Morning Person

McDonalds is currently running an ad about a very unusual type of person and that is the "morning person." He is depiticted as being some type of "freak of nature" in the commercials that no one understands.

I have been one of these "freaks of nature" as long as I can remember. When I was a kid I was always frustrated that Saturday morning cartoons didn't start until 7 AM. This was when there were only three channels and maybe a couple of UHF channels and no such thing as The Cartoon Network. (How many kids today know what channels are the UHF channels?)

When I was 10 I had a job as a substitute paperboy in our neighborhood. So if the primary paperboy was out of town or sick, I got to deliver the papers. It was just like you see on tv with me on my bike and the big bag draped over my shoulder and slingging papers as I rode by each house. I loved doing it and the primary reason was I got to get up early. I loved being the only one awake in the neighborhood.

But a problem with being a morning person is that you are a minority and no one seems to understand you and they always seem to look at you funny.

Why am I so misunderstood? Why? Why?

Home Improvements

Our house is 7 years old and that means it is time for home improvements. We are just on the periphery of things beginning to fall apart so we are starting with painting. As I mentioned in this post the outside needs painting but I am actually going to pay someone to do that for me. We have also decided to repaint the inside of the house. Four years of little hands, tonka trucks and thomas the tank engine has left our walls and baseboards looking "distressed." We have just about finished one room; you don't realize how big your house is until you start trying to paint it.

Next on the project list will be hardwood floors and I imagine the fence is going to need replaced soon as well...

Job Satisfaction

Do you not like your job? Well, check these out and think again.

Texas Castle Doctrine Update

The Texas Castle Doctrine bill is headed for Governor Perry's desk. Last week the Texas Senate passed the bill unanimously and yesterday the Texas House approved it without debate.

Read the article here.

Good Bye Crazy Ray

The Cowboys lost an icon this weekend when "Crazy Ray" Jones died. He was the "unofficial" mascot of the Cowboys and only missed 3 Cowboy games in 44 years.

He is a big part of my childhood memories of the Cowboys and the games won't be the same now.

Here's an article from Mickey Spagnola.

Don't Let Your Kids Play with Matches

Just kidding, we didn't actually burn down the forest.

Penn and Teller Expose the Fallacy of Gun Control

This is a good video.  Penn and Teller expose the fallacy of gun control laws in their special way.  It is 28 minutes long.

If you don't see the video then go to this link.

No to H.R. 1022

In this post I urged you to go to this site and sign the petition to say no to House Bill 1022.  It currently has over 30,000 signers but we need to get more aggressive.  JR over at A Keyboard and a .45 notes in this post that the bill appears to be gaining momentum and he provides links to contact your representive to urge them to vote against this bill.


This bill is far more aggressive than the Clinton Assault Weapon Ban and will result in far more guns being banned.

Here is a good summary of the bill.

Spring Break at Lake Eufaula

After Seth started asking to go fishing (not sure where he got the idea he wanted to fish) we decided to spend our spring break at Lake Eufaula in Oklahoma. Shelley booked us in some nice cabins, Cabins on the Cove, and set up a guide to take us fishing.



The Cabins where we stayed.




The boys loved visiting the horses outside our cabin, Classy and Keila.



Captain Mark, our guide.



The boys really loved fishing.



We had a pretty good day fishing. Shelley thought she would out fish me but in the end I prevailed.



We also visited the Honey Springs Battlefield. This was the site of what Civil War historian Ed Bearss called the battle "America's first 'Rainbow Coalition!'" Troops on both sides included Native Americans, African Americans, and Anglo Americans. The Federal victory opened the way for occupation of Fort Smith and the later Union victories in the Red River valley.



The interesting thing at the Honey Springs Battlefield is that there is a small section of the original Texas Road. This was the primary trail taken by wagon trains travelling from Kansas to Texas. It was reported that at times there would be over 600 wagon trains travelling this road.



Finally, Shelley made me stop and take this picture.

Spring Break

I'm back from spring break.

Texas Senate Approves Castle Doctrine

Monday, the Texas Senate passed legislation that would give Texans the right to use deadly force to protect their homes, cars and businesses.  The "Castle Doctrine" eliminates the "duty to retreat" and also removes the ability for the families of criminals to sue their victims if some successfully defends themselves.

Read more here.

FedEx Planes Dodging Storm

This is a cool video of FAA radar track sequence of FedEx planes dodging a storm as they approach the Memphis airport.

If you can't see the video go here.

Old and Chicken

My first real job was painting houses. I did this for two summers and became very adept at using an extension ladder and climbing all over houses. I have to admit we did some pretty stupid things but you know how it is when you are 17.

Well, part of our house needs painting and it happens to be a part requiring me to get on the roof. So, this weekend I headed up on the roof to check things out and figure out exactly what needed to be done.

When I got up there I discovered that the pitch of our roof is really steep. As I sat there I realized no one even knew I was up on the roof and if I fell off it might be hours before I was missed. I also started feeling really old but this just wasn't worth it.

Down from the roof I climbed with my tail between my legs and feeling every one of my 40 years. What a difference 23 years of wisdom and more disposable income can make.

Balance

Who knew that balance was such a big deal.

Several months ago Shelley and I became a little concerned that Seth wasn't able to do some of the things all the books say would be beneficial if a 4 year old could do, one of those being able to peddle a bike or tricycle.

We bought Seth a bicycle for Christmas in hopes that if we just practiced he would soon get it. It didn't work and we were at a loss as what to do.

We finally took him and had him evaluated and found out he was about 6 months behind where he needed to be and it was recommended that he attend some physical therapy. They estimated that it would only take about 6 months to get him where he needed to be. We started the sessions about 6 weeks ago and it has made a world of difference.

We have learned during this process that not having a good sense of balance is a common problem with kids and it can greatly affect how they develop. Seth didn't want to feel unstable so he compensated with how he sat, how he ran, how he climbed stairs and by avoiding other activities like trying to ride a bike.

As I mentioned he has shown amazing improvement with just a few weeks of professional help and it was decided to have him reevaluated in his last session. His therapist reported to us yesterday that he was almost caught up and would only need a few more sessions. We are amazed at how well he responded.

But, he still won't ride a bike so Shelley mentioned this to the therapist and guess what it still comes back to balance. She said that even with the training wheels the bike feels unstable to him because it still has a bit of a wobble. She suggested trying to stabilize it for him. So last night I worked on getting the training wheels and rear wheel all on the same level so the bike wouldn't wobble.

I accomplished this and guess what, Seth rode his bike last night. Up until last night we could barely get him to sit on it and last night he made two loops around our neighborhood.

The coolest thing was the smile on his face.

Dallas Cowboys Stadium

Another photo of the construction work being done on the new Cowboys' Stadium. This is a view out of the tunnel the Cowboys will use to take the field.

Hugs and Smiles

My eighth post on Dadbloggers is now available. This one is about the greatness that is Chase.

Read it here.

