Ca-Joh

I need a little push

2012-02-10T00:00:00.000-06:00

I have been trying to get back on the bike and start writing more in my blog. I know that before my hiatus I had a lot of ideas that I was working on, so it isn't that I don't have anything to say. I still have ideas— but lack the motivation to put what is stuck in my head down on paper (or on the screen).

Here is a list of topics that I have been pondering as of late:

Ancient Spirit/
Being interesting by posing interest/
Climatology and ranges of things/
Conceptual Learning/
Follow-up/
Friendship Card/
Giving credit where credit is due/
Initiative/
Initiator vs wall-flower/
Inter vs Intra/
Intrapersonal Relationships/
Motion and Position/
Social Evolution/
Spiritual Callousness and Suppleness/
State of Equilibrium/
The ones we love and the ones who love us/
The Up, Down, Out, To, and For of looking/
Things take time to do/
Waves and synchronization/
Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How we ARE/

If any of these topics sound interesting, let me know and that way I will feel more obligated to oblige. Since I sometimes speak simplistically and without courteous clarity, if anything seems confusing, feel fee to ask and I will explain.

Is there anybody out there?

2012-02-03T20:51:00.002-06:00

My apologies for putting the Pink Floyd song in your head…

I have noticed that a lot of the people who used to follow my blog no longer write on their own blogs. I am curious how many people still read. I know this seems selfish, but if you can let me know you are here by commenting, I'll appreciate it.

2012 Chili Fest

2012-01-18T20:00:00.000-06:00

During the month of January, I tend to want something warm to eat to keep me from freezing to death. One of my favorite dishes to make is chili.

If you like chili, the Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church will be hosting their annual chili fest. There will be several different versions featured including: mild and hot chili with meat— and even a vegetarian chili (for those who can't or won't eat meat). A while back I posted my recipe on how to make Kick-Butt Chili. I am planning on making this version of chili as one of the hot versions offered. But what makes this festival worth attending is "all the fixin's". What do you like on your chili??? We have corn chips, popcorn, rice, macaroni, different hot sauces (if the Kick-Butt Chili doesn't kick your butt enough), and much much more.

I am including the information on how to get there if you want to attend:

Sunday, January 28, 2012
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
ALL YOU CAN EAT FOR $7.00
Children 10 and under $5.00

Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church
4511 N. Hermitage Ave.
Chicago, IL

I look forward to seeing you there.

Dream Spinner

2012-01-12T21:45:00.000-06:00

My apologies for putting the song Dream Weaver in your head…

The torch (or the washing machine) has been passed over to Gretchen over at Second Blooming. This week's topic is Dreams, so I figured I would make your head spin with some thoughts I have on the subject.

Rather than give an in depth look at dreams and try and give some scientific explanation that would wind up putting you asleep, I will highlight on a few concepts and let you give your opinion.

Dreams and Déjà vu: Many times I wake up and note to myself what an odd dream I had. Then, many months (or even years) later, I experience that dream and get that feeling that this has happened before. This experience has led me to believe that perhaps we travel through time in our dreams in order to "see" our future made real. Whenever I begin at a new location— a new school, a new job, a new home, etc., it doesn't take long before I have a Déjà vu moment. Whenever I have that moment, I believe I have "arrived" at that location. My subconscious mind has therefore accepted my surroundings, and I have "caught up" with my dream self.
Flying dreams: I know a lot of people that have dreams that they are flying. The kind of flying dream I have is more of a type of jumping like astronauts do when they are on the moon. I tend to hover over the ground and move very very fast. Another type of flying I do is go down stairs extremely fast. Think of yourself touching every step as you glide down each flight of stairs in less than a second. Brrroom, Brrroom.

To see more dreams… go visit the spin cycle by clicking on the icon below:

Look what I got for Christmas

2012-01-10T06:29:00.001-06:00

Whenever my wife gives gifts, she likes to give a gift that means something to the person receiving the gift. I must admit that she sometimes outdoes herself and comes up with some clever gifts.

