homemade ________" I've even seen it on menu's at chain restaurants.

Isn't the definition of homemade - that it's made in a home? Often we'll buy food that was made in a restaurant and we'll straight up let people know - that was restaurant made pizza. Even if it was restaurant quality pizza, we're not going to perpetuate any lie or rationalize our little exaggeration by saying it's restaurant made.

So back to the restaurant quality vs. homemade issue.

Which is better? Should I get excited if it's restaurant quality or homemade? I just need to know...

workin' man

Went in at 7:45 AM and came home at 10 PM.

After 14+ hours of work I can say that it was a good day.

Beginning of my day was not great - middle was worse - late was ok - late late was a reminder that I get to do some pretty cool work with some great people.

Tomorrow is one 8 hour meeting. I'm guessing I'll need another reminder at some point...

either/or

mac or pc?
Democrat or Republican?
Football or Futball?
Pencil or Pen?
Comedy or Drama?
Designated Hitter or something not stupid?
Man or Wild?
Laptop or desktop?
Dances with the Stars of UFC?
Spring or Fall?
Fiction or Biography?
Cable or Satellite?
Carpet or hardwood?
Baseball or football?
The Office or 10 Items or Less?
Sci-fi or dating?
Clowns or Mimes?
Singing or Dancing?
Ocean or Pool?
Candles or Lamps?
Poetry or Jazz?
Slater or Screech?
Mylar or Rubber? (balloons)
Stick or automatic?
Book or movie?
Music or Talk?
Wind or Rain?
Cards or Board games?
Jerry or Kramer?
Jetsons or Flintstones?
Funny or passionate?

what you've been looking for...

going pro

I have some friends that will vote for Hillary that really do care for the poor. I have some friends that will vote for Barrack that are concerned about people that are different than them. I have some friends that will vote for McCain that care about the elderly.

I know some jerks that will always vote for the democrat.
I know some idiots that will always vote for the republican.
I know some crazy kids that love voting for whoever isn't really running for a real office (Ralph Nadar anyone?)

Dumb people vote on both sides of the aisle.
People who care about others and demonstrate that care with weekly and even daily action will vote for both candidates.

We all disagree on a few issues - and that's ok.

There's a guy that I've followed a bit through his books who is fond of saying, "I'm not against anything, I'm just for Jesus"

I kind of think that's a decent way of looking at things.

If Jesus isn't your thing, maybe you could translate that to, "I'm not against _________ I'm just for ________"

As a follower of Jesus, I'm told that "whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

That might be a better way to go. I'm sick of getting caught up in the anti everything. It's too easy to get mad. It releases some adrenaline and feels good at first...and then it just eats at me.

Being anti everything is easy. It's easy to sit back and take pot shots. It's like going for the obvious joke that everybody is thinking of, but not saying...because it's too obvious.

I'd rather spend my future focus on the things that are lovely.

weatherin' the cold

So spring has sprung?

It's 31 degrees out right now, but I'm told by my friends at weather.com that it actually feels like 26 degrees. I wonder how they know that?

I'd like for that to be my job. Hey Sean, we're going to get out our Doppler radar and fancy computer stuff to see what the exact temperature, humidity and possibilities are for a storm...can you stick your head out the window and let us know what it feels like? Yup, feels about like 26 degrees. Thanks.

I was recently offered gainful employment in a city that I'm told is hovering somewhere between 50 & 60 degrees right now. They also offered me a 30% raise. And a free t-shirt. I ended up saying no.

Before you start judging me, you should know that I have an ace in the hole waiting for me any day now. I received an e-mail about two weeks ago from a prince overseas. He's going to wire 2.5 million dollars to the bank account number I gave him and all I had to do was send him some of my info. Turns out I'm helping him because he doesn't have anybody to inherit the money and it's gotta go somewhere.

So who's the idiot now?

3's a charm

Pennsylvania gave us the Constitution, religious refuge to the Quakers, five Super Bowl victories and then peaked in 2005 with the birth of Cooper Thomas Edward Murphy.

Happy Birthday Coop!