It Hurts Me More Than It Hurts You

I'm sure everyone has had their parents say to them "This is going to hurt me a lot more than it is going to hurt you." This was probably in the context of a spanking. I never understood how they could possibly believe this until I became a parent and it is now one of the most true "parentisms" I know. We don't typically spank our kids but it applies to any type of punishment.

Last night we had our 500th battle with Seth regarding eating dinner and after trying a variety of punishments, I decided to start taking away toys. So, I got a garbage bag and started gathering up some of his favorite toys. Each time I picked up a different toy his cries would get more intense.

Then at one point he yelled out "You can't take MY toys" and this really set me off. So I walked over to him, got down on his level and asked him what made him think they were "his" toys. Then between sobs he was able to get out "because people gave them to me as presents."

My heart melted, I just wanted to give him a big hug, dump out all of the toys and start playing. But, I was too far into it at this point so now there are two garbage bags full of toys in our attic.

My plans are to let him get a toy back every night he sits and eats dinner with us without an argument. I really hope he does that tonight because I can't take another night like last night.

And Seth, when you are older and reading this, it did hurt me more than it hurt you.

I Got Pulled Over

This morning I got to test the theory that having a Concealed Handgun License (CHL) can help you get out of traffic tickets. There isn't proof of this except for anecdotal evidence but it does seem reasonable. When a police officer pulls you over and runs your plates, in the state of Texas he is notified instantly that the vehicle is registered to a CHL holder. He then knows that there is the possibility of a firearm being in the vehicle but he also knows that I am not one of the bad guys. He knows that I haven't
1. Been convicted of a felony
2. Currently charged in committing a Class A or Class B misdemeanor
3. In the last 5 years I have not been convicted of Class A or Class B misdemeanor.
4. I am not currently delinquent on child support or student loans.
5. I do not have any past due taxes.
6. I am currently not restricted by a court ordered restraining order.

He also knows I have been through FBI and state background checks so he has a good idea that I am a decent person.

This morning at 4:30 am I was on my way home from the gym when I failed to signal at a stop sign and instantly I saw the lights on his police car turn on. I quickly pulled over, turned on my dome light so he could easily see into the vehicle, got my license and chl ready and kept my hands in clear view.

He came to my window, informed me why I had been pulled over and asked for my insurance. I had not gotten that out yet because it is in my glove box and I didn't want him to see me rooting around in my glove box. When I pulled out my insurance I realized I had committed a 2nd violation. My insurance card had expired four and half hours earlier and I had not replaced it with the current one. Either he didn't notice or didn't care because he thanked me for my time, asked that I be careful in the future and sent me on my way.

Did the CHL help? Maybe, maybe not. I'm sure he was just checking to see if I had been drinking because why else would I be out at 4:30 am? Most reasonable people aren't on their way home from the gym at that hour are they? So, upon realizing I wasn't drunk he may have sent me on my way anyway but I'm sure the CHL didn't hurt things.

Can You Translate This?

If you hear a 20 month old say "fweep" and then he follows it up with "ache up", what is going on?

We are playing "Wake Up Jeff" from the Wiggles.

Chase likes to tell you to "fweep" (sleep) so you close your eyes and then he says "ache up" and you are suppose to wake up startled like Jeff Wiggle. He loves it and giggles every time.

My Visual DNA

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

College Education

Some recent events in our family has had us discussing the value of a college education. Statistics show that on average a person with a bachelors degree will earn $54,000 per year and a person with only a high school diploma will earn $31,000. Over their working lives this will result in a difference of $1.7 million.

Considering I have a bachelors and a masters degree, one might assume that I am a big proponent of getting a college degree and for the most part I am. But, I understand that these are only averages and there are a lot of people who have done just fine without a college degree. My brother doesn't have a degree and he and I are about in the same place in life despite my 6 years of college experience. I also have a co-worker/peer who doesn't have a degree either and she is doing quite well for herself.

Then you can talk about people like Bill Gates, Harry Truman, George Washington, Michael Dell and Steve Jobs who all didn't get a college degree and I think they turned out ok.

But, I will argue that all of these people are the exception rather than the rule and getting a college degree is just one tool that can help give you a leg up in life so why not use it.

I know that if I had not gotten my degrees, right now I would be a lot closer to the $31,000 number than the current salary I am making. I don't posses some of the extraordinary traits that the people I mentioned previously have (Tim and Amy, that includes you).

I just hope we can instill the value of education into our boys because I don't feel like having a conversation with either one of them about how they are dropping out of school and going to Boston to "find themselves."

Concealed Handgun License

Last night when I got home I received a little surprise, my concealed handgun license. This was something that I procrastinated doing for three years but I finally got it done. As I wrote about in this post if you want to do one little thing to help preserve our 2nd Amendment rights, then get a CHL.

Now, my next project is to have Shelley get hers.

Another Reason I Love My Wife

Here is another reason why I love my wife. She would NEVER ask me to do this at our wedding.

If you can't see the video then go to this link.

My Batman

When I came home tonight, this is the first thing I saw. Now, you might think my initial thought would be "oh, how cute" but it wasn't. It was, "I want one." Yes, I was immediately taken back to seven years old again and thought "how cool is that." This even has a folding batarang and there are other accessories you can get as well.

I'm glad I have boys..

Tragedy

Yesterday I found out a dear friend of mine had experienced a horrible tragedy. I am saddened, heartbroken and angry. How could this happen I ask? Why does a little girl have to grow up without her Daddy? Why, why, why?

I don't know the answers and probably never will but I know my God is big enough to handle my questions and my doubts. I know he is in control so I am just going to turn it over to him and pray for my friend and her family.

I'm not much for words in situations like these so I am just going to go and pray some more and hope they know I am here for whatever they need.

Dallas Cowboys' Stadium

I haven't posted an update lately so here is the latest pic of the stadium.

Valet Parking

Anyone who knows me wouldn't be surprised by the fact that I don't like valet parking. Why pay someone to park your car?

But, this weekend when Shelley and I went out to dinner, I realized another issue I have with the valet.

The restaurant was located in an area where my only choice was to valet park. But, as I sat in the restaurant I started thinking about the 7 year old Durango with 100,000+ miles whose power door locks don't work and I became a little embarrassed. What will the valet think when he locks the doors and they make this loud squelch or will he notice the spilled Cheerios in the back seat. And when he returns the vehicle and he tries to open the passenger door so my wife can get in but the door won't open because you have to crawl through the drivers door and manually unlock it, what will he think?

Why am I so self conscience and why do I care what a valet thinks?

I guess we have another topic for our next counseling session...

Shots

Yesterday Seth had to get some immunizations and I had a lot of mixed feelings. He was very aware of what was about to happen to him because we had tried to really prepare him. Plus, it didn't help that this was our third attempt at this over the last several weeks because the doctor kept running out of the medicine. But, this made him very scared and it was breaking my heart but I was also thankful at the same time.