Two years ago, I opened up my gift and look what I found…

Inside the box was a certificate of authenticity:

To those that cannot read the text here is what it says:

2009 Toy hall of fame winner!
The Original STICK
All natural
100% Organic
Rules of play

Play!
Make up your own rules

Caution Aviso Flammable!
Do not use near heat or open flame.
Do not use as a flotation device.
Not for use by children under 2. Use caution around pets and children.
Allergy information: Contents have been processed in a plant that may contain tree nuts.
Do not ingest.
Non-toxic.
Does not require batteries.
Burns, dents, flaws, and flubs are considered natural and add to the beauty and individuality of the piece.
For external use only
Do not put in eye. In case of accidental insertion, consult a physician.
Unlawful use may result in injury or death

Limited offer
Also included— 2007's Toy hall of fame winner:
Cardboard box
From the makers of "Log"

This summer my wife and I were craving orange push-up pops. You know— it's like having orange sherbert in a tube. Of course, nobody anywhere had them (they only seemed to have rainbow— how sad is that). So, we thought "we can always make them from scratch". Just get a toilet paper tube and fill it with orange sherbert. Then you get the left over disks that you have from the egg dying kits and stick that in the bottom and attach a coffee stirrer into it and there you have it.

Fast forward to Christmas morning…

Wife: Here you go (Placing the present in my hand)
Me: What is it— ooh that's cold
Wife: Just open it…

And what to my wondrous eyes should appear…

but a tube with orange sherbert in it:

Have a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

Secret Santa Spin

2011-12-20T06:00:00.001-06:00

Tis' the season for Secret Santa's. It's not everyday that you can send someone the Christmas spirit just in time for the holidays. Here in the blogging world one way to send the Christmas spirit is to send readers your way.

I participated in the this week's Spin Cycle to which we were told to send a list five of our favorite bloggers, then one was picked from the list for us to write a post about. One of those blogs is from Camille @ Archives of our Lives

I like the name that Camille uses for her blog, it reminds me of my days as an Archivist. She may be Canadian, but she also has roots here in the states. Perhaps it is the combination of the two that makes her so interesting. Camille is one of those bloggers that has been around a long time. I do not remember how I discovered her blog, but I have been a loyal fan ever since. Even though I probably don't comment very often, I still try and read all of her posts. She has a meme called Saturday Steals that if you like great finds (aka: steals) you can participate in.

I think I gave enough of a smattering of what her blog is about to not give too much away, yet at the same time make you interested enough to go check her blog out for yourself.

Have a merry Christmas Camille (they do celebrate Christmas in Canada correct…) Just kidding— enjoy your holidays and looking forward to many more posts to come.

Working Relationship

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is a follow-up to the post Relationships Relate:

It has been said that that generation Y workers tend to value socializing more in the work place than other generations do. This makes me question what makes a relationship at work (pardon the pun) work.

I know from experience that there have been different relationships based upon my role with others. There also are examples of situations where the relationship did or did not work:

Author's note: Names have been withheld to protect the innocent.

I knew a girl at work who at first seemed to be quite relaxed and laid back. I found out off hand that she attended the same college as I did. I later found out that there was a preseason basketball game sponsored by the alumni association. I invited her because I felt that she would have fun going to see a game. I don't remember the words that she said, but it gave me the impression that my offer was more than just a friendly get together which deeply offended me. We went to the game, but went separate ways after the game was over. I went to the reception after the game and reconnected with several former roommates and had a lot more fun with them than I did with her.

Just blame it on my Libra tendencies, but I feel that having a balance between being personal and professional makes getting along with others in the workplace more effective. Those people that do not always act professional are typically more approachable because they are not overly serious. They are the kind of people who are professional and get respect for the work they do because they do their work so well.

Jump forward eighteen years. I worked with a girl who was just the same age as the other person. The only difference was that she was more than willing to go out to lunch with any of her co-workers. I think the difference was that she knew the importance of socializing and was able to balance the work that she did with the social aspect of work. There was an unwritten limit that we all knew and we were well aware of where the line was and never crossed it.

I'll leave you with a few pondering thoughts… What makes a relationship "work"? Is there some magic formula that makes having a relationship easier or more difficult?

