Tidbits - rewind and revisit

Eight years ago, I had an idea for a blog post - dismayed by the abysmal cabinet Diaper-Don assembled for his first term. The business of life and parenthood overshadowed the thoughts I had about the potential post so it was a plan with no execution. A lot has happened in the two presidential terms since then. Other ideas percolated and faded into the fuzziness of incomplete and half baked notions, haunting my cranium for frequent contemplation. Back then, I thought the tangerine tyrant’s cabinet was the worst possible collection of unqualified and incompetent individuals to ever disgrace the White House. The events of the last six months have proven me wrong. The sentient Cheeto’s current cabinet makes his original group of advisors look like sober genius patriotic saints in comparison. This newness of lower lows in politics has rekindled inspiration from the murky depths of previous designs.

Needless to say my typing fingers have been busy. The project I had originally thought to be a single blog post or two has grown. Burgeoned. Ballooned. Expanded. Exponentialized. It has bred with other unmaterialized concepts and decided it was gonna go big or hibernate. I’m in the middle of composing the eighth part and have no clue how far it’ll go. But it is going somewhere.

This is not the only big thing I’m working on either. I’m editing and revising the first 1500 words of “Only for a Day” (my superhero/pandemic science fiction novel) to enter it into a contest. This work in progress is more commercially viable than my first book so I have high hopes. Even if I don’t succeed in the contest, I’m looking forward to querying the final product as soon I get to that phase.

In the meantime, I wanted to throw out a quick update since it will be a while before I post any new content. It’s also June, practically halfway through the year and a good time to revisit my new year’s resolution: take more hikes, read more books, and watch more movies.

Well, I’ve only gone on one hike. Technically that’s more than I completed last year but there’s still room for improvement. The other two parts are more successful. So far I’ve watched 25 new (or new to me) movies and read five books. I know the latter number isn’t that impressive but compared to last year it’s a win. Not included in my January declaration is a goal to attend more live shows (comedy/theater/music) of which I’ve seen four so far with a fifth happening tonight.

A full list will be provided at the end of the year. Until then, here’s a brief preview.
Least favorite movie so far: Blink Twice.
Favorite movie so far: The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.
Least favorite book so far: We Ate the Dark by Mallory Pearson.
Favorite book so far: Hip-Hop Is History by Questlove.
Lease favorite performance: Seether.
Favorite performance: Steve Hofstetter.

With that said, I’m headed back into the writer’s lab. Things to do, words to type, and ideas to solidify. Happy escapism my friends.

The Spring of Babies

You would think with stay at home orders in place, we’d have an abundance of time. This may be true of many people but life at our house abides by a different set of rules where conventional logic does not apply. Despite working from home, I’ve found myself busier than normal, some of it planned and the rest beyond my control. So, what’s keeping me tied up?

1. Health issues. This is the biggest deviation from the norm. I’ve had two major hospitalizations in the last couple months, one non-invasive surgery and one major operation. I was immobile for most of a week during the second trip to the hospital and I’ve been in recovery since. I’m moving more and getting better but still have another big surgery coming up in the near future. Consider this an unexpected detour.

2. Bunnies. We got some angora rabbits to make wool. Those two angoras made more angoras. They gave us kits and now we have a fluffle of fluffy fluffers that will melt your heart. Warning, they have claws. Seriously though, these little balls of fur have been the kids' favorite part of farming this spring.

3. Baby goats. We have four does and two bucks. We let them mingle for a few weeks last October. Come winter it was obvious we had four pregnant goats. After five months, the four moms birthed a total of eight kids. Eight tiny, bouncing, and adorable lil goats. Extra hay and extra grain during barn chores and milking the moms as their babies eat less from them.

4. Chicks. We’ve had three rounds of baby chicks, two purchased one the final one hatched in our incubator. It takes a surprising amount of attention and effort to keep those little feather nuggets alive.

5. Puppies. At 10:30 on the night I got home from the hospital, our very pregnant mastiff went into labor. Baby number two was born at 1:30 the next morning. Nine hours later, her last baby arrived. We have six mastiff puppies nursing with their mom. Six loud eaters. Six miniature giants whining as they begin teething. Six future Armageddon dogs. They’re lucky they’re cute because without the cute factor, the combination of sleep deprivation and noise could drive one to desperate measures.

6. Violet. It’s not just baby animals keeping life at the farm interesting. We also have a child of our own on the way. A baby girl, the fifth (and final) addition to the McCasey family. You know what that means? Shopping. Lots of shopping. Doctor appointments too. Also, shopping. It’s a challenge considering how many stores are closed due to the pandemic. But shop we must because come September, baby Violet is going to need some clothes and a place to sleep. And diapers. So many diapers.

I hope that covers it. It’s a chaotic season full of life and excitement. There’s also an abundance of babies at Heartsong Meadow. Sometimes, it’s hard to keep them all straight. So many new names to remember. And if you're interested in acquiring your own baby (of the four legged variety) let me know.

Tidbits

In my life, I’ve been told I have a few famous look-alikes. In no particular order, I have been compared to Billy Corgan, an older Mark Hamill, Drew Carey, and the Pillsbury Doughboy.