I had flashbacks to when I was a child and how much I hated going to the doctor. In fact, this distaste for the doctor's office carries on today. But, one of my mother's favorite stories of my childhood is about one time when she took me to the doctor for a well visit. She had me in the "well kid" waiting room and I'm sure all I could think about was the fact that they were either going to take my blood or I was getting shots that day. This stress led me to throw up while we were sitting in the "well kid" waiting room and my mom says all of the other moms stared her down for bringing this sick kid into the "well kid" waiting room.

I tried to relay this story to Seth to show him we had all been through this and things had turned out just fine but he was having none of it.

But, then as I heard his screams and cries and saw the tears, I was also very thankful for them. When Seth was born he was a preemie and had several health issues as a result. This led him to have to go through numerous tests and procedures. He had a variety of sensors attached to his body and nurses and doctors were always poking and sticking him with something. I remember when he finally got to a point where he wouldn't even flinch or cry when the poked him with something. This broke my heart that my little boy had to go through these things.

So, yesterday I was thankful that getting shots to him is something he doesn't experience very often.

Our First Date

I'm a few days late on this but ten years ago on February 16, 2007 my wife and I had our first date. It had been about nine years since I had been on a "first date" so to say I was a little nervous would have been an understatement.

God had stepped in a few weeks earlier and blew the engine in my hail damaged 1989 Olds Cutlass Calais that didn't have any heat so I was driving a brand new Ford Explorer. "I had that going for me, which is nice." Shelley informed me several years later that if I had picked her up in the Cutlass, my chance of a 2nd date would have been slim.

I arrived at Shelley's wearing my typical kahki and a button down dress shirt. She on the other hand was wearing jeans, a flannel shirt and hadn't even put her contacts in. She was obviously trying to impress me.

My elaborate plans included dinner and a movie. We went to dinner at Pappadeauxs and I would again find out later that she didn't like Pappadeauxs.

While waiting for Dinner was when the most memorable part of the date happened and has come to define our relationship. When we arrived at Pappadeauxs we had to wait for a table so we sat down on their patio to wait. Before the conversation went any further, Shelley slapped her hand on the table and exclaimed, "I'm a conservative Republican. I just want to put that out there right now." Well, that is interesting I thought. I had just planned to talk about the weather.

The evening proceeded without any significant occurring. We went and saw the movie Absolute Power which proved to be ironic considering our political beliefs and who was President at the time.

After the movie, I took her home and then we had that awkward moment as I walked her to the door. I remember us standing there talking uncomfortably but I think I blacked out because I have no memory of what happened next. I know I didn't kiss her but I'm not sure what happened. I wouldn't be surprised if I shook her hand or something really dorky but I will have to let Shelley tell that part of the story.

A Busy Week

I haven't been posting much this week because it has been a very busy week.

I am finding that starting a business (www.livetoshoot.com), working a full time job, and looking for my next new job can take up a lot of hours in the day.

I have been praying for opportunities and as usual God has provided. Now, the opportunities have become their own problem. Funny how that works. Now I am praying that God will show me the path he wants me to take and that he makes that path available to me.

Shelley and I also celebrated Valentines tonight. The boys went to Oklahoma so we were able to actually go out for a real dinner. We went to a place called The Grape. It's nice to be able to go to a restaurant and not worry about what is on the kids menu.

Now I get to go watch something besides The Wiggles.

More on Giuliani and the 2nd Amendment

Joseph Farah over at WorldNetDaily wrote a good article on Rudy Giuliani and his history of gun banishment. Read it here: Hunting the 2nd Amendment

My Testimony

Shelley and I are currently taking a bible study on evangalism and we have an assignment to write our testimony in 100 words or less. Here is mine:

I grew up in an alcoholic home. This led me to search for stability, a father figure and the life I had dreamed of when I was a young adult. I wasn’t finding any of those things because I was searching in the wrong places. I finally thought I had found that perfect life but one night I found out it wasn't as perfect as I thought. Now my life isn't perfect but I have found peace and joy but it isn't because of anything on this earth but because I found a relationship with my heavenly father.

Happy Valentine's Day

Shelley, Happy Valentine's Day.

I Love You

They Call Me Daddy

My seventh post is now available on Dadbloggers.

Read it here.

Online Shopping

I gave up buying most stuff via traditional channels several years ago. Once high speed access became available and more stores started offering online shopping, I found myself going to a store less and less. Also, I'm not very good at "shopping" but sometimes I forget this.

This weekend our bedroom TV died so Sunday I headed out to purchase a TV. After about two hours and going to stores like Best Buy, Circuit City and Conn's, I started to remember why I don't do this. I had found very little options to choose from, had only one sales person even acknowledge me and spent probably $10 in gas.

So, I went home, pulled out the laptop and within an hour had identified about 30 TVs that fit what I was looking for. I then narrowed the candidates to 2, was able to read full specs on each tv and read 10-15 actual customer reviews on each. After approximately 1.5 hours I was putting in my credit card information and selecting my shipping method. I even got free shipping and didn't have to pay sales tax. Now, it won't be here for 3 - 5 business days but if I can go 21 days without a Diet Coke, I think we can get by with one tv for five days. (Shelley and I even pondered not replacing it but then realized that might be a little extreme.)

Cowboys Hire Wade Phillips

I know I am a little late posting on this but here are my thoughts on the hiring of Wade Phillips.

In this post I listed Wade Phillips as someone I was indifferent towards and that is still the case. His hiring isn't a very exciting or sexy hiring but some consider it a solid hiring.

He has extensive experience as a defensive coordinator and has been a head coach for five seasons and only had one losing season. He has also been to the playoffs three times but has never won a playoff game.

It really comes down to winning for me. If he wins then he has my full support and if he doesn't he won't. He seems to be very personable and I think the environment at Valley Ranch will be more pleasant. It will be nice to have a head coach that talks to the local media as well.

Right now Wade Phillips is my Dallas Cowboys' head coach and he has my full support. We will just see what the future holds.

The Police

The news that the Police are reuniting and will be playing this week on The Grammys caused me to flash back to my senior year in high school.

I went to a Police concert on Thanksgiving night in 1983. It was their Syncronicity tour and it still is one of my favorite concerts. I got free tickets to this concert because I was the only one who had a car big enough to take the 7 people who were all going, the "silver four door luxury machine." It was a 1979 Pontiac Bonneville and I had become the official chauffeur for our group. I also remember I got a $2 bill as change for something I purchased at that concert and I carried that in my wallet as good luck for almost 15 years.

I had also started dating a girl who would become my on again, off again girlfriend for the next five years. That Christmas we went to my grandparent's house and I don't remember how long we were gone but it probably wasn't more than 3 or 4 days but it felt like we were separated for months. We were at that point in our relationship where we spent every available moment together and if we weren't together we were talking on the phone. This was before cell phones so when I was at my grandparent's we couldn't talk because it was long distance so I had to resort to writing letters. I wrote her a letter every day we were there and in one letter I used the lyrics from the Police's song Every Breath You Take to communicate my feelings. I admit I was a dork.

Oh, cant you see
You belong to me
How my poor heart aches
With every step you take

Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
Ill be watching you

Since you've gone I been lost without a trace
I dream at night I can only see your face
I look around but its you I cant replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying baby, baby, please...

