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.

Winter

Here in Texas we don't get snow very often so when we do it is a treat. Here are the boys out enjoying our "wintery mix".

Greg Leaving The Wiggles

Four years ago I had no idea who The Wiggles are. Now, after having 2 boys under the age of 4 I am well aware of The Wiggles so when the news came out that Greg Page was no longer going to perform with the group for health reasons, I was a little shocked. For those of you that don't know, Greg is the front man, the leader and a founding member. I then read this.

Red Wiggle Murray Cook said he didn't think too many kids would notice the change.

"Children tend to center on one thing so if he's wearing the yellow skivvy (shirt), he's got black hair – he's pretty much Greg," he said.

Was this necessary? There is probably some truth in the statement but the man just spent 15 years dedicated to this and now you are saying he is easily replaced.

If you put a Red shirt on someone with brown hair and give them a guitar, he'd pretty much be Murray. How's that make you feel Murray?

Stop Her Now

A new organization dedicated to spreading the truth about Hillary Clinton.

Link


Go here to watch The Hillary Show.

Tony Romo Dating Jessica Simpson

Ok, this is just a cheap ploy to attrack search engines. Since Tony Romo took over as the quarterback for the Cowboys and I have written about it on my blog, his name is the most popular key words that people are putting in search engines and coming to my blog. It is amazing what it means to be the quarterback for America's Team.

By the way, Tony finally addressed the question of whether he was dating Jessica Simpson and he is denying it.

Flashbacks to Childhood

Last night the boys discovered a collection of old Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars I had from my childhood. They wanted to play with them so we got them down and as they started pulling them out, I found myself being 12 years old again. Suddenly all sorts of memories came flooding back and I really became thankful that I have boys. Now, I get to watch them have those same experiences.

Christmas Lights

I have never been someone who decorated the outside of their house with Christmas lights. While I always liked having the inside of the house decorated, I never got motivated to put lights on the outside. That was until I had kids.

Seth was almost one when he had his first Christmas and as I had done in the past, I didn't decorate the outside of the house. But, as we drove around at night or walked our neighborhood he got great enjoyment from looking at the lights so I promised him we would decorate our house the following year.

Well, this is the third year now we have put lights outside and I think everyone is enjoying it. It isn't that much work for me to do it and the boys love it. Every night they wait anxiously for the sun to go down and for the lights to kick on. I really love watching their enjoyment. Our neighbors have out done us a little this year and have placed some moving reindeer in their yard so I may have to kick it up a notch next year.

Marathon Update

It is now less than two weeks until the marathon and I am officially in what is called "the taper". I am now running fewer miles and trying to have my body heal and recover. My goal of running a Boston Marathon qualifying time seems to be a little unrealistic based on my most recent runs. I am going to go out and make sure I finish but try and shoot for at least a personal best.

Facing The Giants

Shelley and I went and saw Facing The Giants this weekend and if you haven't seen it I encourage you to do so. I challenge anyone to walk out from seeing this movie and not feel good and if you are a Christian, you will find your faith strengthened just a little bit more.

This movie was made by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia. The entire cast were volunteers and they used rented equipment including just one camera.

I'm Back

I have taken several days off from posting but now it is time to saddle up again.

This was Thanksgiving week and I have been home for the majority of it thus getting to spend time with my boys. Also, my mother was here and we got to visit but more importantly she got to spend time with the boys. I really like to watch the boys when they get to be with my mother, they really enjoy seeing her.

This Thanksgiving we stayed at our house and I don't even remember the last time I did that. We usually go to either Shelley's grandmother's house or to my mom's but this time we did it here. This always poses the problem of food so Shelley and I tried an experiment and actually ordered a prepared meal from a local grocery store. My two thoughts on it are first, it wasn't that bad but I wish you could select the quantity and which side items you wanted. We all agreed that we wish we had more sweet potatoes and less mashed potatoes. My second thought is that even though it was already made it wasn't that easy to do. It took about 2 and half hours to prepare every thing and we didn't have enough oven space because everything had to be heated in the oven.

I then got to watch my Cowboys on my own tv and that was a treat for me. But, I'm not sure what I prefer either going somewhere and having the food made for me and sharing watching the game with everyone else or making my own food and watching the game on my own tv.

The highlight of this week for me was on Friday when we got out the Christmas decorations. We started by putting up the tree and the boys were very interested in helping. Also, the fact that my mom got to participate made it even more special. After we put up the tree, I went out and started putting the outside lights up. I had some initial help but everyone decided a walk around the neighborhood seemed like a better idea. But when the sun went down both boys were delighted with the lights and we even had a tough time getting them to come inside.

Saturday included Shelley and I getting out and being by ourselves. We went to Toys R Us to look around and then we went and saw a movie. The day ended by us going to church where we had our family picture taken for this years Christmas card and we had a wonderful service and taking communion.

This was a really great Thanksgiving this year.

