On Wednesday we decided to attend "church" at a different location, and in a different way. There are some of us at McKnight who have been picking up a great kid to go to Bible class on Wednesdays. Nowadays we are starting to pick up his Mom as well.

For a year-end event, Avion's school put on a production of The Wiz. It was cleverly adapted with some funny U City references (ie: fear of following the Yellow Brick Road, when they haven't even been south of Delmar), and showcased some talented kiddos.

It is great knowing Avion. Our rides to Church have helped me grow as a person. G and I try and instill in Avion the same bits of wisdom and values that we want Benny to have. He is a smart and funny kid, but more importantly we want him to know Christ.

Random Thought Of The Day

Why is a single boxer brief (or tightie whities for that matter) called A "pair" of underwear?

This makes no sense to me.

Have a great holiday weekend.

A Pirate Looks At 40

Puhleese...Keanu! (previous post)

I guess every milestone birthday comes with either excitement or pondering over one's life.


16-the excitement is the drivers license and the "freedom" you now have behind the wheel.

18-you can vote, and declare yourself elegible for selective service. Of course the alternative is no job or student loans. The gov't really got us there.

21-you are now an "adult", but you don't feel like one. For the most part, noone really takes you seriously. In our gang, the birthday person was presented with a sweet pair of Ferris Bueller leopard print boxers. I love traditions.

25-your car insurance rates go down. Mine was pretty uneventful, except I had 3 cars at the time. I do remember my insurance rates going down by half. I also remember my buddy, Todd. He hit a serious funk at 25, declaring he was old, and nobody (ie: the mythical hot chick that loves sports) wants an old fart like him. It's a good thing he found his sports-loving, hot chick in Atlanta.

30-this is where I began to doubt my stature and accomplishments in life. It wasn't pleasant for a few weeks. At that point my craving was to be in Colorado. I had a true love for G, but I seriously lacked confidence. My 30's were a fertile ground for growing and stretching in many ways. Especially my waistline. As I close out my 30's, my life is good. My heart burns love for G and Benny. Many friends are still close after all these years.

About 10 years ago, I was climbing Mt Elbert, and started talking to a guy that was celebrating his 40th birthday with a climb to the top. At that point, this is what I wanted to do for my 40th. So here I sit at my desk on 40-eve, with no shoes and socks. I'm not going to accomplish that tomorrow-but there is this summer. I will summit a peak in that spirit this summer. Tomorrow is even better than a day in the mountains. It's a day with Benny. Maybe I'll go to the local ski area and summit the hill with Benny.

Forget what they say about 40 being the new 30. 40 is what it is. 40 is a great number-but that's all it is. A numerical representation of how long it has been since my mother was in a great deal of labor pain. Are there areas I need to work on in my life. Sure. This is the case for everyone, at any age. Am I "where I want to be"? In the Big Picture-yes. Never mind the fuzzy details. I have a great family. I was raised by good parents. I have great sisters. I have great In-laws. I have wonderful friends. God is blessing my business. My waist size is 34, I don't have liver spots, and I don't suffer from the maladies I see on those stupid pharmacological commercials-yet. Of course my hot wife still doesn't like sports.

It's been a good ride so far. I think I'll turn in and listen to some Buffett-probably "A Pirate Looks At 40". Some things will never change-no matter how old you are.

Here is an interesting headline I read not too long ago. More on this topic later...

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40TH BIRTHDAY PLUNGES KEANU INTO DEPRESSION

Hollywood hunk KEANU REEVES found turning 40 so tough last year (04) - he plummeted into a dark period of depression.

The MATRIX star says the months since his birthday last September have been a time of reflection, which quickly escalated into morbid brooding about how many years he has left before he dies.

The Canadian actor says, "It was a nightmare.

"It reminded me of adolescence and it felt like an internal transformation with physical aspect, like when your hormones run wild.

"But this time with a conscious shift, an awareness of your own mortality."

Fellowship and Fromage

No, we are not Packers fans. In fact I was elated at Super Bowl XXXII in San Diego, where the Broncos rose to the occasion and beat 'em. Pretty good storyline...The aging icon, Elway and Terrell Davis playing to his hometown crowd.

A few weeks ago, G was at Green Bay for work. She ate at Lambeau Field, and came back home-cheesehead in tow for Benny. He loves it. The only problem is that he is constantly picking at the foam. Sometimes it looks like we have grated cheese all over the floor. Oh well, if it's not one thing it's another. We do our best to keep the place clean.

Last night we hosted CARE group. I had a ball cooking burgers and brats for the crowd. The great thing is that we are making some good friends, as a result of this Sunday night fellowship. We praise God, have fun discussions, but also have impactful and meaningful talks about our walk with God. Mike J gave us a briefing on his travels throughout Israel, and the Middle East. It is so interesting to hear him talk about flying by the Gaza Strip, trekking up the Mount of Olives, and seeing the Biblical places where Jesus and the Prophets walked and died. Incidently, his job as an F-15 fighter pilot scores him as having one of the coolest jobs in my circle of friends. A close second is Mark L's job as Controller. Who can't get pumped up at the updated GAAP guidelines that comes out every year? (especially his special chapter on Accounting 5-10-15. Yes this is an inside joke).

Here is a picture of John C and Alan K resting comfortably on Benny's couch. This is visual proof that guys never grow up. Alan drove his old, restored pickup truck to our house yesterday. Our only complaint was that he had an old dishwasher in the back, which made it look like Fred Sanford was parked outside. We love him anyways.

Food, Fun, And Fountains

At the conclusion of a long week, we decided to hit downtown Kirkwood, and eat at Johnny Rocket's. It was a nice sunny day, and we were determined to have a quick family outing to enjoy the beautiful weather. This is a fountain in front of the plaza where we ate. We ran into a family from church, and saw quite a few kids bobbing for quarters (ie: stealing money) in the fountain.

Today we are cleaning the house, but I started out early with a cup of Folgers and reading a bit before waking up Benny.










Books I am currently wading through:

"Last Dance" by John Feinstein (NCAA Basketball Tournament/Coaching Chronicles)
"Here Is Your War" by Ernie Pyle (WWII News Correspondent)
"Freakonomics" by Steven Levitt (Unconventional Economic Thinking)

Where's the time going?

Ever feel like you don't have enough hours in the day? This is the case for the past 3 or so weeks. I Don't really have time to give a good update on whats been going on, but here's a pic of Benny and Exa from Colorado to tide you over for now.

The big 4-Oh!

My buddy Darrel, aka: Benny's Uncle hit a big milestone today. Happy 40th, old chap!