I am so glad I'm not in high school any longer...

Giuliani No Friend to Gun Owners

I haven't had a political post in a few weeks so I thought it was about time. I found a good article from The National Shooting Sports Foundation (www.nssf.org) on Rudi Giuliani's record on guns and how he is now trying to camouflage that record as he tries to win the Republican Presidential nomination.

- In June of 2000, Giuliani become the lone Republican mayor to sue members of the firearms industry.
- Giuliani strongly opposed legislation blocking suits like the one he filed against members of the firearms industry. In 2005, with strong bipartisan support, President Bush signed legislation in law that barred such lawsuits.
- He has flipped-flopped on whether he continues his longstanding support for restoring the Clinton-era federal ban on some semi-automatic rifles.

Watch out for Rudi, he may be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Read the article here.

10 Years Ago Tonight

Ten years ago tonight I met my wife. You can read the story here.

Happy Anniversary Honey! You changed my life.

Looking for a job

As many people know I am currently looking for a job because in the next few months my job is going to be eliminated because of some "corporate restructuring." It is actually called the "IT Transformation Project" but I like to call it "Jeff is losing his job project."

There aren't many things I hate worse than looking for a job. I would rather be back in high school trying to find a date for Prom. At least the rejection saved me money instead of having the prospect of bankruptcy. Bankruptcy isn't a realistic consequence but you get the point.

The stress and anxiety is starting to increase and this is mainly because of the lack of response or success I have had to date. I know God is in control and he has a plan, I just might not understand his plan or his time line.

But, the thing I find interesting is that I am stressed out because of the lack of success I have had but the ironic thing is that I haven't really applied for any job that I wanted. So, why I am stressed out about not getting a job I didn't want in the first place?

I just want to know what the future holds, don't you?

Bee Movie

I bet this movie will be a hit.

Congratulations Michael Irvin

Yesterday, Michael Irvin was elected to the Hall of Fame making him the 10th Dallas Cowboy to be put into the Hall of Fame. Many people may not like this choice based on Michael's off the field issues but if you watched the Cowboys of the 90s you know Irvin was the heart of the team. His statistics speak for themselves but it is no coincidence that after Michael retired the team went 8-8 and 5 -11 despite still having Hall of Famer Troy Aikmen and future Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith.

Congratulations Michael!

On another note, I found it interesting that Norv Turner was at the announcement ceremony with Jerry Jones and Jason Garrett.

Evangelism

Our church offers a variety of Bible studies that can last anywhere from 4 weeks to 16 weeks and be on a variety of topics. Shelley and I have take many of these over the last 9 years and we have never been disappointed. So, when Shelley asked me if I wanted to take one of the classes that started this week, I said "sure."

Our decision process as to what class to take involved factors such as day of the week the class is being held and who would be teaching. We didn't really pay attention to the topic except just eliminating the ones we had already taken.

We found a class on a night that was good for us and was being taught by a Pastor we really liked so we signed up. As the Pastor started teaching and he uttered the word "evangelism", my heart sank. "Oh no, not evangelism, anything but evangelism" I thought.

By the end of the class I was glad we were there. The pastors teaching the class talked about their own failures at evangelism but the most important thing they left me with was that conversion isn't my responsibility. Wow, I always thought it was but now they are telling me that my responsibility is just to spread the word. I never heard it presented this way.

Now, I am looking forward to this class...

Win 2 Super Bowl Tickets

This weekend our church is giving away 2 Super Bowl tickets which include airfare and hotel. They will be given away during either the 5 pm or 6:30 pm Saturday night services.

To find out more and directions to the church, go here.

Driving Around

As a parent I have come to learn that nothing stays the same. When Chase was an infant and it was bedtime, he would just go to sleep. Very easy. Now that he has become a toddler we have had to resort to driving around the neighborhood to get him to fall asleep. There might be a better way but this worked with Seth so we are just sticking with what we know best.

It usually starts sometime after 7 pm when we will notice that he is getting cranky. We will ask him if he wants to go for a ride and he will excitely shake is head up and down in the affirmative.

I have a loop that takes about 10 minutes to complete. Sometimes he is asleep before we leave the neighborhood but it usually takes one to two trips around. But, my favorite part of the process is when we arrive home. I have to gently remove his limp body from the car seat and carry him into the house. Holding him close and feeling his head resting on my shoulder is a feeling I can't describe.

I imagine I only have a few months remaining before he is too big for this so I am trying to savor each trip.

A great speech by Newt

Newt gave a great speech at National Review Institute Conservative Summit. Watch it here.

The fast is over

Today we ended our 21 day fast. While I am glad it is over, I will definitely do this again. This fast was an amazing experience and it did several things for me.

1. It brought me closer to God. I spent a lot of time reading his Word and praying. I turned to Him more often and I spent more time focusing on him.

2. It brought Shelley and I closer together as we had to lean on each other and encourage one another.

3. It brought new foods and a different way of eating entire our life.

When the fast ended I thought I would treat myself to several things but after having some pizza I realized I really just wanted to maintain a diet very similar to the fast diet but maybe include a little meat and bread. I think this fast has developed some new habits for me as well.

Happy Birthday Seth

Tomorrow when I wake up I will be the father of a 4 year old. It seems like yesterday when I heard the doctor say, "it looks like we are going to have a baby today." Now, you wouldn't have thought this would have been a surprise since Shelley was 37 weeks pregnant and we were already scheduled to be induced the next day, but it was. We hadn't even brought Shelley's bags with us to the hospital. Those next few hours are burned into my brain I will never forget how scared we were.

Well, it is 4 years later and God has truly blessed us. I can't imagine how he could have blessed us anymore but he did when he blessed us with Chase.

I have had the last 365 days to prepare to have a 4 year old but it is still hard to believe. He has grown up so much in the last year and we no longer have our baby but instead we have a young boy.

Happy Birthday Seth

Playing in the park

Last night we took the boys to a local park and the experience was really special for me. I'm not sure what made it different but it was. It may have been just the screams of joy and the laughter coming from the boys that seemed to be even more intense than usual. Or, it might have been the fact that they were running around in their recently purchased cowboy hats and looked incredibly cute. Or, it might have been watching two brothers really play together and enjoying each other. Or, it might have been watching both boys accomplish some physical skills that they had never done before. It was neat to see their confidence in their own abilities grow.

I don't know what it was but last night will be one of those memories that I will cherish.

Cowboys Hire Garrett

The Cowboys hire Jason Garrett but his role is still undetermined. He may be the offensive coordinator or the head coach. The Dolphins put a time limit on how long the Cowboys could talk to Garrett so they were forced to hire him before they had found their new head coach.

I am excited about this hire and I wouldn't even be opposed to him being the head coach. I think he is going to be an up and coming young star and I think he will be a great influence on Tony Romo.

Blogger Block

I have "Blogger Block". I can't come up with a single thing to write about so I thought I would write about not having anything to write about.