Cowboys 38, Bucs 10

This was a big win because it was a game they were suppose to win and they went out and did it.

This was another game where Romo looked good which is encouraging. You can see his confidence as well as the team's confidence growing.

Another important point was they only had a few penalties.

Vanderjact looked iffy again and I'm afraid we will lose a close game because he missed a field goal.

Now we need to have Tennessee beat the Giants this weekend and then we need to go to New York and beat the Giants.

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving so I thought I would make a list of a few things I am thankful for.

1. God sent Jesus to die on the cross for my sins.
2. Shelley
3. Seth and Chase
4. The fact that we all have our health.
5. For the roof over our head and the food on our table.
6. For my mother being here on Thanksgiving.
7. For Shelley's mom and the fact she just had the boys for 4 days.
8. The financial security we currently enjoy.
9. God is bringing change into my life.
10. That when both of our cars got flats these past two days that it didn't leave any of us stranded.
11. Fellowship Church
12. This awesome country we live in and the fact that I was blessed to be born here.
13. The soldiers that have fought and died for our freedom and the ones currently fighting and protecting our freedoms.

Who knew?

Yesterday I was having a conversation with a co-worker who lives in another state and it transitioned to what we would be doing for Thanksgiving. He said he was travelling to a relative's house and I commented that we were staying home and while the food wouldn't be as good as if we went to Shelley's Grandmothers but I would get to watch the Cowboy game in the quiet of my own living room.

He replied, "The Cowboys play Thursday?"

I paused thinking he had to be kidding and then I realized he wasn't. "What do you mean, the Cowboys play every Thanksgiving" I responded. "They have been playing on Thanksgiving Day for 40 years". (I find it appropriate that they started playing on Thanksgiving the year I was born)

He claimed he had no idea the Cowboys played on Thanksgiving day. "Why should I know that, I don't live in Dallas?" he said.

There are some givens in this world, the sun comes up in the morning, the sun goes down at night and the Cowboys play on Thanksgiving day.

I guess we both learned something yesterday.

Gingrich - The Stealth Candidate

The current issue of Fortune has an interesting article regarding Newt Gingrich and his potential Presidential candidacy.

Newt is essentially trying to build an interest at a grass roots level before making any formal declaration that he is running.

"I'm going to tell you something, and whether or not it's plausible given the world you come out of is your problem," he tells Fortune. "I am not 'running' for president. I am seeking to create a movement to win the future by offering a series of solutions so compelling that if the American people say I have to be president, it will happen."

Another interesting quote was regarding other Republicans who are considered potential candidates.

"Nice people," Gingrich says of his GOP competitors. "But we're not in the same business. They're running for president. I'm running to change the country."

Read the article here.

Federal Firearms License

Yesterday I received my federal firearms license. For more background you can read this post.

Now my big challenge will be getting signed up with some distributors and manufactures to be a dealer. As with most things they want established dealers and not start ups. I've identified a long list and I'm sure I will receive a lot of rejections but it will just take one to give me a shot.

Cowboys 21, Colts 14

One word, WAHOOOOO!

This was a big win for the Cowboys because they showed they could beat a good team.

Again, Tony Romo's play is a positive. The defense played incredible and were able to make some big plays. Finally, the whole team actually looked like they came to play.

Now, on the negative side were the penalties. They played the 2nd half with only 1 penalty and it showed what they can do if they aren't giving away yardage. And then there is Mike Vander"clank". He has had an incredible career but he better improve or I am hoping he will get cut.

Now, we need to follow this big win by not having a let down on Thursday. If we don't win Thursday then this win won't be nearly as big.

Case for Guns

Here is an excellent article called a Case For Guns that was in the New York Sun. This is straight from Bloomberg and Hillary country. The author asks:

How often do we have to read about an estranged wife or girlfriend getting gunned down by her ex? Enacting more gun laws hasn't protected women in this city. Maybe instead of going after the gun manufacturers, our mayor should be trying to enact legislation to toughen stalker laws and to increase the penalties for those who violate orders of protection. How about offering self-defense classes or gun permits and firearms training to battered women before they become death statistics?

Read the article here.

Draft Newt 08

Shelley and I are hoping that Newt Gingerich will run for President in 2008. As we look at the current potential candidates: Rudi Giuilani, John McCain and Mitt Romney, we don't see anyone that is a true Reagan Conservative. We see that candidate being Newt and we are wanting to raise awareness to encourage Newt to run in '08. Shelley has created a Meet Up group that people who share the same interest can join and in the future we will have opportunities where everyone can get together. If you are interested in joining the group then go here.

We just saw Newt on FoxNews this morning and he said he would discuss his potential candidacy beginning in September 2007. I am encouraged that he isn't dismissing the possibility.

Dallas Cowboys' Stadium

The Cowboys finally released the plans for the new stadium and here is a picture of what the stadium will look like.

chase, chaSE, CHASE!

chase, chaSE, CHASE! This is something you will hear often in our house. Here are a few things that have happened in the last day and a half.