This week, a coworker discovered another celebrity twin for me. Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember his name.

“I saw your doppelgänger this weekend.” She told me. “He was on TV and I thought, wow, he looks just like Nic Casey, but without a mowhawk.”

Note, I don’t have a mowhawk. It’s a fauxhawk. Semantics.

She confirmed it was an actor on TV, but not any of those I listed above. She couldn’t recall what show he was in, just that he looked like me if I had a normal haircut. So I’m clueless. If you know who it might be, let me know.

---

“Dad,” it was Chloe. She had a question. “You know the Shawn Mendes song If I Can’t Have You?”
“Yeah.”
“The line, where he says he can’t drink without thinking about you, how does he know drinking alcohol makes him think of someone if he’s not old enough to drink?”
“Um, because he’s old enough.”
“No he’s not, he’s 20.”
I did a quick Google search to verify Mendes is indeed 20 years old.
“How do you know Shawn Mendez’s age.”
“Because I know things, Dad.”
“Well, he’s old enough to drink in Canada, maybe he’s from Canada.” Another Google search confirmed the singer is from Toronto.

Phew, saved by geography and Canadian law.

---

Summertime is rodeo season. And baseball season. As a result, we’re a busy household.

The girls competed in two different rodeos this weekend, one in Davenport, and a second in Spokane. We’re hosting a graduation party for Annie’s nephew tomorrow and Josiah’s first baseball game is on Tuesday followed by team pictures on Wednesday.

In addition to all this activity, we both have full time jobs, a farm to maintain, and a house to keep clean. We live at a frenetic pace. While lamenting the hectic schedule ahead of us, Annie asked if we were ever going to get a chance to breathe. I gave her the most accurate answer I could imagine.

---

Did you know cows can jump? And not just a little hop, but jump over barriers higher than the top of their head?

Yeah, neither did I.

We had a bit of an adventure this morning. A total of five cows escaped from two adjoining properties in the neighborhood. Christian and I were on our way to the store when we encountered a blockade on our street. A few local cowboys in a couple of trucks and at least one quad were blocking driveways and partially obstructing the road while a half dozen men were running around with lassos and ropes. I followed their gaze to the target of their attention; a trio of bulls were running free and causing chaos in the yard a couple properties south of our house.

Then I saw an unimaginable sight, one of the bulls jumped the fence. It wasn’t graceful in any form. It nearly tangled itself in the electric wire. I don’t know if the fencing was hot, if it was the bull didn’t care. He progressed across our neighbor’s yard straight toward our fence line. I parked the van and hopped out in hopes to help contain the beast so the owners could retrieve it. The fence between us and our neighbor is chain link and the fence is taller than the bull, so I thought it was adequately trapped with no way out.

This is him, in the corner of our neighbor’s property, moments before he jumped into our front yard. I didn’t think it was possible. Even after witnessing the bovine acrobatics in person, my brain wants to deny it ever happened – as if it would be more believable for the cow to have phased through solid matter as if the fence didn’t exist, than it would be for the bull to leap over the top like a high jump event in the Cattle Olympics.

I drove into the back pasture with a whip, thinking I could corral it back toward our front gate, onto the road, and into the ropes of his pursuers. Instead, he slipped through the electric wires at the back of our land, a stretch of fencing we just completed a couple months ago. Then it happily pranced away out of view and away from our pasture. While there, I talked to the owner of two of the five escapees. She filled me in on the full story: the location of the three bulls where known, but a heifer and calf where missing. The five animals busted out together but had separated. They had been running loose for about an hour by the time I got involved and I have no idea how much longer before all were contained and returned to their own fields.

On my second attempt at grocery shopping, I pulled along the side of a truck parked in the middle of our road. The driver was an older farmer with an exasperated expression. I asked if he was a part of the crew looking for the cows and he nodded. I wished him luck to which he responded, “It’s not the first time they got out, and it won’t be the last.”

Wait.

Not the first time? So this has happened before?

Wait, what? (a Thanksgiving post)

As I sat down today, the eve of Thanksgiving, I realized something. I haven't posted anything since the end of October. Wait, what? This month has flown by and we've been a little busy. Pictured below is a clear example of me not being busy.

All joking aside, the last few weeks have been an onslaught of activity. Changes at my day job have ensured I never lack a task in need of doing. New animals on the farm equal extra work at home. And we're doing a remodel project. Wait, what? This geek has been learning construction methods as we add two bedrooms so the kids can all have their own space.

What does that mean for The Faithful Geek? Well, not much other than the crickets chirping in cyberspace. It means I've been hustling from the moment my morning alarm blares until I crawl back into bed. It means I haven't had as much time for reading or writing - and what I have written hasn't been published. It's coming though. My hiatus isn't permanent and I have something fun planned, a return to my nerdy calling. Until then, enjoy your Turkey Day.

Wait, what? Don't worry, that's Uno and she is not Thanksgiving dinner. She's still running around Heartsong Meadow like she owns the place. Besides, I prefer eating ham.