I am not lacking subjects. I could write about the fast I am on, my floundering job search, the Cowboys, the fact that Seth is about to turn 4, or this crazy company that makes Dunder-Mifflin look normal.

Hopefully, just writing something will break the block...

He's Gone

Bill Parcells has resigned/retired and I am a little surprised. Everything I was hearing seemed to indicate that he would return. Now, the question is who will be the next coach and there are plenty of names floating around.

Names That Interest Me
1. Jeff Fisher
2. Bill Cowher
3. Bob Stoops

Names That Don't Interest Me
1. Norv Turner
2. Charlie Weis
3. Houston Nutt

Other names mentioned that I am indifferent towards.

1. Les Miles
2. Pete Carroll
3. Wade Phillips

Seth's Priorities

Tonight when we were putting Seth to bed this was his prayer;

God is great, God is good
Thank you for Mommy and Daddy
and Grandmama
and Nana
and Lightening McQueen
and Thomas the Tank Engine
and bears

Will He Stay or Will He Go

The big question in Cowboy Country is whether Bill Parcells is going to return to coach another season or not. I have no idea what his decision might be and I'm not even sure what I want it to be.

I wouldn't be opposed to a change and a fresh approach but I'm not sure who the next head coach would be. There aren't any candidates that I know of that excite me. As I watched the Bears and Saints play I was regretful that we weren't able to keep Sean Payton so he could be the heir apparent.

If Bill stays he will have to get a new defensive coordinator and special teams coordinator. I guess I will have to just wait and see. If the Cowboys can get their coaching situation solidified and they can have a good draft, I think they will be in a position to be a contender in 2007.

246 Hours to Go

I have been fasting for 258 hours and have 246 hours to go so I am now past halfway. Yippee! If you have been wondering what my menu looks like, here is a typical day on the Daniel Fast.

Breakfast - half a cup of Quaker Oats mixed with apple sauce and blueberries for a little flavor and textur and a glass of orange juice.

Mid-morning snack - Apple and a bottle of apple juice

The remaining of the day I just snack. I usually have another apple, a banana, a couple of boxes of raisans, peanuts and about 3 cups of carrots and celery.

Dinner - This is the tough meal. We usually are just having salad, green beans, corn, new potatoes, baked potato, grilled squash are examples of some of the items we have been eating. Also, brown rice and red beans has also been a favorite.

This is basically what I have been eating for the last 10 days plus gallons of waters.

Dress Code

I have always hated dressing up and would prefer to hang out in jeans or shorts. About 6 years ago when people of a like mind rose to a position of authority at my job, we changed the dress code to jeans. This has worked well for the last 6 years and everyone considered it a perk. Well, as I have documented previously, my position of authority has eroded and I have lost the dress code battle and I hate it and I'm not alone.

Another person who shares the same opinion as me regarding business dress is Mark Cuban and he wrote this post describing his thoughts on dressing up at work. I wish everyone in the business world read this.

For Kelli

This morning I was thinking about how much money I am saving while being on this fast. I haven't purchased a Diet Coke or been to a vending machine in nine days. I then read this post from Sarah at In the Midst of It.

If you have an extra $1.50 please think about making a donation.

Slowing Time Down

As I have gotten older it seems that time is speeding up. And, now that I have children, it seems like the years are flying by. Somehow I have a 4 year old and an eighteen month old.

But, I have now found the way to slow time down, go on a 21 day fast. I am 7 days into the fast and it feels like I have been at it a month. All is well, and I am actually enjoying the fast at a certain level and it has really made me connect more with God and that is what it is all about.

But, I sure do miss bread...

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

I was in Orlando Friday and Saturday attending the SHOT Show and I was scheduled to fly back Saturday night. That was until I got a text message at 10:30 AM on Saturday from American Airlines saying my flight had been cancelled.

Dallas/Fort Worth has been in the middle of a winter storm that includes freezing rain and American felt it necessary to cancel all flights from Orlando to Dallas on Saturday. After being on hold for about 30 minutes with American I finally got to speak to an agent who informed me that they could get me back to Dallas on Tuesday. I think my exact response was "TUESDAY?"

She then checked flights out of Tampa which is 80 miles from Orlando and the answer was the same. I then asked if she could move me to another airline. She checked and found that Continental had a flight going out but she didn't know if it had been cancelled or not but she would check. After waiting for another 10 minutes she came back with a flight from Continental to Houston and then from Houston to Dallas. I quickly called a cab and headed to the airport.

At the airport, I waited in line for 40 minutes and then spent another 40 minutes working with the Continental agent. During this time, the flight from Houston to Dallas got cancelled, I was put on a 9 am flight the next day from Houston to Dallas, I then got bumped from that flight and put on a 7:15 pm flight Friday night to Dallas. Whew! I was already exhausted at this point and my journey was just beginning.

I spent the next 7 hours hiking through airports, waiting, sitting and just wishing to be home. I knew I could get to Houston without a problem but I didn't have much confidence that the Houston to Dallas flight would go out. But, I had already decided I would rent a car as a last resort and drive from Houston to Dallas.

Well, the flight did go out on schedule and I was finally in my bed by 9:30 pm. After all of this I have a greater appreciation for Steve Martin's character Neal Page in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles who all he wanted to do was get home for Thanksgiving and be with his family.

Changes

My sixth post on Dadbloggers is now available.

Read it here.

Happy Birthday Mom

Today is my mom's birthday. Happy Birthday Mom!

Now that I am a father I have a greater appreciation for what she did for my brother and me. The other day, after a long day with the boys, Shelley commented that my mom would have extra jewels in her crown in heaven for raising two boys. She also did this mostly by herself, which amazes me.

Fast Update

It has now been 66 hours since I started the fast and I am happy to say my caffeine headache has finally gone away. Praises for that. I am finding that my energy level is a little low and I have not been able to get out of bed the past few days to go work out. I hope my energy level returns to normal soon.

Sarah, the wife of one of our pastors, wrote a wonderful post on her blog that describes exactly what I have experienced. Read it here.

21 Day Fast

Shelley and I are starting on a 21 Day Daniel Fast along with our church. A Daniel Fast is one that is basically water, fruits, vegatables and nuts. Things that are not allowed are all meat, poultry, fish, dairy, sugars, caffeine, bread, fried foods and carbonate drinks.

The first day is water only so right now we are both very hungry. Tomorrow we will be able to start eating but again only fruits and vegetables.

The food part won't be too difficult for me, it will be going without Diet Coke for 3 weeks.

If you want to know why we are fasting, go here.

Pray for us.

Cowboys 20, Seahawks 21

It has taken me nearly 24 hours to get to the point where I could write about this loss.

I'm not sure what to think of this season. At the beginning everyone was predicting they were either an 8-8 or 9-7 team and that is what they were. But, after about two thirds of the season, they were being considered the best team in the NFC. And then, they last 3 of the last 4 in the regular season and lost their first game in the playoffs.

But, here are a few thoughts on the season.

