Space Shuttle

My dad took this picture at the Space Center where he works in the VAB building.

This is where each shuttle is Lifted into place by Large Overhead Cranes. Then stacked and they attach the 2 solid rocket motors, and then placed on the Mobil Launch platform.

Look at the 2 men standing below the shuttle being lifted off the floor. Cool!

BuzzBall

This is a great comic strip. Remember the days of electronic football....

What if Starbucks marketed coffee like a church?

Change

A friend of mine posted this video on her Facebook site. More details about the project can be found on the Play For Change Website. Take some time and check it out. The website explains it best:

"Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music. The idea for this project arose from a common belief that music has the power to break down boundaries and overcome distances between people. No matter whether people come from different geographic, political, economic, spiritual or ideological backgrounds, music has the universal power to transcend and unite us as one human race. And with this truth firmly fixed in our minds, we set out to share it with the world."

As I listen to the music and think about the concept it makes me wonder what it really takes to change the world. It can overwhelm us just thinking about all the people in need from poverty, wars, social justice, education, and all the kids needing a safe loving family... It makes me want to throw my hands up and ask God why he allows this to happen, why should I bother. Only God can fix all these things.

But maybe the point is that God wants us to fix these things and as we find our part in the story we can make a difference. I also think as we see the suffering and do not turn our back, we are touched in a unspeakable ways. I am not talking about writing a check to the United Way or Homeless Shelter (those are good things). But, I am talking about opening our eyes to find unexpected opportunities, personally touching a strangers life even if it means being inconvenienced. As we touch other peoples lives and open our walls to a community that we are not comfortable or familar with, we begin to see diversity, hope, and suffering being overcome. Maybe that is a glimmer of heaven?

Who knows, but look for someone to help out that you don.t know and post your experience here.

I want some of these drugs!

Last night I heard Caitlyn laughing her head off watching this video. The poor kid is gonna be famous. I want the drugs he was on.

Christmas Eve 2008

I just got done putting together a princess make-up table for Chloe and setup Stephen's desk. Our house is so small that I had to rearrange the furniture, so when the family wakes up I hope they don't trip....

Stephen and Chloe are so excited, they can't control themselves. We found a Santa tracker and before they went to bed, they saw where he was. It was fun checking through the night on his progress and learn a little history about the cities he visited. I heard Kathi and Caitlyn laughing. They explained to me that Santa was not real....

Tonight I walked the neighborhood with the kids. We found a house with candles in bags. It was the image of a cross. Chloe randomly starting to sing Silent Night. Then she reminded me once again that "Baby Jesus was born by Mary and Joself, grew up, dies on the cross, and went to heaven and became Santa." Reminds me of my own faith at times. It would be easier to think of Jesus as Santa. Even with the strange explanation Chloe gave, she somehow gets what Christmas is about and I was touched looking at the cross listening to her sing...

Here is a video of Caitlyn getting mad at her gingerbread man.
I love how serious she was about it.



I realized tonight that Kathi and Caitlyn call me the Grinch more then I like to admit. It is kinda funny because at times I see myself getting all frustrated with the kids. I am off 2 weeks and not use to having them around 24-7. Even if I am the Grinch, I really do love being with them. The short moments we are all focused on each other and none of the static of the world. Like playing Candy Land, going for a hike, building a Pinewood Derby car, or taking naps together.... I hope they remember those moments more then my Grinch ones...

It is 12:15 am... Merry Christmas!

What am I getting into?

Today I applied for graduate school and a new position at BCBSNC.

Brothers Weight Loss Challenge

I have been 235 lbs for many years. I may loss an occasional 5 lbs, but always gain it back. As I got older, I talked myself in believing that at least I am not getting fatter.... Well, I got a health check a month ago and lets say it was not good.

I nag Caitlyn about checking her sugar levels, getting exercise, and eating right. Now it is my turn to be an example and make a lifestyle change. My excuse up till now has been; "life simply gets in the way. Kids activities, family chores, work, and TV/computer time :)". I can't keep using it as an excuse and need to make it a priority for me and my family.

To help motivate me, my brother and I decided to have a weight loss challenge. Whoever loses the most weight from Oct 2008 to April 2009 wins an undetermined prize. Maybe an airline ticket to see the other brother.

I created a spreadsheet we plan to update each Sunday. You can view our weight loss data and charts on this spreadsheet.

Maybe all of this exposure and pressure will motivate me. Heck, I need to post a picture of myself, but I am afraid you would never come back to my blog.....