He opened the pantry door so hard that the door stop knocked a hole in the door.

Yesterday, I got a call at work from Shelley wanting to know if I had any suggestions on how to get coins out of the toilet. Apparently Chase threw a whole hand full into the toilet. She got all of them out except for a few. We can hear them and know where they are but we can't get to them. So, if you buy our house in the future, just beware.

The other night he climbed up on the ottoman and started jumping. I caught him just as he was about to land head first into the train table. He then looked at me as if I had just ruined all of his fun.

Then today he managed to put his hand right into the middle of an ant hill. He got bit at least ten times on his little hand.

Just pray that we all survive until he is two.

Rejection

One thing I struggle with is dealing with rejection. I know most people don't like rejection but it really seems to rock my world. I have had periods of unemployment where I was looking for a job and the constant rejection really lowered my self esteem and confidence. Then when my first wife asked for a divorce, this was the ultimate rejection. Also, there have been times when I wanted something and have been denied and I felt that I was personally being rejected. A lot of these feelings have come rushing forward for me as I face the prospect of looking for a new job. I am not excited about facing the inevitable rejection I am going to receive.

Shelley and I are taking a class studying the "Revolutionary" aspects of Jesus and his ministry. Last night as we sat in class and listened to the things Jesus did and how it rocked the world of the Jews and the religious leaders of that time I couldn't help think about the rejection Jesus experienced. He eventually experienced the ultimate rejection as they had him arrested and crucified.

I know God is opening this new chapter in my life for a reason and I will more than likely experience rejection in the process, I just hope I am able to focus on Jesus as I go through it.

Therefore I rejoice that I have confidence in you in everything. - II Corinthians 7:16

A Tangled Web I Have Woven

Several weeks ago Shelley and I implemented a program of giving Seth stickers for doing activities that he struggles with like picking up his toys. If he gets all the stickers for a week, then he would get a surprise. His first surprise was a Thomas the Tank Engine Lego Train Set .

This last week the movie Cars came out on video and Seth expressed some interest in watching it so I told him we would rent it this past weekend. I also told him if he liked it we might make it his next surprise for getting all of his stickers. Well, at 8 am on Saturday morning Seth was ready to go get the movie. We explained that Blockbuster wasn't open yet but we would go as soon as it was. We left the house promptly at 10 am and headed out to Blockbuster. After going to two Blockbusters and finding that they didn't have any copies, I just told myself that if the third one didn't have any I would buy it and just tell Seth we rented it. How would he know the difference, right?

Buying it is exactly what I had to do but I kept up the ruse that I had only rented it. Seth really liked his "race car movie" so we told him that we would have to return the movie to the store since we had only rented it but if he got all of his stickers we would buy him a copy. My plan was just to stick it in a drawer and then the next time he earned his surprise, I would pull it out and give it to him.

On Sunday night we watched it before Seth was going to bed and when we finished I told him I was going to take it back to the store. My plan was working just as I had anticipated. But, then Seth threw me a curve ball when he told me that he wanted to take it back to the store. I pressed on saying that I would just take it back on my way to work but he would hear none of it.
He stated that mommy and he would take it back and he was very insistent. I was stumped and didn't know how to proceed so I just gave into his request.

Now, Shelley has to figure out how to make Seth think we are returning this movie we "rented".

Sorry honey!

Cowboys 27, Cardinals 10

First, I don't want to get too excited about this win because the Cardinals aren't very good. Second, we are in this pattern of win, lose, win, lose, win and until we break the pattern and win 2 in a row, there won't be much to be excited about.

Penalties were a problem again this week and if it doesn't improve, the Cowboys aren't going anywhere . Also, the injury to Greg Ellis could be big. If it is a torn achilles, then he is lost for the year. Finally, the drops by T.O. are getting to be concerning.

On the good side, though, Romo looked good for the 3rd week in a row and it seems we might have a starting quarterback. Despite the drops, T.O. did make some big catches and Crayton and Hurd also looked good.

Next week will be a big game and a win could really springboard the Cowboys forward.

Dallas Cowboys' Stadium Update

Here is the latest view of the Cowboys' new stadium. A judge has ordered that the Cowboys must release the plans for the stadium to the public so hopefully we will be getting more information soon. No date has been announced as to when they will release the plans, though.

Quality vs. Quantity

My fourth post on Dadbloggers is now available.

Read it here.

Project Valour IT

I have teamed up and am providing support for Project Valour IT.

Project Valour-IT, in memory of SFC William V. Ziegenfuss, provides voice-controlled laptop computers to wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines recovering from hand and arm injuries or amputations at home or in military hospitals. Operating laptops by speaking into a microphone, our wounded heroes are able to send and receive messages from friends and loved ones, surf the 'Net, and communicate with buddies still in the field without having to press a key or move a mouse. The experience of CPT Charles "Chuck" Ziegenfuss, a partner in the project who suffered severe hand wounds while serving in Iraq, illustrates how important this voice-controlled software can be to a wounded servicemember's recovery.