1. I think we found our quarterback of the future in Romo despite how he finished the season. I think he has something.
2. Bobby Carpenter, our first round draft choice from last year, started showing something at the end of the season. He may not be the bust we thought.
3. Will Bill Parcells come back?
4. Will T.O. be back? I don't think the T.O. experiment went great but it could have been a lot worse.
5. There still seems to be considerable concern with the defense and I imagine this next draft will be dedicated to the defense again.

I think this team is heading in the correct direction but there are still a lot of questions.

I am the always hopeful and here is to next season.

Three Lions

We have a set of plastic animals that includes 2 tigers, 2 giraffes, 2 elephants and 2 lions. Over the last week or so, Seth has been insisting that there are actually 3 lions. We've had these animals for awhile and didn't actually purchase them but Shelley was pretty sure there were only 2 lions. After all, there are only 2 of the other animals so why would there be an extra lion. She has been debating this fact with Seth, but he has been insistent that there are three lions.

Seth has an incredible memory and I have found that if he is insistent on something there is a good chance it happened. I even jokingly said to Shelley that she better not argue with him.

Well, guess what we found last night. Yep, the third lion.

Another on going debate has been between Shelley's Aunt Kathy and Seth regarding the source of snow. Kathy has this crazy idea that snow comes from the sky but Seth insists that snow comes up from the ground.

I wonder when the science community is going to announce their new finding that snow actually comes up from the ground?

On an unrelated topic regarding our youngest, the 18 month old who thinks he is three, he has decided yesterday he is ready to be potty trained. Yesterday he sat on the potty twice. I guess I better go print out some college applications, I'm sure that is next.

Waiting on God

I am struggling because I am wanting things to happen in my life and I find that God doesn't seem to want to move on my timeline.

I read each morning Oswald Chambers' My Utmost for the Highest and today he says

There are times when you cannont understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings blank space, see that you do not fill it in, but wait.

Waiting is so hard...

Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

Psalm 27:14

New LiveToShoot.Com Logo

We have settled on a new logo for our new venture, www.livetoshoot.com. Tell us what you think.

If you have checked out our website, go here and also check out our blog here.

We are in the process of making changes to these sites so be patient.

Two Weeks in Wisconsin

Today I got to see an uncle who I haven't see in many years. He is my father's older brother and just one of the nicest people you will ever find. He will do anything for anybody, and I remember as a kid he and his wife always had somebody staying with them because that person had no place to go. He adopted a daughter not because he wanted another child but because her family didn't want her. He has often been taken advantage of but that has never stopped him from reaching out to the next needy soul.

Well, when I found out he was in town and I was going to get to see him, it made me think back to 2 weeks when I was ten and I went to stay with him and my aunt. I'm not sure why, but those 2 weeks stick out as one of my fondest childhood memories. I'm sure my counselor would have fun with this one but I think it is just because I learned some pretty interesting things during those two weeks.

I learned how to ride a motorcycle during that time. I often have thoughts of getting a motorcycle when I think back to how fun it was riding that little Honda XR75.

I learned the wonder of peanut butter toast. I had never had peanut butter on toast before those two weeks and in the words of my son, "it changed my life." I have passed this little delicacy on to my kids and they love it as much as I do.

I learned that in the north a "Soda" is actually what I called "Pop" or "Coke" and didn't have ice cream in it. I sure was disappointed.

I learned I liked squash. Not sure why that sticks out but they had a garden and they seemed to eat a lot of squash.

And finally, I learned I liked Mountain Dew. Another strange first for me and something not many people know about me today. But since those two weeks, Mountain Dew has been one of my favorite drinks and today if my beloved Diet Coke isn't available and they have Mountain Dew, I'm going for the Mountain Dew.

I really enjoyed seeing my Uncle today.

Vacation

I posted several days ago that I would be taking the longest vacation I have ever taken. Well, it is coming to an end and I have to go to work tomorrow and I am extremely sad.

I have had the best time being home with my family and getting an opportunity to play with my boys. This has taught me how important it is for me to take time off and spend time with my family. We have taken walks, played in the park, got to visit with family members and many other things. Shelley and I even got to see a movie, Rocky Balboa. This was the second movie in 30 days we got to see.

I plan on taking more time off in 2007. Now, it might not be a vacation but simply unemployment but I know I will enjoy the time with my family.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year, I hope everyone has a blessed 2007.

I am going to pose some questions to myself regarding what will happen in 2007.

1. What amazing things will God do in my life?
2. Is Seth riding his bicycle?
3. Is Chase potty trained?
4. Where am I working and do I enjoy it?
5. What will become of my livetoshoot.com venture.
6. What new interests do the boys have?
7. What is something new that I will learn?
8. Is Thomas the Tank Engine still a major player in our household?
9. Did Newt Gingrich announce he will run for President?

I will be editing this post with new questions as I think of them.

2006 in Review

This has been a heck of a year and here are just a few highlights from my year. (In no particular order.)

1. Seth turned 3
2. Chase turned 1
3. I tried writing a novel (50,000 words) in 30 days. I didn't make it in 30 days but I did finally hit the 50,000 mark.
4.I won the Super Bowl in my fantasy league.
5. The Cowboys finished 9-7 for the 2nd year in a row and it was the 2nd year in a row that I considered that disappointing. We'll see how the playoffs go this year.
6. Troy Aikman and Rayfield Wright were inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
7. I got Lasik eye surgery.
8. The Cowboys signed Terrel Owens.
9. We went to Sea World for a family vacation.
10. We went to Galveston for our first family vacation with Chase.
11. Chase got his first haircut.
12. Seth played his first season of T-ball and soccer.
13. Shelley and I celebrated our 7th anniversary. She is now the record holder.
14. I got to see the Blue Man Group in Vegas.
15. Tim and I started www.livetoshoot.com
16. The Mavericks made it to the NBA Championship.
17. Sadaam Hussein was executed.
18. President Ford passed away.
19. The Cowboys started construction on their new stadium.
20. Chase started walking.
21. I lost my Aunt Anita.
22. I turned 40.
23. Chase started talking.
24. I started contributing to Dadbloggers.
25. The boys and I went to our first gun show together.
26. Our company started the IT Transformation project which will eventually result in my leaving Loanlink.
27. I got my Federal Firearms License.
28. The Republicans lost control of the House and Senate.
29. I ran my 6th marathon.
30. I took the concealed handgun license class.

Its been an interesting year and I anticipate 2007 will be full of surpises.

Cowboys 31, Lions 39

Yuck!

This season has been full of ups and downs and just when I thought they had hit rock bottom, they sink even lower.

The way they are playing I don't see how the Cowboys will be able to beat Seattle next week.

Again, I don't have anything positive to say.

What accent do you have?

This has me pegged.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland   "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
North Central
The South
Boston
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Cries in the Night

Chase has started waking up in the middle of night. Usually, we will hear his cries or his sobbing requests for "mommy" coming through the baby monitor. Shelley is usually the one who gets up to comfort him or help him find his pacifier which is usually lost in the covers.