Movies, Mahnke, & Money

If you order DVDs through Netflix, old school style, they are delivered in fancy red envelopes. Open it up, watch the movie, insert back into the envelope, and return through mail. Fairly simple. Inside the envelopes, they promote various contests or upcoming events, usually seasonally related. However, the most current contest confused my oldest child.

"This doesn't make any sense." Christian said. I asked him what he meant and he explained, "Why would you bring movies with you if you were going to be stranded on a deserted island? Wouldn't you rather bring some survival supplies? If I was stranded on an island, I'd be more focused on living and getting back home than watching my favorite movies. Besides, what are you going to watch them on? Your laptop? And how long do you expect your battery to last? It's not like there's a TV there. Or electricity. Unless there are other people on the island and they have a TV you can use. But then you wouldn't be stranded. This is ridiculous."

I want to say he was overthinking things. Taking it too literally. After all, it is only a silly contest. But he does have a good point.

---

One of my current favorite podcasts is called Lore. Hosted by novelist Aaron Mahnke, Lore dives into the true origins behind ghost stories, monsters of legend, and modern mythology. I crave a good story and Lore is overflowing with greatness. The show is fascinating, and Mahnke's voice is near hypnotic. My off-kilter timbre landing somewhere on the spectrum between Mickey Mouse and Eeyore is jealous. Beyond his podcast, Mahnke is also an entertaining personality to follow on Twitter. He is witty, intelligent, and articulate. His bias is clear but not in a way to elevate himself as better than anyone else.

Last week, Mahnke went on a tweet spree. This series of tweets cemented his place on my list of people I want to meet some day. Note: this was all in response to people complaining he was "too political."

I used to hope that society could evolve into something more equitable and fair, but perhaps our flaws are too deeply embedded in our core.

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) July 28, 2017

I thought we were moving forward. I thought we were creating a society where you are valuable just because you are here.

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) July 28, 2017

Instead, things outside our control determine our worth in the eyes of the people who rule us. Our race, our gender, our color. It's sick.

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) July 28, 2017

Enough people actually believe in these lies that we can hear their voice shouting over the crowd, and it's disgusting and horrifying.

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) July 28, 2017

All of a sudden, raising my children to believe that everyone is equal and deserves the same opportunities is somehow counter-cultural.

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) July 28, 2017

How the hell did we get here? How did we allow fear to creep in and become the engine that drives us? I thought we were better than this.

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) July 28, 2017

We've made it about faith, or color, or gender, or orientation, when it should simply be about the value of a human being.

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) July 28, 2017

I get it. They want us to shut up. They want us to accept the hate, swallow the pill, & play along. They want us to bend over.

Screw that.

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) July 28, 2017

I'm not here to be silent. I'm not here to say it's OK by not saying anything at all. I'm here to say political, uncomfortable things.

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) July 28, 2017

Don't like it when I speak out about how every person deserves to be treated the same? Then get off the train. I'm driving; not you.

— Aaron Mahnke (@amahnke) July 28, 2017

Reading through his rant, I wanted to jump up and down, throw my fists in the air, and shout, "Me too!" Check out Mahnke on Twitter and do yourself a favor, listen to Lore.

---

Whoever thought that chipped debit cards was a good idea should be fired from their job. Then rehired so they can be fired again. And they should be banned from working in research and development at any company - especially banks. Some people have good ideas. That person is not one of them.

I'd rather swipe my card. I hate those chip readers. Loathe them. They've made spending money more complicated than it needs to be. But this is the world we live in now. Yay for progress.

This is how a real transaction transpires:
"Please swipe or insert card." *swipes card*
"Chip enabled, please insert card." *inserts card*
*waits*
"Do not remove card"
*waits*
"Do you want cash back?" *no*
*waits*
"Please enter your PIN number" *enters PIN*
*waits*
"Do not remove card"
*waits*
"Do not remove card"
*waits*
"Do not remove card"
*waits*
"Please remove your card now." *removes card and machine beeps*
"Thank you for shopping with us, have a nice day.

This is how every transaction feels:
"Please swipe or insert card." *swipes card*
"Swiping not available. Ha ha. Fooled you. Insert card." *inserts card*
"Do not remove card." *waits*
"No, seriously, don't remove your card." *waits*
"Don't even think about removing your card." *waits*
"Don't do it, bad stuff will happen." *waits*
"Do you want cash back?" *no*
"You're thinking about removing your card, aren't you?" *no*
"If you do it, I will break you."
"Please enter your PIN number" *enters PIN*
"Do not remove card." *waits*
"Do not remove card." *waits*
"Because if you do, it will disrupt the process." *waits*
"Do you want to start this process over? DO YOU???" *no*
"Then don't remove your card." *waits*
"Remove your card. DO IT NOW! Hurry up. What is wrong with you?" *panics, grabs receipt instead of card*
"What are you doing?" *removes card as an air raid siren starts whirring*
"It's about time. Thank you, come again."

Status Check: Tidbits

You might see a bit of a slow down in the number of my blog posts over the next couple months. For a multitude of reasons.

1. It's summer and the kids are keeping me busy. They're spending most of their time at a day camp while I'm at the office. After I pick them up, the activity continues. JJ is playing baseball again this summer. I'm spending some quality time with each of them. And I am still trying to make Saturdays our adventure day. Most nights, by the time we get home, we cook dinner and start bed time routines.