I am supporting the Air Force only because as of now they have the lowest donations amount. I like pulling for the underdog. I've added their status to my sidebar so you can view how they are doing.

I encourage you to support this cause and if you have a blog go to their website and you can join and get the code to add it to your site.

Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps

Today is the 231st Anniversary of the creation of the United States Marine Corps. GoDaddy.com has put together a really good tribute to the Marines.
Click here to the video.

Semper Fi

Date Night

Last night Shelley and I had another date night and if you remember our last date night started with a wonderful dinner at the food court in the mall. Well, I really out did myself, this time we went to an actual restaurant to eat. We ate at La Hacienda Ranch and had a good time but that wasn't how the night ended. We ended the night with a romantic walk, hand and hand, through the isles of Target. I know, I'm a romantic fool, what can I say.

Conservatives Lost but Not Conservatism

While many conservatives lost their election bids, the ideals of conservatism didn't lose. Here is a good post by Michelle Malkin.

Affirmative action in Michigan was eliminated, English was passed as the official language in Arizona, legalising domestic partnerships failed in Colorado and same sex marriages were banned in 6 states.

Mark Noonan writes here that this is a time for Republicans to take the offensive and force some democrats to vote on conservative ideals or risk losing their seat in 2008. He says

the President should propose another round of tax cuts, and defy the Democrats to vote against them; the Congressional GOP should move resolutions expressing support for victory in Iraq, and defy the Democrats to vote against them. We can very easily rock the Democrats back on their heels and force them to either abandon their base, or alienating the average American.

It is time to be as conservative as you can be.

A Fall To Grace

In the recent Relevant Magazine newsletter, Ed Young comments on the Ted Haggard scandal. You can read the article here but there are a couple of statments I want to reference.

While we talk a lot about God's inexhaustible grace and unconditional love, when it comes right down to it, we still believe that grace is exhaustible. We know that we owe our salvation to Christ's grace-giving work on the cross. But it doesn't take long before we trade in that boundless grace for the boundaries of the law.

In biblical terms, a fall from grace is not the sinner saved by grace who is caught in moral failure. That is a fall to grace. A fall from grace is the self-righteous person who tries to earn his or her salvation through the guise of moral living, declaring that Christ's work on the cross was unnecessary—at least for them.

I'm Tired

I am in the middle of the hardest part of my marathon training and I am tired. I ran the half marathon on Sunday, 3 miles yesterday and another 13 miles this morning. Getting up at 4 am and running 13 miles before work is getting old. I have another two weeks of this and then I get to start what all marathoners look forward to and that is the "taper".

Marathon Training Update

I ran the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon today and my results were mixed. My time was 1 hour 43 minutes and 57 seconds which is one of my best half marathon times but not good enough to indicate that I will be able to run a Boston qualifying time at the marathon. I was 57th in my age group and 372 overall out of 3069 finishers.

I still have a few weeks of training so I am not giving up hope on qualifying for Boston but I will probably have to have a perfect race to do so.

Cowboys 19, Redskins 22

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh (that is me screaming in frustration)

I'm not even sure where to start but this is a game we should have won. We lost it in so many ways.

First, if they hadn't gone for two we would have been running the clock out for a victory instead of trying to kick a field goal.

Penalties, we have to stop the penalties.

We have to start getting off to a better start. It seems like we don't even start playing until the second half.

Our secondary looks to be a big weakness and I'm afraid teams will learn that they just need to go deep on us.

Where was our pass rush?

I guess the good news is that Romo looks like the real deal.

This is a game we let get away and I know we will look back at this at the end of the season wishing we had only won it.

Terrorist Want Us to Vote Democrat

Good article in World Net Daily where they interviewed some senior terrorist leaders and they say they hope Americans sweep the Democratics into power. Read it here.

JERUSALEM – Everybody has an opinion about next Tuesday's midterm congressional election in the U.S. – including senior terrorist leaders interviewed by WND who say they hope Americans sweep the Democrats into power because of the party's position on withdrawing from Iraq, a move, as they see it, that ensures victory for the worldwide Islamic resistance.

The terrorists told WorldNetDaily an electoral win for the Democrats would prove to them Americans are "tired."

"Of course Americans should vote Democrat," Jihad Jaara, a senior member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group and the infamous leader of the 2002 siege of Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, told WND.

Armed Citizen

This is an example in my community of a citizen protecting themself.

A burglary suspect, who was shot early Friday during a break-in at an Arlington home, was arrested by police who tracked him to a wooded creek bed west of the house, police said.

The unidentified suspect was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth about 7 a.m. after officers caught him near the home he allegedly burgled in the 2000 block of Mill Creek Drive, police said.

Read the story here.

Who's Reading Your Blog?