One night a few weeks ago I woke up to him sobbing and saying "mommy" over and over. Shelley wasn't waking up so I got up to check on him thinking all I needed to do was find the missing pacifier.

As soon as I opened the door the crying stopped. I didn't say a word as I quietly entered his room. His eyes must not have adjusted to the new light in the room because as I bent down by his bed to look for the pacifier, he reached up and felt my face with both of his little hands. At this moment he realized I wasn't "mommy" and now whatever emotions he was feeling now had disappointed added to it and the crying came back with a vengeance followed by multiple requests for "mommy". I finally took him to her and all was then right with the world.

First Gun Safety Discussion

Today as I was looking at a Colt Python I had just received, Seth asked me how it worked. Since this was the first time he had expressed an interest in any of my guns, I took this as an opportunity to have our first gun safety discussion.

I took him outside and explained to him that guns were not toys and he wasn't suppose to touch them unless their was a grown up present. I used the Eddie Eagle method where you teach kids if they see a gun to:

STOP!
Don't Touch.
Leave the Area.
Tell an Adult.

I then told him that since there was an adult present he could touch this gun if he wanted. He said he did so I let him touch it and even hold it so he could feel that it was heavier than his toys.

When we went back into the house I had Shelley ask him what he is suppose to do if he finds a gun. He said, "don't touch it, find a grown up." I was impressed.

A Christmas Prayer

This morning before we opened any presents we told the Christmas Story and used a Nativity scene in hopes of bringing the story to life. I didn't know if we were successful or not because the boys were really focused on opening their presents. So, we first brought out their Myrrh gifts and then their Frankincense gift and finally their Gold gift. The boys were really excited about each of their gifts but after we finished, they were ready to open the rest of their presents.

Before, we opened any more presents I suggested we pray. The night before I had thought through what I thought was a pretty good prayer so I started the prayer but was interrupted. Seth wanted to say the prayer.

"God is great, God is good, let's thank him for Jesus. Amen."

Tears welled up in my eyes as well as in Shelley's. How could I say it any better?

Our little man might just be getting it.

Cowboys 7, Eagles 23

Pitiful!!!!!

I usually try to find something good about each game but there isn't anything good about this game.

It is another big game we needed to win and we didn't. Where is this team's heart?
The defense couldn't get any type of pash rush. The offense couldn't run the ball. Romo had some moments but when it counted, he turned the ball over. And then there is T.0. At what point is his hand injury and dropped passes hurting the team? I think we may have gotten to the point where they have to consider putting him on the bench.

Next week had better result in a win, that is all I have to say.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas to all. I hope everyone has a safe and joyous holiday.

The Savior-yes, the Messiah, the Lord-has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! Luke 2:11

I also really like this video. (if you are reading on bloglines, then click here to watch)

Lighten Up Francis

When I wrote Tis the Season earlier this month on Dadbloggers I knew it would be controversial and it has been. It has become the 10th most commented post on Dadbloggers and now it has inspired another post by a new contributor, Khyle.

In his post, When Santa met Francis he decides to take a shot at me when he tells me to "Lighten Up." He actually quoted one of my favorite movies, Stripes, when Seargent Hulka said "Lighten up Francis."

I have considered getting into a comments war with him but have decided not to and just to use my own blog as my forum instead. But, if any of you want to defend me then feel free. :-)

In my post I never questioned the parents that have chosen a different approach with Santa, I was just explaining our own struggles. I also am insulted by him implying that we are legalistic and not letting our kids enjoy their childhood. Five minutes in our house and you will know our kids are enjoying their childhood.

But, we do take being parents seriously and are doing our best to following what God has instructed us to do in Deuteronomy 6: 5-7. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children.
In the words of Ed Young, our jobs as parents are to "teach and train our children to leave."

Vacation

In my younger days the word "vacation" wasn't really in my vocabulary. I would take a day off here and there but rarely no more than two. Once I had kids my priorities shifted and I started taking more time off and we have even taken several "family vacations." But, still nothing longer than 4 or 5 days.

Well, for a variety of reasons I have had the opportunity to take some time off this month. So far, I have taken four days off this month but I am about to embark on my longest vacation ever. Beginning tomorrow I will be off until January 2nd. This will be twelve consecutive days I will be home and six actual working days. I don't think I am going to want to come back to work but with me lurking around the house for that long, I imagine Shelley might be pushing me back to work.

Which of Santa's Reindeer are You?

You Are Comet

A total daredevil, you're the reindeer with an edge! Why You're Naughty: You almost gave Santa a heart attack when you took him sky diving Why You're Nice: You always make sure the sleigh is going warp speed

Which of Santa's Reindeer Are You?

I Believe

In my Dadbloggers post this month, Tis the Season, I discussed how to address the issue of "Santa" with our children. Now I believe, Santa is REAL. Except he doesn't have a red sleigh but a red Suburban with a license plate of "HOHO." And, he doesn't live in the North Pole but instead he is driving along the George Bush Turnpike. He was even wearing wire rimmed reading glasses.

I'm just kidding but he really did look like Santa and his license plate was "HOHO."

Cowboys Make Playoffs

The Cowboys have clinched their first playoff birth since 2003. With Minnesota and Carolina both losing they are guaranteed at least a wild card spot. Also, with New Orleans losing to Washington, they are again tied for the 2nd best record in the NFC but they are still behind because of tie breakers.

Despite being in the playoffs, the season is still not over. The game on Christmas day against Philadelphia will be for the NFC East conference. A win and they win the conference and a loss will put them in a tie with Philly but again they lose the tie breakers.

Cowboys 38, Falcons 28

Well, a win is a win and a win that clinches a playoff birth is even bigger. But, this game had its issues, primarily the defense allowed another big night with 4 touchdown passes. But, we kept our NFC lead and are now in the playoffs.

Romo looked better.
Should Marion Barber be the starting running back?
Martin Gramatica hit a 48 yard field goal.

Next game is Christmas night against Philadelphia.

Update: Apparently this win didn't clinch a playoff birth despite what they guys at the NFL network kept saying during the game.

Quality Time

Last month I wrote a post on Dadbloggers called Quality vs. Quantity and the premise was basically that it is better to spend as much time with your children as possible and the quality times will be created instead of trying to just create quality time.

This was very apparent to me yesterday. I had already planned to take the day off but what I didn't plan on was my whole family being sick. Seth had us concerned because he had been running a high fever since the night before so we decided to take him to the doctor. This is ordinarily something Shelley does because she is better at explaining the condition and she remembers to ask all the right questions. But, since she could barely talk, this duty fell on me this time.

As we sat in the doctor's waiting room, Seth was crying uncontrollably. Between sobs he was saying he wanted to go home and he didn't want to see the doctor. I was softly whispering in his ear that I knew he was scared and I loved him. He would then blurt out loud enough for the whole office to hear, "I don't love you." We did this for about ten minutes until all of the sudden the tears stopped, he looked at me and said "I love you." The rest of the doctor's visit went very well and he was diagnosed as having Strep Throat.