Acting Relationship

2011-12-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

This is a follow-up to the post Relationships Relate:

I don't know how many times I have seen actors getting married after they are in a movie together. One would think that the actors would know that they are playing a part and not get romantically involved, but they do. I think that this assumption is why many people think that when you are in a romantic role, that you must "really" be romantic. Having played romantic leads myself I have encountered both good and bad acting relationships.

Author's note: Names have been withheld to protect the innocent.

In high school I played opposite the same girl two years in a row. The first year there seemed to have been a rumor that I was planning on french kissing her during the kissing scene. This prompted her to change the kiss to be more of a cheek brush by the end of the show. Unfortunately I was cast to play opposite her in a lead role the following year. By this time the rift was so great that she was being rude and extremely snobbish towards me backstage. My only defense was to ignore her. By the end of the show I knew that there had to be a better way of getting along with someone that you are playing a romantic lead with.

Jump forward two years… I was in a summer youth theater production and got the lead role opposite a girl who was just as old as the first girl when I had a lead with her. However, this person was much more mature both on and off the stage, which made the romantic scenes a lot easier to do (even being on stage in my underwear). It made me realize that you don't have to be romantically involved with someone when playing a romantic role. If you can play the part correctly, you can make the role work without looking awkward to the audience, or pissing off the person you are opposite of.

According to the post Be true to yourself as your own self true, I talk about behaving differently when in different social groups. If you think about it, we "act" the part much like an actor does when on the stage. The stage in this sense is the group that you are in and the audience is the group's members. You may think that this group stage does not have a true off stage, but we are the actors and we thus turn off our persona when we are not around the group (just like actors do when they cross from on stage to off stage).

One final thought that I will make you ponder rather than point out. We tend to act a part when in groups, but what about actual romantic relationships— do we play a part there as well?

Relationships Relate

2011-12-07T14:00:00.000-06:00

From early on I realized that I valued relationships very highly. What I also found is that I tended to view relationships more seriously, and gave them a far greater importance overall. I think that this artificial elevation of the importance of relationships is something that others view as well. This is what typically got me into trouble when wanting a relationship. I tended to value the relationship in such a way that would make me appear either desperate or overly serious. What I have learned as of late, is that relationships do not have to be held in such high esteem.

I tend to look at things and try and figure out how they work. Much of my Personal Philosophy posts revolve around how I perceive the inner workings of relationships. One conclusion that I came to is that relationships relate.

We all interact with other people in one way or another. Unless you are trapped on a deserted island, you will always encounter other people. How you choose to interact with those people is basically how you relate to them. The fact that you are relating to the person means that you are in a relationship with them.

Rather than giving examples in this post, I decided to break it up into separate posts to allow those posts to stand on their own, as well as relate back to this post (no pun intended):

For now I will only list the examples to give you a chance to chime in and give me your opinion about them (or even offer other examples to use as well). Then when they have been posted, the bullet points will be changed to be links (to better relate them to this post).

What do you think… do relationships relate? Do we give the word Relationship too much importance?

Pie Cubed

2011-11-23T22:00:00.000-06:00

Three little kittens, they lost their mittens,
And they began to cry,

Oh, mother dear, we sadly fear
That we have lost our mittens.

What! Lost your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then you shall have no pie.
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
You shall have no pie.

The three little kittens, they found their mittens,
And they began to cry,

Oh, mother dear, see here, see here,
Our mittens we have found.

Put on your mittens, you silly kittens,
And you shall have some pie.
Pie, Pie, Pie[1],
Oh, let us have some pie.

The three little kittens, put on their mittens,
And soon ate up the pie;

Oh, mother dear, we greatly fear
That we have soiled our mittens

What! Soiled your mittens, you naughty kittens!
Then they began to sigh,
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
They began to sigh.

The three little kittens, they washed their mittens,
And hung them out to dry;

Oh! mother dear, do you not hear
That we have washed our mittens?