2. I'm busy trying to get school done. It is more work than I anticipated, but it is the good kind of work. One recent class required the weekly assignments to be written as blog entries which was easy for me to figure out since that's what I do. In case you missed them, you can find those posts here, here, here, here, and here.

3. I've also written a couple articles for the parenting site They Call Me Dad. My second contribution was posted today and you should go read it. The first was published in April; you should read it too.

4. Speaking of writing, I am hustling to complete the first draft of my book. There is a lot of research going on and I want to have something that I can begin to share by the end of the year. In order for that to happen, I have to work my butt off. I'm roughly 20% through the project and I am more excited about it than anything I've ever written.

My temporary work-space. Note: Wendy's is not paying me to promote them, but I wouldn't object if they did.

5. Not everything in my life is about kids and work. I have been spending a lot of time with a wonderful woman and on Sunday we will be celebrating a year together. Thankfully, she supports my ambitions and encourages me to write, which makes everything else I talked about in this post so much easier.

That should summarize the state of life at The Faithful Geek. A five-for-Friday post on a Monday. As I start my 13th year of blogging, I am so grateful for those of you who regularly read along, for those of you who geek out with me, and for the few of you who periodically disagree with what I have to say. You have made it possible for me to enjoy something that I never imagined doing: to call myself a writer.

Thank you for sticking around. When my fingertips are not busy plucking out words and sentences and paragraphs for school, guest posts, or my work in progress, you will continue to find my thoughts about what it is like to be a Christian, a dad, and a nerd in this bizarre and beautiful world. Until then, do me a favor and click on an ad or two. It will make my oldest son happy.

tidbits

Summer has finally arrived. It is here in full force with oppressive heat and humidity, smokey skies from a few different wildfires burning in Central Washington, and the power of a couple electrical storms that have blown through town in the last week.

It is the anti-school season but that doesn't mean we're taking it easy. The kids have been spending their days in a day camp at a local church and I've been hustling between my day job, my manuscript, college, church, playing with the kids, and spending time with my girlfriend. We are embracing the busy. In the meantime, here are a few snapshots of what life is like in the Casey household.

---

JJ

While doing laundry, J noticed the Nike logo on one of my shirts. He's my athlete (and is currently playing rec-league baseball) so he recognizes those things.

"My favorite brand of shoes," he said, "are Nike and Airwalks."
"Yeah?" I replied. "My favorites are Adidasand Vans."
"Oooooh, I like those too. So my favorites are Nike, Airwalks, Adidas, and Vans."
Then I add in another. "Converse makes good shoes. I'd love to get a pair of Chuck Taylors."
"Yeah." JJ stared into space for a moment. "OK, Nike, Airwalks, Adidas, Vans, and Converse. Those are the shoes I like best. Oh, and Under Armour."

Apparently, he has a thing for shoes.

---

Zu

We spent the Saturday before Father's Day downtown for the annual Car d'Lane car show and auction. Zu found several cars that she liked or she thought were pretty. But of all of them, there's only one she said she would want to own. This Audi. My girl has expensive, and classy taste.

---

Christian

It should be obvious that my oldest is mine. Genetics is a faithful servant. He looks like I did at his age. He inherited my awful coordination and lack of sporty skill. He got my intelligence (although, his mom is exceedingly smart too). And he shares my enthusiasm for all sorts of geekery.

With that in mind, he surprised me when he told about his preferred living arrangement. He said nothing about the size of home. He didn't mention anything about having to share a room with his brother or wanting his own space. Nor did he specify a city, state, or country.

All he said: "I don't want to live close to any neighbors." He's been spending time at his mom's boyfriend's parent's home up north of us. They live on acreage in the middle of the woods. He always has fun there and I think he is growing fond of the idea of shooting targets, building tree-houses, seeing wildlife, and the freedom to wander and explore.

He also told me that if I ever moved onto a large property with a big yard, he would do all the mowing. I'm going to hold him to that promise.

---

Me

Christian isn't the only one warming up to the idea of a country lifestyle. My girlfriend owns a couple horses and has been trying to get me out to see them. This weekend, we finally made it happen. I've always enjoyed riding but growing up in the Seattle suburbs, the opportunity to do so was rare. Then, Sunday evening, I found myself on Roxy, riding late into the night. And for the first time in my life, I was in complete control of where we went, rather than following a guide.

One of the friends riding with us said I looked natural on a horse. Well? I could get used to this.

In absentia

This place feels neglected. Somewhere along the way, I lost momentum. My head has been functioning with a series of idioms, proverbs, song lyrics, and silly clichés. For example: When it rains it pours. Which might be my unintentional theme for 2016.

Not that I am letting it bring me down. I am busy convincing myself that life goes on and I just need to keep my head up. It's not the end of the world. We've got to hold on to what we got, it doesn't make a difference if we make it or not. I got two choices when I do this - make moves or make excuses. Always look on the bright side of life. ***

Yet, while I have been away and allowing cobwebs to gather around the corners of this blog, life has consisted of more than me listening to Eye of the Tiger to psyche myself up and bingewatching motivational TED Talks. (Although, I have admittedly engaged in both of those activities.)

