Virtual Links

My awesome beautiful caring wife went above and beyond the call of duty last night. For the last ten years, literally, I have been wining about how bad my golf swing is getting because of our choice to live in a place where the term "slice" and "hook" refer to the ways in which someone baits fish, not the tragetory of one's ball flight. Every time I watch golfing on tv or read of my family enjoying the links, I get as blue a baby in cold bath water. So, yesterday my wife asks me out on a date. She knew I was pretty blue because of my good buddy at rustyhinges.com sinking his first hole-in-one. (you should all congratulate him, he won't know who you are but that's ok, something this cool and rare deserves celebration) I wasn't blue for him obviously, but for my own yearnings of striking a ball on the back nine that makes you enjoy life just a little bit more.

So, we head out on our date and Dominique surprises me by taking me to a fully functional computer simulated virtual golf game. There is a guy in our small town that has built a little club house of sorts where he has this simulated virtual set-up. We hit our balls, using real clubs, in to a big computerized screen that would then show your ball traveling through the air, or along the ground, on a real course. Dom and I played the first nine at Pebble Beach. Oh how great it was to make a full swing again, hitting a real ball. The last full swing I made was with my son's plastic clubs in our living room and that ended with everyone wrestling for the oversized plastic golf ball. I was amazed at the realness of the computerized graphics. I felt like Tiger Woods in his Madden 2005 Golf game. When you live on an island with all these fish, escaping to Pebble Beach was just pick me up I needed. Virtual golf is better than no golf right? See you at Pebble.

24 Hours of Yum

"Great fat grams Batman!" 24-hours a day? I'm officially sunk. I'm already waving my white flag. We, Dom-Noah-and myself, just finished supporting the new 24-hour McDonalds drive-thru in Ketchikan @ 10:45 pm. "I think this is going to be trouble Robin." I'll let you know if I awake tomorrow morning. If not, hang on to my McDonald's stock.

Passing it on

One for the video highlights. True story. So I'm sweeping our kitchen floor and I hear three of our four kids bickering over Nanorsaur 2, computer game I have yet to beat my oldest son at. With his fists clenched Noah heads my way to plead his case to dear ol' dad. Being the ever-loving father I am, as well as knowing I need my own time on Nanosaur 2, I hop on my soapbox about sharing and being kind and allowing little bro and sis have their turn. With his arms crossed, tapping his foot, Noah is non too pleased. Ok different tactic. I decide to appeal to his altruistic side. "Noah" I say, "there comes a time in every older brothers life when they need to see themselves as the wisdom hander-downer, the one who hands down the wisdom to their younger siblings." I launch into an inspiring, at least to me, blend of anecdotes and illustrations of the older leading, guiding, teaching and sharing their wisdom about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness to the yearlings; as my brothers did to me concerning kissing girls in the back seat, hitting the right ski jumps, driving without a liscense, shooting free-throws, aiming bee-bee guns, and the proper way to get out of mowing the lawn.

This actually got Noah and I talking all about the role of being an older brother and what it means to have that responsibility, which was truly precise. Noah was not quite sure what to make of all this when his little sis walked in and said, "Dad, can you help me with Nonoso." With a big smile on my face I said, "no, but I know someone who can", looking squarely at Noah. Sissy then says in her cutest 2 year old voice, "Noah, can you help me with Nonoso"? Noah, still with arms crossed looks at me, looks at her, looks back at me, rolls his eyes and says "let me show what I know, it might help." Grabbing his sisters hand he marches her into the compter room and in a flurry of inspiring detailed lessons began his journey as the wise hander-downer.

Recovering from the web flu

I've been abit down and out the past week+; I came down with the stomach flu on Sunday night which had me doubled over praying like a madman. Illness always seems to get me on my knees, in more ways than one, more than anything else. I had had an emotional exhausting week before that so Sunday AM preaching was a bear. Emotionally drained and feeling a bit woozy never makes for inspiring speaking. I was glad to get though it. I've got a repreave this Sunday with our associate pastor taking the helm. Anyway, now that I'm at least able to sit up straight and think a coherent thought(some might differ on that point) I hope to let my little light shine in the greater webshere more. With recinding nominations and indictments looming it ought to be an interesting weekend.