What! Washed your mittens, then you’re such good kittens.
But I smell a rat close by
Mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow, mee-ow.
We smell a rat close by.[2]

With inspirations from m²I

They say: "The secret is in the crust". So, rather than talk about how to make this pie or that pie, I decided that I would give you my secret to perfect pie crust. Makes two 9 inch crusts.

Perfect Pie Crust:: 1 Stick of butter; 6 T Vegetable shortening; 2 ½ C Flower; 3-6 T Cold water

Place the butter and shortening in a medium mixing bowl.
Add the flower.
Cut in the flower with the butter and shortening until well mixed.
If you do not have a pastry cutter, use two butter knives cutting like you do when cutting up lettuce in a bowl.
With one hand, add the water about a tablespoon at a time.
With the other hand mix using a gentle squeezing motion.
The secret here (shh… don't tell anybody) is to continue adding the water and mix until the dough feels like Play-dough.
Ball up the dough in the bowl and chill for 30 minutes in the refridgerator.
Cut in half and roll both halves for your favorite pie.

¹ Originally is "Purr-r, purr-r, purr-r"— but I changed it to be "Pie, Pie, Pie" because that is how I remembered hearing it.

² "Three Little Kittens" — first published in Eliza Follen's book:
New Nursery Songs for All Good Children in 1853.

Spooky Cycle: Tails and Tales

2011-11-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

This week's Spin Cycle's theme is Halloween show and tell…

Last Saturday, my wife and I went to our church's Halloween party. Whenever we go, we tend to dress up. All week we were trying to figure out what we would wear because we typically throw something together at the last minute and we didn't want that to happen again. I was considering making a dog mask out of a headband and gluing a pair of ears on the sides, but on Saturday while shopping, I saw a pre-made dog mask and bought it to wear:

My wife dressed up as Mary Poppins:

Monday was Halloween and we went over to my step-son's to go trick-or-treating in his neighborhood, then afterwords have scary foods to eat. One of the more requested dishes was the Octopus Hot Dogs:

My wife bought a Frankenstein cake from work:

This past week I was checking my blog statistics (because I wonder who all is reading) and I discovered that my post on Finger Bread sticks got a lot of hits. I checked my page to see if it actually had a picture, and it did not. Here's what they wind up looking like:

Tale of the Griddle

2011-10-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

When I first helped out at our church's pancake breakfast I got lucky and was able to get in on the ground floor. I was placed next to Jack who was the person who actually built the griddle I was cooking on.

As I flipped pancakes, Jack relayed the story of how he made the griddle. How he took a half inch piece of solid steel for the griddle surface. How, that steel was way too heavy and he had to grind down an eighth of an inch off of the top so that it could be picked up easier.

If you like pancakes, or if you want to see the griddle that Jack built, the Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church will be hosting their annual pancake breakfast. I will be flipping pancakes on our custom made griddle. I am including the information on how to get there so you can see the griddle, or see me flip pancakes:

Saturday, November 5, 2011

9:00 am - 2:00 pm

All you can eat.

Adults $7.00

Children $3.00

Ravenswood Fellowship United Methodist Church

I look forward to seeing you there.

Spin Cycle: Spooky Stories

2011-10-20T20:02:00.000-05:00

This week's Spin Cycle Assignment: Ghost Stories. Rather than spinning a yarn (or web) of my own, I thought I would review a few movies instead.

My wife usually likes to pick out movies that embody the season. When fall rolls around she picks some really great classics. Here are the two she loves to watch and why:

Meet Me in St. Louis: Even thought this movie goes through the entire year, the scenes during Halloween make it worth watching. The Victorian house in the opening shot truly sets the scene with the shadows and eery lights. It's an honest look at how a child experiences Halloween. The dialog that the children use is very typical. Phrases like "Tootie killed the Braukoffs single-handed. She's the bravest of them all!" seem to show the sophisticated play that the children have. Traditions such as burning trash in the middle of the street, going up to the spooky house and throwing flower in people's faces to kill them make the scene worth watching.
The Nightmare Before Christmas: A great transitional movie that gets you ready for Christmas. The characters in Halloween land stumble upon Christmas land and the main character Jack the Pumpkin King decides to give "Sandy Claus" a break and do Christmas himself. The dedication that Jack has towards wanting to do it right is very touching. Unfortunately, he does not get it entirely right and things go terribly wrong. Will Christmas be spoiled? You'll have to watch the rest of the movie to find out.