The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and near acrobatic juggling of schedules. Between the kids being on spring break, plotting and preparing for the looming threat of summer vacation, the onset of warmer and sunnier weather and the adjustment to wearing shorts again, hanging out with friends and getting a jump start on our summer bucket list, beginning a new workout plan, crunching lots of math (yay budgets), consuming my spare time with biblical study and reading my way through the stack of Dean Koontz books my folks sent me last fall, and trying to figure out the best way to cook chicken and rice (my current favorite is steaming some spinach with the rice) ... writing has not been on my mind. And that is OK. Because in this mad season, I have been blessed to spend a lot of quality time with three of my favorite humans on this planet.

I could complain. And often I find myself doing just that. But realistically, I have no real reason to whine.


*** And in case you missed it, my trio of lyrical references were from Bon Jovi's Livin' on a Prayer, Andy Mineo's You Can't Stop Me, and Monty Python's Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. You're welcome.

Adventures in Public Restrooms

Today, I watched some dude wash his hands by quickly alternating each hand (palms flat, fingers outstretched) underneath the faucet while rotating his entire upper torso in rhythm with his arms as if he was trying to increase the velocity of each swing toward his target. Left, right, left, right, left. It was like he was attacking the water with the most ferocious karate chop he could muster.

This continued until all of the soap suds had been rinsed free.

It should be mentioned I waited until he was done practicing his ninja skills before stepping up to the adjacent sink to wash my hands. It seemed prudent to avoid collateral spray from his flailing appendages; I prefer to be completely dry when exiting public restrooms.

U is for Updates

Last November, I shared a bit of the high wire act of parenting an aspie, balanced between victories and heartaches. In that post, I mentioned hope. And reasons to hope. There was an important source of hope that I left out of that previous quirky blog entry: people.

Over the past year, I have waded into a supportive community that has breathed new life into my existence of a dad leading a son on the spectrum. Some of these are ASD parents like myself. Some of them are grown adults living and thriving with Aspergers. I am privileged to count these people as friends, despite not having met most of them face to face. Sometimes, gifts of hope come in two dimensions. Among them:

Nate Pruitt: author, pastor, father, an a kindred spirit. I cannot wait until the day that I can sit down and share a meal with this guy. He's been a voice of encouragement and occasional comic relief, and I hope that I have been the same for him.
David Dollar: This man makes me rethink my self-claimed title of pop-culture junkie. I know movies; he knows them better. David is the only person that I can think of that loves watching movies more than I do. And you can see that reflected in his blog. He also has a little boy on the spectrum. While he doesn't frequently blog about his son, when he does, it is incredibly sweet and moving.
Tom (Adventures in Aspergers): Finding this blog was an accident. A link passed along in a facebook group. But this guy is the kind of dad that I want to be when I grow up. Hip, snarky, involved, and he takes Asperger parenting to a level to which we should all aspire.
Erin McKinney: When Erin passed through town on her way to Seattle last summer, she dropped off a gift for Christian: a book about a kid with Aspergers who is trying to solve a missing persons mystery. While reading it, Christian kept on pointing out how much he's just like the main character. Erin gave the perfect gift and showed unbelievable yet simple generosity for a 10 year old she had never met. I also had a lot of fun talking to her, giving her tips about great places to see and hang out while she was in Seattle. In return, she painted a portrait of what life could be like for my son in another 10 to 15 years. She has found her passion and was getting ready to start an internship. Since then, she's found a dream job. She struggles with typical aspie issues, but she's developed coping mechanisms and is a never ending fount of tips and motivation.
Matthew Baldwin/Defective Yeti: This Seattleite has been one of my favorite bloggers for years. His writing output has slowed in recent times, but he still throws out something frequently enough to make it interesting. Some of his most compelling posts are about his son. He also provided the most convincing explanations of how Autism affects everyone differently, which makes support and treatment challenging as each kid needs something that is as unique as them. In October of 2013, he spent an entire month writing about his son, Autism, and parenting. If you have a kid on the spectrum, or if the child of someone you love is on the spectrum, this is essential reading: A Month of Son.

The lesson I'm learning here is that I'm not alone. Neither is my son. There are so many out there who know what it is like to be us, who know what we're going through, and sometimes navigating those trials right along side us.

---

Remember how I predicted that this Christmas would probably be the most difficult one I have ever experienced? Well, I was wrong. Woefully and graciously incorrect. It began with meeting a girl named Chris, and her boyfriend (also named Chris), through a social hangout. That stranger enlisted an army of strangers to make sure that myself (and a handful of other mutual friends and acquaintances) knew that we were loved and not forgotten. She played the role of Saint and Santa, and the best gift of all is a framed picture of my three kids that is now sitting on my desk at work.

Then my brother came to visit. That alone was enough to make Christmas bright. I miss having him around - to go with him to concerts and hockey games, or to talk for hours about bands that no one has ever heard of, or to devise epic pranks to play on our dad. But then he surprised me with my Christmas gift, one that made my load a little lighter. Aaron has served a lot of roles over the yearsL big brother, bodyguard, best friend. This year, he was a champion. I don't say this enough, but my brother is freaking awesome.