A billion

A billion seconds ago it was 1951.
A billion minutes ago Jesus walked on earth.
In Washington a billion dollars was spent only in 10.3 hours ago.

Are you talking to me?

I hate going to the grocery store or on the elevator at work, when a person talks to you and you respond, only to realize they were not really talking to you... They were talking into their Blue-Tooth headset.
So many people have these things, I feel like I am in a sci-fi movie and they are the cyborgs...

Kids are tough

Man, kids are tough. Being a parent is harder then I ever imagined.
I hope I don't screw them up to bad.......
I thought I would have all the answers by now.
Where is the cheat sheet?

It is so strange, the kids are at 3 different phases. Switching to deal with each of them can be difficult.

Caitlyn is turning 18. She wants the privileges of being an adult. It is hard to let go and allow her to explore yet set limits. I remember being that age and thinking my parents were so out of it, while my friends parents were so cool. I look back and those friends made a lot of bad decisions they are living with to this day. I now appreciate my parents attempt to keep me safe and helping me grow. She is a smart kid and I am excited to see what she does in college. She has worked hard to this point and amazes me with her wit, knowledge, and wide variety of interests.

Chloe is so cute and knows it. She started school and wants to do everything Stephen does. She started playing soccer and loves it. Chloe never meets a stranger. She is going to be a fireball when she gets older. I am not sure what we are gonna do...

Stephen is gaining confidence weekly. School and all his activities make him tired. But, if we don't keep him busy, he gets himself in trouble. He realized he is smaller then the other kids and struggles with it. But, at soccer he mixes it up with the biggest kid on the field.

Vote for Max

My brother emailed me a photo of a poster they made because Max is campaigning for school office. With such a high profile presidential election going on, it made me realize how important it is to teach our kids the importance of community and our role in making a difference.

The time is now. The place is here.
Vote for Max for a awesome school year!!!

Good luck Max. I made a campaign video for you. Let me know how it goes....

First time for everything

Remember when you were young and discovering how to tie your shoe, ride a bike, or the first time you got to go around the block by yourself..... Ahh, the simple times!

Here are a few firsts for our kids, click play on the videos and prepare to be amazed :)

Stephen's first bike ramp
We made it together a week after he learned how to ride a bike.

Chloe's first day at preschool




Stephen's first day in adult church
When the children enter first grade our church introduces them to the congregation. They are now of age to sit with their parents (to test our patience...) He was so proud and excited to be presented with a new bible. When they introduced him, he told them he liked to "work" with his hammer and enjoys salad...... I hope the faith thing comes easier for him then it did for me. Below is the outfit he picked to wear.

My visit to the mechanic

I arrived at my mechanic's auto shop at 7:30am today.
It is 11:13am and they say I should be on the road by 11:30 or 12.

I had to get a tune up, oil change, tires rotated, and a state inspection. While they were inspecting my car, they noticed my check engine light was on.
This resulted in finding out my camshaft sensor and synchronizer was bad and needed to be replaced....

I thought I was going to pay out no more then $200, but the total now is going to be $700.

Now I am grumpy, hungry, and tired. I think I am gonna go out to lunch, what's another $12 after this service bill......

CQ+PQ>IQ

I am reading "The World is Flat". It is a very interesting look on how technology is changing our world and the need to adapt. There is a concept I found interesting:

CQ+PQ>IQ
Curiosity (to discover) + Passion (to learn) is greater then a high IQ.

The author explains he would hire a person with curiosity and passion over someone with just a high IQ. He explains people with curiosity and passion are self motivators and self educators. As technology changes the world, these types of traits will prove valuable, since they are apt to be willing and ready to change and can inspire others as well.

I can relate to this because when I worked for a dotcom, we had a few people who were very smart and had master degrees from Duke. But, they were not as creative or productive as the employee who had passion and curiosity.

I am not saying high IQ's or advance degrees are not helpful. But, I can see where a persons drive, curiosity, and passion can provide an edge to someone who only offers a high IQ.

My daughter is very smart. We are proud of her and I have tried to explain to her how important other attributes are in life. You do not wear your IQ or test scores on your head. For me that is a good thing! Grades and scores can help get you in the game, but performace is what counts. Performance is a result of CQ+PQ.

My daughter is cute, smart, and unique. I love that about her. She is as pig headed as me too!
I love that she explores different music and reads graphic novels. Those are things I loved as a kid too. She is into literature, even in the summer time... She has some passion and I cant wait to see what she does with it.

What makes a great dad?