So, put that DVD in the player and give it a spin and enjoy the season.

Spin Cycle: Firsts

2011-10-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

This week's Spin Cycle is on Firsts. Rather than telling the story of my first kiss or my first date (I suspect that everyone may do that as well)— I thought I would write about first impressions. But then I realized that I haven't pondered that concept very much and would only struggle and feel rushed trying to get a post out. This post may not actually be of my first time in an airplane… nor would it be the first time I posted this story, but it is probably one of my first attempts at story telling.

Author's Note: Please bear in mind that this was written when I was about 14 years old and my not be constructed very well. All the same— enjoy…

Here I'm sitting on a might be couch (actually) a couple of foam polyurethane with nylon covers sitting on bricks (it looks good though) waiting for a plane to come in about 4:40.

I might as well start from the beginning.

It all started when I stayed up and read The Stand. So far it was a good book even though I only read about "80" pages. Then we all went to the airport. "Wait" go back just a little. Before we started off my dad wouldn't find the checkbook. He looked everywhere, sure he looked right where he found it. He blamed it on the dental things or insurance papers which they were under. When we got there mom and dad were worried about getting to the right place or elevator to the right terminal.

Then we were inside carrying my back-pack got to be tiresome my dad said to carry it on both arms, I refused. Then he told me that it would put more pressure on one strap and it might break, it didn't. At the ticket booth or terminal well my way to the place— I got it the ticket check in. That's it. When we were there my dad was supposed to get a stand-by basis ticket— that is you would get on only if they had the room. Well stand-by tickets weren't working or doing it for five years. My dad had to pay full fare instead of half. He blamed it on one of his bridge partners who so I hear has a problem with her husband or something like that. Well anyway he always has to pass the buck to somebody anyway.

When we got to the terminal gate which was as so written on the ticket holder H-7 his handwriting was fast but we could figure it out well anyway I could because I had the ticket in my hot little hands. On the way to the terminal mom was talking about something it's on the tip of my tongue but I forgot it actually it's about a price slash on round trips dad said only on round trips but mom said he checked it first. Actually the slash is made from a reserved ticketed rather than being it at the luggage check in area.

Well when we were at the terminal gate and we waited for the plane and learned that it was delayed by the rain and thorms in the area from 11:30-11:50. We also had to check in at gate 9 instead of 7 because that's where the plane came in. When I finally got on the plane and we were ready to take off. But the plane was delayed by the thunder storm and we didn't take off until about 12:10. The people in back of me were very rude as you might say in fact they didn't know they talked a lot.

I was alone in the two seats and so was the person in front of me. Well things got worse. I wanted to get some air on me and I saw a button to pull so I pulled it and the waitress came and asked if I needed anything. I said no I don't think so and was very startled until she told me that I pulled the call button. I felt stupid. She left then I wondered when they were going to serve lunch they did in a few moments. They had turkey sandwiches and potato salad with mustard salt and pepper and a tomato. I ate it all. "The potato salad was good" I said to myself even though I hated potato salad. When the stewardess served the drink I had a Sprite she spilled it on my pants and had to go all the way to the front to get an extra napkin. I tried to read the book The Black Marble but it was too distract-full on the plane. I saw what I think was Cairo ILL and the Mississippi river and I knew we were getting close to our destination. When we landed I got up and looked in back of me to see that lady she might be good looking she wasn't at all!

Then I got off the plane and out into the lobby and out of the gate at Memphis airport was pretty good looking I could say and it was small too so I got around it pretty easily but it had it's problems too. I had to find the place where my next flight was to take off at. It was pretty hard. First I saw where the small planes took off and it said restricted do not enter. So I was baffled so I sat down and waited for 4:40 to roll around and I didn't understand anything. So I asked one of the ground crew where the small planes took off and while explaining the situation at the same time. He told me to go to the luggage check in under United Airlines the one the ticket was under and ask about it. So I did and they told me to go downstairs.