What I thought was going to be the worst Christmas actually turned out to be one of my best Christmases ever.

---

We are now a solid month into the new 2015. If you look to the right side of my blog, you'll see some updated links in my blogroll. Unless you're reading from a smartphone, in which case you can ignore this completely. There is one other addition there - a link to The Faithful Geek on Facebook. I would be grateful if you followed me there. It's a quick and easy way to know when I write something new. But It's also an outlet for the geeky stuff I find around the web.

Redundancy

Did you know:


The words venue and event come from the come from the same root word?

That means anyone who calls a building an "events venue" is being redundant.

Feeling naked at work and other tidbits

Yesterday, I walked out the front door without my wallet or my checkbook. I didn't realize it until after I was at my office. About lunch time, I recognized an emptiness in my back pocket that is not usually there. So today, I made extra effort sure I had my wallet and my checkbook when I left for work. However, I forgot my phone. I intended to take a break to run home and get it, but that break never happened. A full day at work with out my phone.

I felt naked.

It's weird what technology has done to us. When I was in high school, I felt naked when I wasn't wearing a hat. Now, I feel naked when this rectangular object made from aluminum, glass, and circuitry isn't with me.

When I was a kid, the phone was attached to the wall, now it fits in my pocket. When I was in high school, I had a walkman with me everywhere I went. I now have an iPhone to play and make music. I used to have a heavy TV/VCR combo and the original Playstation. Now I watch TV, watch movies, and play video games on my phone. It's my camera and video camera. It's my planner. My Bible. My calculator. My encyclopedia. My cookbook. My flashlight. My comic book collection. My guitar tuner. I use it to make spreadsheets, write blog posts, track my weight loss, discover celestial constellations, and keep in touch with friends and family. The me from twenty years ago would geek out over the power I now usually carry around with me.

Except today. Today, I was phone free. Today, I felt naked.

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Also today...

A coworker walked into my office, set this big thing on my desk, said "Merry Christmas," then turned around and walked out.

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While talking with one of the girls on my team, I was discussing improved time management. I was attempting to explain that everyone wastes a little bit of time from janitors to CEOs. Researchers believe that little breaks are mentally healthy for us and that's why we have smoke breaks and lunch breaks built into the typical work day.

But when I said, "Everybody wastes time," she responded, "That sounds like a book."

"It is a website, but not a book." I said.

She didn't accept that answer. She said, "It sounds like a book - 'Everyone Poops.' You could totally write a book like that, just call it 'Everyone Wastes Time.'"

Scary movies

It seems Netflixs thinks the documentary about Snoop Dogg Lion's pilgrimage to Jamaica and his transformation into a reggae artist is a horror movie - recommended for people who enjoyed the most recent Silent Hill movie.

Tidbits

Religion

What if God didn't cause Hurricane Sandy as a punishment to the heathens (AKA liberals) along the East Coast. What if He allowed it to see if those that claim to be Christians would demonstrate love and compassion in the wake of the storm. If the latter is true, are we as Christians living up to the values we profess?

Politics

The only person in the world that is capable of governing this nation the way that I think it should be ran is me. No president ever will measure up to my standards. I will never agree with every policy of any president. There will always be a member of a presidential cabinet that I think is unqualified to hold that appointed position. No matter how likable the president is, I will believe that my ideas are better. And if by some strange twist of fate I were to become president, I won't measure up to everyone else's standards. Someone out there will believe that I'm doing everything wrong, that my policies are worthless, and that they would be a better president.

Be honest, you could take me out of that above paragraph and replace it with you. The only person qualified to run the USA the way you think a president should is you. I think this nation would be much happier if everyone lived and voted with that understanding.

Holidays

I was a priest for Halloween. Or, rather, I wore all black with a white priest's collar that a coworker made for me. Most of my coworkers appreciated the look. A few laughed. And more than one said I make a convincing pastor.

There was one odd remark. An employee - whom I've never met before - passed me in the stairwell and gave me a dirty look. "What, are you making fun of Catholics now?" She asked.

I couldn't help but think of the half dozen women in our office that dressed up like witches. Were they mocking Wiccans?

Noshember

November has arrived, which means No-Shave November started yesterday. I shaved everything off Halloween night so that I could start the month with a fresh slate. Yesterday, some of my team members commented on how boyish I looked without facial hair. Today, my face feels like sandpaper.

Any one else observing No-Shave November?

NaNoWriMo

It is also NaNoWriMo - or National Novel Writing Month. This is the month where crazy people write an entire novel in 30 days.

I'm not brave enough to participate but even if I was, I wouldn't have the time to devote to that much writing. However, my sister-in-law is participating. If you live in the Boise area, buy her a coffee. She'll need it. And make sure to buy her debut novel when it comes out in February.

Tidbits

Need a break?

A friend or coworker just returned home from vacation and you ask them, "How was it?" Their response: "I need a vacation from my vacation."