One thing I enjoy is looking at what keywords people are using in search engines to find my blog and where people are located that read my blog. For example, here are some recent keywords that brought people to my blog:

Tony Romo Married
Pocketdish
Jeff Dowdle
Happily married couple blog
Is Tony Romo married

In the last few days I have had people from the following locations read my blog:

Birmingham, Alabama
Durant, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Reston, Virginia
New York, New York
Melbourne, Australia
Dublin, Ireland
Tangerang, Indonesia

Just to name a few. It's interesting how people all over the world could be reading what you write.

What Have You Done?

Update - 11/3/06 - For some reason if you are reading this in bloglines, the bolding isn't showing up. I have tried and tried and I am now giving up. So, if you read this in bloglines, no I haven't done all of these things, just some of them. Come to my blog and read it so you can see the bolding.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game (and survived the crush afterwards)
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe.
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs (do cassette tapes count?)
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad - and the Odyssey
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Thank You for John Kerry

The video of his "joke". (Please come to the blog if you don't see the video)

A 2nd Blog

I have created a second blog that I will be maintaining, called Live to Shoot. As I mentioned in this post, I have applied to become a licensed firearm dealer and this new blog will support the development of this new small business I am trying to create.

I will continue to post on this blog regularly because I see the content of each blog being a little different. While they may share some content, Live To Shoot will be more focused on firearms, shooting, shooting sports and the development of the business while this blog will continue to be a collection of a variety of topics.

No TV

Yesterday Seth made some poor choices and this resulted in Shelley handing down the punishment of "No TV". When she emailed this to me my first thought was "Does that include me?" When I got home I half expected that she had capitulated and the TV would be on but to my chagrin it wasn't on and she was sticking to her guns. While I knew if I watched something, it would still serve the same purpose of "No TV" for Seth because he has no interest in The History Channel but I decided to be the adult and follow through with the punishment 100%.

Shelley went to get her hair done so it was just the three of us and I had the initial thought wondering what we would do without the diversion of the TV. But, if you ignore the 20 minute period where Seth peed in both bath tubs, Chase played in the toilet, Seth colored on the carpet and my head spun around 3 times, we had a great time.

I think we might institute a "No TV night" every week.

Texas Pursues Castle Doctrine Law

State Senator Jeff Wentworth will author a bill that will give potential crime victims more powers to protect themselves, their family and their property.

Essentially, the bill would legally establish the assumption that someone criminally entering a person's home, business or vehicle is there to cause death or great bodily harm and would allow potential victims to use any force – including deadly force – in retaliation.

The bill would also do away with the state's "duty to retreat" provision, which states that someone may not use deadly force if a reasonable person in the same situation would have retreated. And it would protect people from being sued by the criminals or relatives of criminals they injure or kill.

Read the story here.

Cowboys 35, Panthers 14

Just a few thoughts before I go to bed.

This this was a big win.

Romo looked good. He made plays and he only made 1 mistake.

The defense looked questionable in the first quarter but they really shut things down after that. I wish they had gotten more pressure on the quarterback though.

We have to do something about the penalties. If we hadn't had some key penalties this game may have even been more of a blowout.

The offensive line seemed to play better but it didn't seem like Carolina was blitzing much. I wonder why?

Washington is next...

Little Brother Helps Big Brother

Last night Seth wanted me to be a monster and put on my monster mask. I have an old rubber Halloween mask that in the past has really scared him. But, that was last year so I thought maybe he is a year older and things would be different so I went and put on the mask. Well, things weren't different and he freaked out.

Shelley and I tried to address his fears. We explained it was just a mask, asked him what he was afraid of, blah, blah, blah. Nothing worked... I even tried to give him the mask so he could hold it and see that it wasn't anything scary but he would have none of it. I then offered that he could take it and throw it away but again he didn't want anything to do with it. But, Chase then decided he would take control of the situation. He grabbed the masked, marched into the kitchen, opened the pantry, promptly threw the mask away and then shut the pantry door as if he was sealing it away .

I brought Seth into the kitchen to tell him what Chase had done and then Chase gave Seth a hug as if to tell him everything would be ok now.

Bledsoe Vs. Romo

There is a lot of controversy over the Cowboys switch to Tony Romo over Drew Bledsoe. Many feel that by switching the Cowboys are giving up on this season and beginning to build for the future. I disagree with that position because the fact is Drew Bledsoe isn't a very good quarterback. Is Romo better? I don't know. Is Romo the future quarterback for the Cowboys? I don't know. But, here are a few things I do know.

In the last 6 games of last season and the first 6 games this year the Cowboys are 5 - 7 with Bledsoe at quarterback. Also, during those games Bledsoe has completed only 54% of his passes and has thrown 18 interceptions to only 16 touchdowns. Also, over the last 4 years is quarterback ranking is 21st in 2003, 25th in 2004, 17th in 2005 and 28th in 2006.

We aren't going anywhere with Bledsoe so let's give someone else a try and Romo is all we have.