Oh yes I almost forgot to tell you about my luggage pickup. I did and from that the fishing pole case was broken in one spot nothing much but the chain.

Well going down there he said to get someone and call this one place, well nobody there I was confused. Disgusted I went back up and asked again. He said to call Memphis Aero and I did, well I tried. I put a dime in the phone and it said that the number was not in service. OK I tried again same response. Then I found out what I was doing wrong. I then dialed the right number and it finally rang about 12 times then a lady answered the phone and I explained and she said they'd send transportation over.

Excellent. So I waited for about 10 minutes and was thinking of calling back but it came and I got in and we went over there and when we did the driver asked some questions about going over there to Mountain Home. I thought he was talking to me but he wasn't he was talking to someone else.

When I finally got inside and I tried to get my ticket checked.

Fortunately/unfortunately that is where it ends. I thought I had more on how I flew in a small plane, but I didn't. I think that getting to where you started is good enough.

Many happy returns of the day

2011-10-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

I rather like the British phrase Many happy returns of the day. For those who are unfamiliar with the phrase and what it means, I'll give you a clue— Today is the return of the day. If you still don't get it, you can see what happened today on this date….

Spin Cycle: My Ultimate Date

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-05:00

This week's spin cycle topic is fantasy dates, so I'll put my hat in the ring, put my head in that, and do my best hip-hop head spin for you.

When I was young and was first dating, I came up with what I considered the ultimate date:

First I would go out to eat at a fancy restaurant.
Then I would go to see an opera, or professional theater performance
After that, I would go out for a nightcap.

If you look at it, it doesn't seem all that ultimate. What made it ultimate for me is that it is supposed to be what I considered to be high class dating. These are the kinds of things that people you see in classic movies doing. Perhaps I'm a person who likes the 1930's and 40's and the kinds of things that people did in that era seemed high class to me.

Nowadays I wonder if what I considered the ultimate date is more of a fantasy. Let's not get into what constitutes a date, but rather consider the fact that all of these activities are quite expensive individually and even more so combined. Not only that, but considering how much time and energy goes into planning and executing them makes me tired just thinking about it (I guess my age is showing more every day).

The Taken Factor

2011-09-30T00:00:00.000-05:00

It is understandable for people not to flirt when they are in a relationship. This is because it may feel like you are cheating on your partner by doing so. It is also understandable that many people who are not in a relationship will flirt. Perhaps this is because they are trying to impress the other person and make them interested in them, or want to show that they themselves are interested. Of course, these are not hard and fast rules.

What I have found is that the same person will act noticably different and will flirt with you one time, then be defensive and not participate the next. I have witnessed this myself and after some observation, came up with the concept I call The Taken Factor. With it those who are, or are not taken act differently with those who are or are not taken themselves.

One who is in a relationship is flirted with:: With flirting, many women will flirt with married men because they know they are "taken". They know that the man thinks of them as forbidden fruit and will not cheat on their spouse, so they can get away with it.
One who is not in a relationship is avoided:: Women will not flirt with men who are not married because they don't want the men to reciprocate and make them feel uncomfortable.
One who is in a relationship will flirt:: Likewise, many who are not in a relationship and do not flirt may flirt when they are in a relationship. This is because they know they are "taken" and are comfortable in knowing that they can go to their partner if the flirting does not produce. This is not to say that all flirting is trying to take advantage of someone, but normally this is why people tend to back away.
One who is no longer in a relationship will not flirt:: Many times if you were known to be in a relationship you want to put up your guard so that single people will not hit on you. Perhaps they think that everybody knows that they have broken up and are afraid that people will flirt with them because they just broke up.

I have found that some of my observations do not have proof— you don't actually ask people if they are or are not in a relationship, so I'll ask you… have you yourself experienced these situations, or even adhered to them yourself? Do tell.

Spin Cycle: Standards and Morals

2011-09-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Throughout the time when I was single I kept hearing phrases such as: "You can't go out with her, she's got too high of standards", or "They must have pretty low morals to go out with them" All of these phrases created a way of categorizing and labeling people. Even though I never liked labeling, I can see how they were used.