Sound familiar? It seems the American way is to cram so much activity and excitement into our vacations that you return more energetically diminished than after a typical week at home and work.

Our recent family excursion is a bit unique in that respect.

First, this trip we made to Cheyenne was fairly laid back. This is the first I have ever returned from a week of paid time off relaxed and refreshed. By the time well pulled into our driveway last Saturday, I was ready to launch back into my regular routine.

Furthermore, this is the first time that I actually get to take a vacation from my vacation. We got home from Cheyenne last weekend, and we're taking a weekend road trip to Seattle next weekend.

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Input Overload

Speaking of too much activity and excitement, that's how Christian feels.

While in Wyoming, Christian met more family members than he knew existed, learned from my genealogist grandfather that we're descendants of John Alden, and got a four generation family tree drawn out that detailed every member of the Budd family from my grandparents down through my cousins and our kids.

We spent an afternoon at Children's Village, exploring the gardens and fountains; learning about aerodynamics, solar power, and wind power; and using the hands on demonstrations of waterwheels and Archimedes' screw. The next day, we split our afternoon between the Wyoming State Museum and the Cheyenne public library.

By the time we were done, Christian had had his fill of mental stimuli. He could not handle any more. He even told us that we were stuffing too much into his brain.

"I've learned so much stuff," he said, "my brain is full."

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Something isn't right

Being home means that I have resumed my normal schedule. However, that normalcy includes staying up far too late and leaving for work before anyone else in my house wakes up.

I don't care who you are, such a lifestyle will catch up with you. It caught up with me this week.

When I arrived at work, I parked my green Ford Explorer under a tree along the back fence. When I left work, I tried to get into a green Ford Explorer parked under a tree along the back fence, but the key would not unlock the door. Wrong green Ford Explorer parked under a different tree.

I went to bed early after that.

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Fall of grace

I wouldn't describe myself as clumsy, but I do have my moments. Lacking in rhythm? Yes. A complete inability to dance? Yes. Uncoordinated? Maybe. But a klutz? Not usually.

But I do have moments of ungraceful greatness. Earlier this week, I overstepped the final carpeted step before the stairway tops out at hardwood floors. I stumbled and fell up the stairs. In the process, I managed to stub toes on both feet (I was barefoot at the time) and bang both of my shins - all on the same wooden transition strip between the carpet and hardwood. Then I landed flat on my face.

Yes, I am that talented.

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Apt analogy

About my utter lack of dancing skills... When explaining my mad dance moves to a coworker, I compared myself to a fat kid with tourettes being chased by a swarm of angy wasps through an obstacle course.

You don't believe me? Sorry, I am not going to shake my groove thing in public just to prove that I dance like a penguin with two broken legs and a severe case of vertigo. I prefer to embarrass myself in the privacy of my own home.

tidbits

Be Very Afraid

While on our way to church my youngest son asked, "What would happen if a zombie pushed someone into a bush?"

Either I'm the coolest parent ever, or I'm doing something horribly wrong.

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Third Time's a Charm

Bekah sent me to get her a McDonald's breakfast this morning. The conversation I had with the drive through order taker is as follows:

McD's girl: "Welcome to McDonald's please order whenever you're ready."
Me: "I'd like an Egg McMuffin meal with a large Dr Pepper."
McD's girl: "So that's a large Dr Pepper and two breakfast burritos."
Me: "No... Not burritos. An Egg McMuffin meal."
McD's girl: "I'm sorry. So I have two Egg McMuffin meals and a large Dr Pepper."
Me: "No! One Egg McMuffin meal with a large Dr Pepper."
McD's girl: "Oh..."

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Tangible Security

We had a security system installed this weekend, which is nice as it will give us a discount in our homeowner's insurance. Bekah will also appreciate a little peace of mind when I'm away for a business trip or a youth event.

But no piece of technology is perfect, which we discovered Tuesday night when a false alarm was tripped. No one was home at the time so we didn't yet know it was false. The police were dispatched to our property, got the keys from Bekah, and entered our home with guns drawn. JJ and Zu got to see the action first hand. Unfortunately, Christian and I were at karate practice and missed the adventure.

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Intangible Security

Our kids have struggled with emotional insecurity. Zu has attachment issues. Christian has Aspergers. JJ is, well, he's Bamm-Bamm. We've coped and managed and done our best to help our kids thrive. Despite our efforts, we had a child or two (and sometimes three) climb into our bed during the wee hours of most mornings. Zu would usually be awake when I left for work at 5:40am, and she would sometimes be joined by at least one of her brothers.

But there is something to be said for having your own space.

Since moving into the new house, all three kids have slept through the night. Not once have they crawled into bed with Bekah and me. And they have still been asleep every morning when I left for work.

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Silence

It gets very quiet in our new house. We've made the deliberate decision to forgo cable TV services so we've eliminated that source of background noise. We're no longer living in generational housing, so there's no sounds of the in-laws floating up from the basement.

Nothing. Just silence. It is going to take a while to get used to that.

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Fortunate Son

Me: "Christian, after dinner, what are you supposed to do?"
Christian: "Go take a shower."
Me: "Good, thank you."
Christian: "Dad, I got a fortune today."
Me: "From a fortune cookie?"
Christian: "Yes. It said I would have my best thought while in the shower this week."