A Couple of Stories About the Boys

Story 1
Shelley is pretty low maintenance, generally preferring function over form. When Seth was born she realized carrying a purse and a diaper bag didn't make much sense so she found a child sized backpack that worked well as a diaper bag as well as a purse. Overtime I think she eventually gave away all of her purses. Well, last week she had to attend a funeral so I think she felt it would be more appropriate to carry a purse versus Chase's Texas Rangers backpack so she went out and bought a new purse.

This last weekend we went out to dinner and Chase has gotten to the point where we don't have to pack up the whole house just to check the mail so we didn't take his backpack and Shelley grabbed her new purse. When we got out of the car, Seth stopped in his tracks, stared at this strange object in his mother's hand and questioned, "Mommy, what is that?" In his long three and half years of life he had never seen his mother carry a purse.

Story 2
Last night was one of those nights that had Shelley and I questioning our decision to become parents. The boys were just a little rambunctious to say the least. One thing we have learned about Chase is that he is a very determined little boy who doesn't have any quit in him.

Well, last night he was sitting on the ottoman and somehow fell off and hit his head on the end table. After a few minutes of tears and Shelley rocking him, he got down and immediately headed back for the ottoman. Up he crawled and before we could do anything he fell off again, and again hit his head on the end table. Once again, several minutes of crying and rocking and down he got. He was not about to let this thing beat him so right back to the ottoman he headed and again off he went. This was the most violent fall because for some reason he actually chose to jump this time.

We were trying to prevent this but last night Shelley and I found ourselves overmatched by the three year old and the one year old.

This Would Be Awkward

Saw this here. We may have found our suspect. It made me giggle...

Jack Is Back

The trailer for Season 6 of 24 is now available. Click here to watch it.

Cowboys 22, Giants 36

I just have a few thoughts about this terrible loss.

First, we have found out what the Cowboys are and that is just an average team. They will be lucky to go 9-7 the way they are playing and I don't see them making the playoffs.

Second, I agree with Parcells decision to replace Bledsoe with Romo. I think he has been wanting to play Romo but didn't know how to go about replacing Bledsoe but frustration finally forced him to put Romo in. I just hope he stays with Romo because if they aren't going to win, I would rather see them lose with Romo instead of lose with Bledsoe.

Also, what happened to that great defense we are suppose to have? And, do we have the worst offensive line in the league?

BATFE

Last week I got a call from an investigator with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives saying he wanted to come by and inspect my residence. Now, this wasn't as shocking as one might think because I have applied for a Federal Firearms License (FFL). What is an FFL? An FFL is required for anyone who wants to engage in the business of manufacturing, importing, or dealing in firearms. I am wanting to be able to begin dealing in firearms so I decided to apply.

So, when the investigator called I was not surprised but I quickly got very nervous at the prospect of someone from the ATF coming to our house. I suddenly felt like the little dog chasing the car and suddenly actually catching it. "Now, what am I going to do?" I thought.

The good news is the inspection went well and I should have my FFL within 6 weeks.

Does this make me a bad dad?

Last night Shelley drove Thing 1 and Thing 2 to her mother's where they will stay for the next 3 days. As I stood in an empty house with the prospect of 3 days of quiet and not having to watch any Curious George episodes, I did a little happy dance around the house.

I will miss the little guys but I am looking forward to the next few days.

Date Night

Shelley and I have recommitted ourselves to having a date night. Tonight was our first one and you ask what we did. Well, the evening started with a wonderful dinner at the food court in the mall. Then we were off to shop for some clothes for Shelley to wear to a funeral tomorrow and we then wrapped it up at Target where we bought panty hose and dish washing detergent.

I'm sorry ladies but I'm taken. If you want a romantic evening like this you will have to talk to your own significant other.

One Man's Ingenuity

Have you ever wondered how they built Stonehenge without modern day machinery? I found this video on A Family Runs Through It. Watch and this guy will show you it might not have been as hard as you would think. I am amazed by this. (If you don't see the video, then come to my blog to view it)

Blogger Block

I've got blogger block. I am hoping that by just putting something down it will open the flood gates of creativity.

Dallas 34, Houston 6

Just a few thoughts on this weekend's Cowboy victory.

Any win is a good win but this was a game they were suppose to win. In fact, they didn't look very good in the first half and if Houston was any good they could have taken advantage of Dallas' sluggishness.

Also, I am hoping the two biggest free agent acquisitions and biggest distractions, T.O and Mike Vanderjagt, are about to settle in. T.O. caught 3 TD passes and Vanderjagt is now the only place kicker on the roster and his kickoffs have been acceptable. I did find it curious, though, that Bill went for it on 4th down during the 3rd quarter when it would have been about a 49 yard field. I wonder if Bill still doesn't have confidence in him.

Finally, it isn't often you can look at your punter as a weapon but Matt McBriar is a real weapon. He had 4 punts for an average of 56 yards with 2 inside the 20 and a long of 75 yards.