Standards are how we set the bar as to who we will know and/or go out with. Depending upon who you want to know will determine what your standards are. Morals are how willing we are to do something. The lower the morals, the more likely you will do it.

These phrases were then grouped together as a way of justifying stereotypes:

High Morals & High Standards: This is the kind of person who are saving themselves for Cinderella or Prince Charming.
High Morals & Low Standards: This is the kind of person who is willing to know anybody, but is also straight laced.
Low Morals & High Standards: This is the kind of person who could do anything, but only with someone special.
Low Morals & Low Standards: This is the kind of person who would do anything with anybody.

As I have grown older, I have realized that things are not as cut and dry, or as black and white as that and that people have different morals and standards based upon the situation that they are in. You may be willing to hug everybody, but does that make you someone with Low Morals & Low Standards.

Vs.

2011-09-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

If you thought that this was a post about the Versus Channel, then you are mistaken…

Lately I have found that I have written a lot of comparison posts. What I have decided to do is to group them together in this post so you can look at them yourself:

Inspiration and Motivation: This is my explanation of the difference between inspiration and motivation written at the time of President Obama's inauguration.
Smart vs. Intelligent: I seem to get a lot of hits on this one. This is how I define the difference between being smart and being intelligent.
Pretty vs. Beautiful: This is how I define the difference between being pretty and being beautiful.
Compassionate Comforting vs. Arm-chair Advice: In this post I talk about the frustrations of being a comforter on line.
Movers and Shakers: This is my definition of what it means to be a Mover as well as a Shaker.
Leaders vs. Followers: Followers tend to get a bad rap. I highlight what my interpretations of being a good follower are.
Trailblazer vs. Bridge Builder: This is my interpretation of what it means to be a Trailblazer and/or a Bridge Builder.

Also… if any of these posts inspire you to come up with a comparison you want me to cover— please let me know.

Spin Cycle: Rules and Rulers

2011-09-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Whenever I play a game with a child, I find that sometime during the game, the rules somehow change. And not only that… but they seem to change in favor of the person who changed the rule. Then, when you call them out on the rule they changed before, it somehow changes again.

Rulers are typically used to measure things. We like to see how big or small something is. We like to know how large the field we are playing on is. I am reminded of the scene in the movie Hoosiers where the basket ball coach asks the boys to measure the height of the baskets and the size of the court to prove a point.

I wrote a poem in college that I'll use to illustrate changing the rules:

If you change your boundaries
you must also change the rules to the game

cj85'

When someone is a Ruler they are considered someone who rules over others. They are the ones who watch over us and make sure that we do not step out of bounds. We ourselves are our own rulers because we set limits on what we can and cannot do. As I have gotten older I have come to realize that many of the things I used to be able to do I no longer can do (or if I did, I would regret it later). Because my boundaries have changed, I need to change the rules so I can continue to play the game.

How do you "measure up" to the rules that you restrict yourself with?

Trailblazer vs. Bridge Builder

2011-09-02T04:00:00.000-05:00

When I was part of the search committee at my church we were given the opportunity to ask questions to the incoming minister. I asked the question: "Do you consider yourself a Trailblazer or a Bridge Builder?" At the time I needed to clarify in the context of being a leader— but I realized that there is a broader meaning to each of these terms:

Trailblazer…: I think of a Trailblazer as one who forges their own future. They are usually the first to do anything. Some may get the impression that they are the kind of person who does things without thinking, but I tend to differ. I think that they have a quality that makes them more independent because they are willing to do it on their own without any help from others.
Bridge Builder…: So often there are gaps in communication, or even bridges to cross. Bridge Builders are the ones who fill in those gaps by putting everybody "on the same page". They are the ones who help others achieve their goals. This is the kind of person who believes in relationships and is able to get along with others and help others get along with everybody else in the group.

That is what I feel these terms mean to me. Feel free to give me your own impressions of their meanings— or even let me know… are you a trailblazer or a bridge builder?