I found this neat site for dads called SavvyDaddy. There was a post asking what makes a good dad vs. a great dad. I find this thought very interesting. Heck I feel like being a good dad is hard enough... We go to college and learn everything except parenting and that appears to have more of an impact on society then anything else.

Take a look at this link and
come back here to post your thoughts.

Friends

I don't remember being 3 or 6 years old. I guess me and my brothers played a lot together and I know as we got older we fought a lot. But, one thing was for sure, if anyone messed with us, they had the other brothers to deal with.

Chloe & Stephen fight too. Stephen does not realize that when he plays tricks on her she learns and eventually will get him back. A few days ago Chloe hid for 3-5 minutes waiting for Stephen to come up the stairs and when he did she scared him. Stephen screamed and came running with tears in his eyes. Chloe was so proud yelling with an evil laugh from the stairs "I scared him". As soon as she realized he was crying, she came running to hug and comfort him. It was so sweet. Payback is tough....

Anyway these pictures remind me of the joy of friendship and the simple days when the only thing you cared about was when the ice cream truck came and what tree to pee on.

This is a picture of Stephen and his friend on a hike. They are starting to act so independent. I was chop liver on this hike and could hear them a few feet in front of me talking about half truths and the adventure that lay ahead of them on the hike. It was fun listening to them.

I pray Stephen and Chloe have close friends and keep in touch with them for their whole lives. I missed out on that. I always felt like a nomad. As a kid moving to 3 high schools and as an adult moving for jobs. I never kept in touch with the friends I made. I think I also took/take life to serious and do not stop to enjoy it. If I can teach my kids anything, enjoy the moment, stay in touch with friends, and touch other people's life in a positive way.

Here is a picture of Chloe on the same hike. She found a walnut shell and showing me that it looked like a pigs nose...

Bone

I was tired of working today and went to the book store. I normally read business, computer, faith books but am tired of reality. I have not read a good comic or graphic novel in a long time, so I decided to stroll down the graphic novel section. It is funny, you can't call them comics anymore, it's "graphic novel".

Anyway, Caitlyn is into graphic novels, but they seem to be dark like "MAUS" by Spiegelman , Watchman, or Batman type. All of these are classics and must reads, but very dark.

I picked up a graphic novel called "Bone". At first glance it read well and had a good plot. I liked the balance of comedy & adventure. They had 9 books in a series that were full color and beautiful. I found a huge book that had 10 years of the story line which is the complete series. Even though it was black and white, I decided to buy it. I dropped down $30, which for me is insane cause I am cheap. But, something told me to buy it and I just started reading it, I love it.

I went online and did some research. It is ironic that Spiegelman is the one who told the author of Bone, to recreate Bone into a series of full color graphic novels. Spiegelman's MAUS novel are in black and white. He insisted Bone should be re released in color, because it is about life and hope, where his novel was about the holocaust and death.

Bone started out in as a character Smith drew when he was 9 years old. When Smith went to college, he drew the Bone strip in the college paper and got paid $7 per strip. He later published independently a few comics of Bone, all along knowing he had a very large story to tell. The summary of Bone or Smith's career here does not do it justice. Maybe the links below and reading it yourself may. Check it out...

When I am done reading it, I will let you know my final thoughts. Here are some related links:

Interview:

• MUST see video interview
• Interview with Jeff as a cartoon

Buy the books & collector items:

• Scholastic site- full color release
• Bone - all in one book (I just got this one)
• Bone - individual hard cover series
• Collector items
• Jeff's new novel "RASL" - About a thief who time travels to steal art
  

Related Site:

• Cartoon Research Library

The artwork in the color versions (Scholastic) is outstanding, I plan to collect them all and would love to frame the covers.

It's 1:35 AM

It has been a crazy week. I cannot remember a week so full of changes like this ever before.
We had a great time at Banner Elk with some family and friends, came back Monday and adopted our two new children, moved our oldest daughter to her new room, and put together a bunch of furniture. All this activity and the contractor is still building our deck and minor touch up to the room addition.


As I was putting together furniture my son had his tools and wanted to help. He talks a mile a minute and apparently I did not hide my frustration. As he approached me for the tenth time to convince me that he knew how to put together the bed.... I lost it. He looked at me and asked "Daddy, why are you so upset, what did I do". It was at that point I realized the stress of trying to make everything perfect for the kids really did not matter. They would rather me listen or play.

It is so hard to remember that. This is such a special time for us. Two wonderful children adopted and in a good home, so loving and fun. I am blessed to have them in my life and so overwhelmed with the grace my wife gives me for so many stupid actions...

Here are pictures of the remodeled garage, which is now the 4th bedroom