This week against the Giants will be a good test of their progress.

The Future's So Bright I have to Wear Shades

My work career has had a series of ups and downs. I have been involved in several mergers which have resulted in "down sizing", "right sizing", and the latest is called a "transformation". I wrote about one incident here.

The first experience I had was back in 1994 when I worked for a bank. Our bank was a small, texas based bank with 5 branches that had been struggling since the late 80's but a larger regional bank had decided to invest $40 million in capital to help us grow. This was exactly what we needed or at least we thought.

To kick this off a breakfast meeting was called and we were all asked to wear our sunglasses because "The future is so bright, we have to wear shades." We also got baseballs that had printed on them "It's a brand new game.". We all soon found out that it might be a brand new game but we weren't going to be on the team. As soon as the check was cashed, the "investment" became an "acquisition" and the layoff started. I have kept that baseball with me for the last 12 years as a reminder of how things can always change.

Well, now I am in the middle of what is being called the "IT Transformation Project" and there will be a lot of things changing which will include the elimination of my position. I will be writing more about this and my upcoming job search.

Darn that E. Coli

I saw this on Bag of Nothing and it made me giggle.

SchoolHouse Rock

Last Christmas I bought Shelley the SchoolHouse Rock DVD that contains all of the episodes. If you aren't aware, SchoolHouse Rock was on Saturday mornings between 1973 and 1985 and it was a series of short cartoons with a catchy song that taught us multiplication, history, grammar, and science. It had episodes like Conjunction Junction, I'm Just a Bill and Three is a Magic Number.

Well, we were happy to see that Seth fell in love with it and he has watched the DVD for endless hours. So, when we saw that SchoolHouse Rock, Live was coming to Casa Manana, we knew we had to go.

Yes, I'll admit it, Shelley and I were more excited that either of the boys. I also don't think it was any surprise that I enjoyed this more than the Elmo or Dragon Tales concerts we went to but I also think it wasn't just a generational issue. I think Seth enjoyed it more than any other event we have attended. He sat on my lap, never took his eyes off of the stage and clapped with vigor after each song. Chase also had a good time but his 1 year old attention span ran out after the intermission.

If you get an opportunity to see Schoolhouse Rock, Live, I highly recommend it.

Marathon Training Update

Another 2 weeks of training are behind me and the marathon is just 62 days away. I ran in a 15 K race this weekend and had a pretty good time. My time was 1 hour 12 minutes which is about a 7 minute 48 sec pace which is almost my goal marathon pace. But, I am nowhere near running that pace for 26 miles but I still have 2 months of training.

Horrible Sports Weekend

A few weeks ago I wrote about My Good Sports Weekend. Well, this weekend is a Horrible Sports Weekend. First, TCU lost a disappointing game to Utah, my fantasy football team is on the verge of losing our first game of the season, but the topper is the Cowboys' loss to Philadelphia.

I can't even bear to think about the Cowboys' game so I'm not going to blog anymore about it.

Four out of Five Isn't Bad

My 3rd post on Dadbloggers is now available.

Read it here.

Skeeter Bag

We are having a problem with mosquitoes and this might be a cheap solution.

See more here. Link

Secret Rooms

I have always wanted to have a secret room in my house. We had a hidden playroom in one house we lived in when I was a kid and it was cool.

Here is a company that makes them.

Here is an article about this new trend.

Poor Customer Communication

I am anal about our credit history. In fact, I pulled Shelley's credit report before I asked her to marry me just to make sure she had everything squared away. So, when Shelley got this notice regarding a credit card she had applied for, I was a little shocked and disturbed.

Thank you for applying for a Citi/AAdvantage American Express account. We regret that we are unable to approve your application at this time. This is because your Citibank account reflects the follow:

You have not complied with the provisions of the Card Agreement on your present account.

A few weeks ago Shelley had called Citibank to find out how to dispute a charge on her Mastercard and when the representative was done she told Shelley she qualified for the AAdvantage American Express and since she had been so helpful, Shelley agreed to take the card.

Fast forward a few days and Shelley loses her AAdvantage Mastercard and calls back to close the account. Then yesterday we receive the above notice.

After about 20 minutes of being on hold, getting transfered, etc. Shelley finally finds out that she didn't get the American Express card because the offer was tied to her original Mastercard. Why couldn't they have just said that? It would have saved everyone a lot of time and effort.

Who To Vote For?

If you are interested in protecting your 2nd Amendment freedoms with this next election then go to the NRA Political Victory Fund. Here you can go put in your zip code and find candidates ranked based on their voting record, public statements and responses to a NRA questionnaire.

In 2004 the NRA-PVF was involved in 265 campaigns for the Senate and House of Representatives and won 254.

Rangers Fire Buck Showalter

The Rangers have fired Buck Showalter, read the story here. I'm not sure how I feel about it because I don't think it is all Buck's fault but that is pro sports. But, Buck hasn't done anything while he is here so it is probably time for a change.