Spin Cycle: The next day of my summer vacation

2011-08-29T14:30:00.008-05:00

When I heard that this week's Spin Cycle is on "What I did on my summer vacation." all I could think about was the Cheech and Chong Sister Mary Elephant sketch and the following lines:

What I did on my summer vacation.
The first on my vacation I woke up
I went downtown to look for a job
I hung around the drugstore.
The second day on my vacation I woke up
I went downtown to look for a job
I hung around the drugstore.
The third day…

(Get the picture)

Isn't it funny how we tend to go through our summers as a child and never remember a thing. It is only when we are asked to tell everyone about it that we tend to recite the day in day out routines that makes up our summer.

I could tell you about all the amazing places we went to, but alas I just recently started a new job and can't afford taking a week off without pay. We did go camping, but we always go camping— besides I already have two posts about camping here and here that you might enjoy.

For more exciting summer vacation stories, see Sprite's Keeper's Spin Cycle.

I am the Pupster Dog

2011-08-25T10:00:00.001-05:00

In honor of our beloved Spike (01/??/2002 - 08/22/2011)

As many of you may know I am a Radio-head— and being such I tend to make up my own lyrics to popular songs.

I must admit that our Dog inspired many songs— one of which I will attempt to convey to you so you have a better understanding of how special he was.

If you are familiar with the Smurf's Theme Song, then you can sing along with the lyrics to one of Spike's Theme Song:

I am the Pupster Dog
the Pupster Diddle Dog

My wife took this song one step further by singing it in the style of Doris Day— which gave it a sultry yet funny quality.

We both will miss our companion. I do not know of any other pet who has inspired so many different songs and nicknames. Our pack feels a bit emptier now and we'll just have to remember all the things that he did to inspire us to keep us going.

I have collected some pictures of Spike so that you can look at them and perhaps see how great a dog he is to us:

Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, no words can express our grief.

Take Me Back

2011-08-17T06:00:00.002-05:00

Take me back to my thoughts of old
to the days of good times devoid of pain and cold

Where smiles flourish and love grows
where all are happy… and it shows

So show me those loving smiles
and we all can walk for miles through that story that is told

cj87'

Spin Cycle: Multiple Personality Traits

2011-08-15T00:00:00.001-05:00

This Week's Spin Assignment is Nature versus Nurture. Rather than go all out and give an entire Theseus on the subject, I thought I would give you a personal example of it:

No, I'm not Sybil…

I must admit that I am my parent's child. Looking at some of my physical traits you can tell that I am genetically related to them— my flattened nose from my Dad, my crooked bottom teeth from my Mom, etc., etc. But I also know that I have inherited other things as well.

Besides the fact that Mom likes cream in her coffee— Dad likes sugar… and I like both cream and sugar, I know that I have inherited some distinct personality traits. The interesting thing is that these inherited traits seem to be opposite of one another:

Sophisticated — Sarcastic…: I get my sophistication from my Dad. He's the one who taught me how to order in a restaurant, how to tie a tie, and how to think logically. I think that he also influenced my "old fashioned" nature and my desire to wear hats, shave with a straight razor, etc. Not to say that he's a stuffed-shirt— he can also be quite funny— but this is what I notice to have gleaned from him.; I get my sarcasm from my Mom. We were always trying to top one another and usually wind up saying… "you won the smart alack of the year award". Not to say that she's always goofy, but she does have an interesting wit that I also have in abundance.
Personal — Professional…: My mother is very personable. She's the one I always had those heart to heart talks with when in my formative years and I always appreciate her care and concern. I believe I got most of my parenting skills from her and know that I am thoughtful and loving towards others because of it.; My father— though retired now— has a lot of professionalism that I greatly respect. It's his work ethic that I admire and I try to emulate his dedication to the task at hand in the work that I do.

"First impressions are everything" they seem to say… but it may be that if I lean towards one of my traits, I do not get the acclamation or respect that I think I deserve. I may be quite sarcastic at times which seems to effect my being personal because people don't take me seriously. Or, I may be acting quite professional and later tell a very subtle joke that nobody gets. If you understand that I am a combination of these traits, you should be able to understand me better in the long run.