When we got home, Seth laid down on the couch to rest and watch The Polar Express. I was sitting at the table eating some lunch which included Baked Cheetos when Seth turned to me and said "Daddy, will you wash your hands and come lay down with me?"

These are moments you just can't create.

Lamar Hunt has died at 74

Lamar Hunt died last night at 74. We have lost a really great man. The list of his accomplishments is lengthy but here are a few.

-He founded the American Football League and started the Dallas Texans in 1960.
-Moved the Texans to Kansas City in 1963 and they became the Chiefs
-One of the original owners of the Chicago Bulls.
-He came up with the name for the "Super Bowl" after watching his sons play with their Super Ball.
-He started the first organized Professional Tennis Tour
-He brought professional soccer to the US when he started the Dallas Tornado.
-He created Worlds of Fun and Oceans of Fun in Kansas City.
-He is in 8 different Halls of Fame

He will be missed.

A Sick Household

Shelley can barely talk, Chase has stuff running out his nose and Seth has a 102 degree fever. I'm the only one not sick and that isn't good news for any of us.

Cowboys Unveil The New Stadium

Last night with Bob Costas hosting the event, the Cowboys unveiled their new stadium design. Go to the new website where you can take a virtual tour of the new stadium. Link This is going to be an amazing stadium. Here are some facts about it.

Total Square Footage: 2.3 million square feet. The entire Statue of Liberty and its base could fit into the stadium with the roof closed. The stadium is also the world's largest column-free room. The American Airlines Center in Dallas could fit entirely into the new stadium at field level.

Interior Cubic Volume: 104 million cubic feet. (By comparison, Reliant Stadium in Houston measures 90 million cubic feet.) The Dallas Cowboys stadium will be the largest enclosed stadium (in cubic feet) in the NFL.

Seating Capacity: A capacity of 80,000 plus standing room or additional seating in the end zones, along with ticketed areas in the end zone plazas can increase total capacity to 100,000.

Suites: There will be 200 suites in eight different locations on five separate levels of the stadium. Field-level suites will be available on the sidelines as well as in the end zone for up-close and personal viewing of the games. The Hall of Fame level suites will be 20 rows from the field, making them the closest in the NFL.

Domed Roof: At 660,800 square feet, the stadium will be the largest domed structure in the world.

Retractable Roof: The open roof design that was a unique feature of Texas Stadium will be carried over into the design of the new stadium, with the improvement of a new retractable feature, revealing an opening that measures 256 feet wide and 410 feet long. Two bi-parting mechanized roof panels – each measuring 63,000 square feet – will be driven by a rack-and-pinion drive system consisting of 64 7.5 HP electric motors, making it the first of its kind in the world. The open/close time is 12 minutes.

Arches: The roof is supported by two 35-feet deep and 15-feet wide boxed arch trusses. Each truss spans 1,290 feet – nearly a quarter mile – making the roof the longest clear-span structure in the world. The arches are more than twice the length of the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

Tis the Season

My fifth post on Dadbloggers is now available.

Read it here.

This post is about our struggle to teach the boys the true meaning of Christmas.

Cowboys 17, Saints 42

We got thumped!

There isn't much good to say about this game except I don't think we suffered any significant injuries.

I think the bottom line is the Saints were prepared to play and the Cowboys were not. I don't know if we took this game lightly, because I'm not sure how you could but they sure played that way.

I believe Sean Payton had his team better prepared and I hope this is a lesson we carry with us for the remaining three games.

Marathon Results

Ouch, I am sore. Well, my results were mixed. First and foremost, I finished which is always an accomplishment but I fell well short of my goals. Before the marathon started, I had decided not to shoot for a Boston qualifying time so I decided to try for a 3:30 time. I ran with the 3:30 pace group all the way to the 13 mile point but started experiencing knee pain that and developing a blister on my foot that reduced my smooth stride to more of a hobble.

I slowly started losing time and finishing became my only goal. I finished with a final time of 3:56:28. Finishing under 4 hours was nice considering the pain I was in but also very disappointing. I trained harder for this marathon than any other and this was only my 4th best time out of 6 marathons.

I am anticipating announcing my retirement from running marathons and possibly just cut back to half-marathons. The joy wasn't there when I ran this one. I just have to find something new to challenge myself.

James Kim Found Dead

The body of James Kim was found today and I am sick over it. If you haven't followed the story, James Kim and his family went missing November 25th when they left Portland, Oregon to go their home in San Francisco.

The Kims missed their turn and then got stranded on some mountain roads that are not cleared during the winter. James Kim, left his family on Saturday, December 2nd to look for help and never returned. Rescuers found Kati Kim, 30, and daughters Penelope, 4, and Sabine, 7 months on Monday, December 4th.

This is a scenario I have run through my head hundreds of times and wondered what I would do. I can't imagine just sitting and waiting and possibly watching my family die but I also can't imagine leaving them as I go looking for help.

I just pray I never have to face that decision.

Cowboys Budweiser Commercial

I just had to post this. If you are reading this with Bloglines, then come to my blog to watch the video.

Confidence

I found this verse and it is what I really needed.

Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.

Hebrews 10:35 - 36

How Republican Are You?

You Are 76% Republican

You have a good deal of elephant running through your blood, and you're proud to be conservative. You don't fit every Republican stereotype, but you definitely belong in the Republican party.

How Republican Are You?

Cowboys 23, Giants 20

Who would have thought that it would come down to a game winning field goal by Martin Gramatica? I don't know how this experiment will turn out but no matter how you cut it, that was a big kick. A 46 yard field goal in the winds of Giant Stadium to win a game this big was a really tough kick.

Romo wasn't great, probably his worst game of the year. We knew he couldn't be perfect but the good news is that they managed to win on the road when Romo wasn't at his best.

The defense was very mediocre. They couldn't get any pressure on Manning and they couldn't stop the run when they had to.

But, despite all of that, the Cowboys went on the road to a tough environment and won a game they really needed to win. They are starting to grow up...

What are you really paying for?

When you purchase something do you ever wonder what you are paying for or what the value is to you personally? When you buy the coffee, is the value based on the taste, the fact it is waking you up in the morning, or the prestige associated with carrying around a $5 cup of coffee?

One of Seth's favorite things to do is to go Quik Trip and get a Strawberry Banana Freezoni. I don't know if the Strawberry Banana is the most popular but it is often out when we go so sometimes we have to drive to 1 or 2 other Quik Trips to find it. Fortunately, there is one on just about every corner now so we don't have to drive far.

Well, today, the first store we went to was out so Seth suggested going to a 2nd store, which I agreed to. When we got to the second store, Seth was pleased to see that they had Strawberry Banana but as I was filling his glass, luck would have it that the machine stopped when the glass was half full. I offered some alternative choices but seeing the sacred "red drink" in his glass he was not about to leave without it. I asked him if it was fine that it was only half full and he said yes.

So, my point is I realized that I wasn't paying .86 cents for 16 oz. of Freezoni but I was paying .86 cents for my son's happiness and if he was happy with only 8 oz. for .86 cents then I would be to.