Put Me In Coach

At any given time during one of Seth's soccer game there is a player who doesn't want to go in and play or a player that just stops playing to either get a drink, chase a butterfly or any other possible distraction. But, there is also a player who is always ready to go in and play and that is Chase. Yes, the one year old who thinks he is a three year old. We have to physically hold him back during the games or he will run out onto the field to join the action. He has started practicing around the house by kicking the soccer ball so when the coach does call his number he'll be ready.

Dallas 45, Tennessee 14

Dallas overcame a first drive interception to rout Tennessee 45 - 13.

Overall the team looked good. Terry Glenn had 2 touchdown receptions, T.O. with broken hand and all caught 5 passes for 88 yards and the defense had 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions and a fumble recovery.

But, the one concerning thing is the super cocky kicker, Mike Vanderjagt, missed a 26 yard field goal and his kickoffs were less than stellar. I'm sure Bill is going to be scratching his head on what to do with this kicking situation. He doesn't like taking 2 kickers so next week we may see Suisham. Heck his kickoffs are deeper and I'm sure he could have hit 50% of his field goals this week.

Seth is going to college

Today we went to the University of North Texas' Family Weekend to see where our niece, April, is going to school and to see her dorm room. When we got there Seth was full of all sorts of questions. First he wanted to know why "April isn't living with Uncle Chris anymore." We explained that she was going to college. When we got on campus we told Seth this was college and it was a big school.

Later in the day after getting home Seth declared, "When I get older, I'm going to college."

That is good news to hear...

Who Doesn't Want Freedom?

You don't have to read my blog for long to understand what side of the political isle I sit on. I also have several friends who sit on the opposite side and one of them is a friend of my wife, Jana. In this recent post
the comments turned into a debate over the war in Iraq and how the U.S. are the bad guys according to Jana and many of her readers.

Despite a multitude of things I disagree with, Jana made one comment that just floored me. In response to a comment about the U.S. trying to spread freedom through the world, she said some people don't want freedom. What? Jana is very intelligent and I believe her feelings are shared by many on the left. They don't feel freedom is something people really need or deserve. They really would like to move to more of a socialist society where the government controls our lives.

Our nature is to be free. God created us to be free and it is because sin came into the world that freedom is denied to some not because it is a better way to live.

This is good news to me.

Your Chances of Being a Multimillionaire: 64%

You have a good chance of being a multimillionaire. Better than most people. You simply have a natural knack for money and the personality for success.

Will You Be a Multimillionaire?

How Did We Ever Cook Hotdogs without a Microwave?

For some reason the other day I was thinking about Shelley's Grandmother who is in her 90's now and all of the technology changes she has seen. She grew up to see automobile travel, airplane travel, TV, man on the moon, the internet just to name a few. Will I see such significant changes? Well, here is a list of a few things that I didn't have when I was kid in no specific order.

1. The internet
2. Email
3. Cell phones
4. Text messaging
5. VCR/DVD player (we got our first VCR when I was a freshman in colleg)
6. Microwave (we got our first microwave when I was 13 or so) How did we ever make hotdogs or popcorn?
7. Answering machine
8. Call waiting - Does anyone remember what it was like to call and get a busy signal?
9. Cable TV/Satelite TV - I didn't get cable until I was 24 years old.
10. Home computers.
11. Digital cameras
12. ATM Machines
13. MP3 players

What technologies did we not have when you were a kid?

The NIE Report

Since we are approaching November elections I will probably start having more political post.

And since we are talking politics, I have to address the recently "leaked" NIE report and the conclusions that are being reported by the report. I would challenge anyone to try and not say that the reporting of this five month old report is anything but political.

If you listen only to the main stream media you would be led to believe that the only conclusion that this report had was that the war in Iraq is being used by terrorists as a means of recruiting. I'm not so sure why everyone is shocked by this statement but does it mean we don't need to be fighting the war, I don't think so. I actually think it confirms more the reason to continue with the fight.

Also, what isn't being reported is other statements in the NIE report like "United States led counterterrorism efforts have seriously damaged the leadership of al-Qaida and disrupted its operations.

The NIE report outlines a series of successes and failures in the war on terrorism but all you hear about are the failures.

Also, the main stream media can't have it both ways. The 2002 NIE report stated "Baghdad has chemical and biological weapons as well as missiles with ranges in excess of UN restrictions; if left unchecked, it probably will have a nuclear weapon during this decade."

So, we wrong to make decisions based on the NIE report in 2002 but now in 2006 it is clear that this report has a clear understanding of the situation.

You can read report after report, analysis after analysis but in the end the only thing that matters is results. And to me, the most important result is that since 2001 there has not been a successful terrorists attack against the United States. But, prior we saw act of terrorism after another, including the bombing of the World Trade Center, the destruction of US embassies in Africa and the attack on the US Cole.