When he got out of the shower, he told me that the fortune was true because he had the most amazing thought ever.

tidbits

Keeping the ego in check

Consider this scenario: your kid asks you for your age. They scream when you answer them. That happened to me last night.

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Five in the morning

There is a conspiracy afoot, one where the universe is preventing me from sleeping in past 5am. Something keeps waking me about 4:50 every morning. Yesterday, it was the sound of heavy rain followed by the panicked realization that I left my car's windows down over night. Today it was the incessant clucking of our neighbor's chickens.

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Two more work days to go

At this time in three days, Bekah and I will be chilaxing without the kids somewhere in Leavenworth. We have much planned and the more we look at opportunities, the more I am amazed how any single town can cram so much awesome into 1.3 square miles.

Five for Friday: tidbits

I had to get some blood drawn on Wednesday. Is it weird that I was reading Bram Stoker’s Dracula while waiting on the phlebotomist to stick a needle in my arm? As for the classic novel, I have a new favorite literary quote: “For so surely as we live, that scar shall pass away when God sees right to lift the burden that is hard upon us. Till then we bear our Cross, as His Son did in obedience to His Will. It may be that we are chosen instruments of His good pleasure, and that we ascend to His bidding as that other through stripes and shame. Through tears and blood. Through doubts and fear, and all that makes the difference between God and man.”

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Speaking of phlebotomy, I have bad veins. It took two phlebotomists and multiple pokes to find a usable vein. There is a good reason I don’t like needles. I once had a bad experience. And then another one. This occurrence didn’t improve my outlook.

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New word: Experdited (verb, past tense) what happens when an expert expedites something

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I completely forgot Leonard Nemoy’s name earlier this week. Does that mean I have to turn in my geek credentials?

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What’s with all the RVs camping in the section of the Walmart parking lot closest to the street? There’s no RV hookups so that eliminates the possibility of dumping the stored up effluence. It would be like trying to sleep in daylight with all those bright streetlamps illuminating the whole area. And you’d have to cope with all the noise of street traffic. Most importantly, we live in North Idaho where actual campgrounds are plentiful (also, more scenic and less white-trashy).

tidbits

One of the best things I've found on the internet (in recent days) is a quick visual comparison showing that Harry Potter and Star Wars are practically identical. For those of you lining up to see the movie on Friday, spoiler alert: Harry dies.

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Overheard: "A customer was promised two $50 gift cards, so I guess that equals a hundred."

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I've been listening to a lot of Alice Cooper recently. I'm not sure what that says about me.

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Conversations and public bathrooms are two things that shouldn't mix. Talking to strangers and acquaintances in the midst of such personal activities. If taking care of nature's business in the company of other's isn't awkward enough, consider the conversation I had with a friend while I was washing my hands.

"Do you know what the meaning of happiness is?" he asked. Before I could answer he continued, "It's not being a parent. Happiness is emptying your bladder."

new view & irony

If you haven't noticed all ready (I am not making the assumption that your intelligence is the equivalent of a brain damaged sewer rat, please don't take it that way) I've made some changes with this blog's format.

Well, the template didn't change. I'm a black and grey kind of guy, and grey is my favorite colour. But, there are some additions to the side bar at your right.

First up... Tunes. This is basically a track listing from my MP3 player. Well, a short list, it's the songs I listened to on my way to work. So, if your interested in knowing what fills my earphones for twenty minutes a day (and I'm sure you don't) it is now available for your reading enjoyment. Someday I might make this section a little more interactive, but until then I'll be thinking about joining procrastinators anonymous.

The links section hasn't changed much except I've added a link to Redmark's website. Talk about procrastination... I've been meaning to do that since Halloween. On a side note, Redmark is in India touring with Luis Palau through February 6th. So if you know (or know of) Drew, Dan, Zach, and their crew, please keep them in your prayers.

Also new... Idiot Box, Silver Screen, and Written Word.

Idiot Box is dedicated to television enjoyment. All of the links go to the show's official website and some of the sites are fairly entertaining. I.E. The Monk Website features a phobia of the day; today's fear is heresyphobia: a fear of challenges to or radical deviation of official doctrine.

Silver Screen highlights the last movie I saw in theaters. Unfortunately, this section will not be updated as often as I would like. Bekah and I don't get out much.

Finally, Written Word. Written Word is for my fellow literary enthusiasts, where you can see what I am currently reading with a link for info about the book and author.



Moving on. Irony. I remember my dad once said that one of his greatest regrets was not encouraging music in his household while Aaron and I were growing up. I find it funny that from a house where music was not "encouraged" my father raised two boys with a passion for music.

Aaron sang in choir throughout school and is now a concert promoter. Most of my friends in high school and even in the years following school were musicians. Some of my fondest memories involve friends and guitars. I've been in a couple bands and have done promotion, booking, and management for other bands. I dream of one day running my own recording studio. As for my own household, I want Christian to grow up surrounded by music.

Dad, you say you wished you encouraged or focused more on music. I think you did just fine.