Time for a raise

I read this great article about stay-at-home mothers the other day. The question the article asked was, how much would a mom who stays home make if all of her responsibilities transferred over into the corporate sector. From organizing transportation to teaching correct grammar, what would a comperable salary be for a mom who stays home?

Before I give you the incredible answer, I just finished being a say-at-home dad for one single day, today. Every Tuesday it is just me and the kids, while mom heads off to her various jobs. This particular Tuesday our little guy Simon has been under the weather. His first real illness, a slight fever and lots of... shall we say... used klennex, or Simon Slime, as we call it around these parts. Life, staying/working at home, gets a whole lot tougher when my primary job is holding, rocking, and wiping instead of the zillion other things that my list said I needed to get done. Needless to say, I have just today experienced that knawing tension, between my agenda and my children, even while being home all day. I am not quite sure which won more of my attention? But I do know which won more of my energy. Can my energy go one place while my attention goes another? Just the kind of parent I hoped I would never be, interesting revelation. (* note to self - attention and energy are essencial and powerful partners, don't waist their potential especially when relationships are in the balance.)

We survived today, I think super-Simon feels better, I know he did when mom came walking through the door. So, the answer to the question about a moms salary? $131,000.00 At first I thought this was too high. Not after today. In fact, to me it's obviously too low.

Holy Discontent

I was watching a DVD today of one of my favorite leaders/pastors Bill Hybels and he was talking about leading out of holy discontent. When something (of an injustice) so moves you that you can't help but take action. His examples were David fighting Goliath, Moses killing an Egyptian, and Popeye standing up for Olive Oil. These guys got so upset at the injustice they were watching that leading out and taking action overtook their lives. I am not sure if I have been moved by holy discontent, but I know that God wants leadership out of me. Leadership has always been a part of my life, from watching my Dad lead army soldiers, to leading my own little band of brothers as a tenderfoot scout. There is something that is so inspiring about watching someone lead well; it is really hard to explain. There is also something that moves in my spirit about seeing something led poorly. Maybe that is where my holy discontent happens. When I see leadership that can be done better. I am not sure yet though. But thinking of how holy discontent has impacted my life will be an intersting search.

The Midevil Pretzel

I found myself flat on my back counting ceiling tiles with a heat pack behind my neck today. I was highly anticipating my time with Dr. Davis, my (i mean Dom's) chiropractor. Really, I have been waiting three weeks to have him snap, crack, and get midevil on me. My traveling the past three weeks turned my spine into a pretzel. Actually, before we went to Chicago I had something slip in my neck which made it nearly impossible to look left. I say nearly impossible because when you have 4 kids looking to the left is mandatory every few minutes; I am not sure why but it is for some reason. Next time you are around four tottlers count how many times you look to the left, you'll be suprised. Anyway, Dr. D went the extra mile today and actually had me saying "ouch". Call me crazy but sometimes experiencing acute pain administered in midevil ways really does feel good.

Summer Fun

More great pictures from this summer. Dominique collecting crab dinner, the boys in their mohawks with a hint of blue, and me with the boys getting ready to take off in our friend's helicopter. Summers in Alaska are nothing short of amazing.

Grandpa's Magic

Sorry about my tardiness the last few weeks. Life has been pretty heck-tik/busy. We spent a week in the greater Chicago area with friends and family and then after arriving home for a few days I flew off to Portland for our annual district conference. In Chicago we saw the Blue Man Group. I now have a new appreciation for whole twinkies. Whether a twinie is whole or smushed I think I would still eat it. While in Chicago Grandma and Grandpa watched 3 of our 4. It was all good except for the fact that my clout for being king of kings (no disrespect intended to the big guy) has been tarnished. Grandpa is now king of the roost. First of all, the boys now view him as the master fisherman, which I'll agree is probably true; but secondly and more difficult to admit he has become the greatest airplane maker in the history of Noah and Brock's universe. Funny how my planes and Grandpa's planes are make exactly the same, yet his fly longer, straighter, and with perceived fire coming out of their jets. The magic of being Grandpa. The boys are still scratching their heads about grandpa's magic hat. Life is good, and the kids are better.