Red Rocks

I live just a few minutes from Red Rocks, the world famous amphitheater carved out of a beautiful red rock canyon in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Lots of famous musicians and groups have played there through the years. Probably most famous was the band U2 who recorded an EP and concert movie there. Taking side streets, it only takes me about 10 minutes to drive there. We've been there several times to go hiking. It's a beautiful place. I remember watching the U2 Concert film called "U2 - Live at Red Rocks" and thinking how beautiful it was. I never knew it was in Colorado and I never expected to be living just a few short minutes away. I can hardly wait to see a concert there. I'm waiting for someone good to come to town. Sting is coming, but he's not my thing. I saw him once when he was with the Police. I haven't really liked any of his solo stuff, so I'm okay missing that concert. Anyway...for my Friday blog post, I thought I'd leave you with some of the U2 footage at Red Rocks. Enjoy!

Finished Chronicles of Narnia Books

Earlier last year, I started a habit of reading to my boys every night before bed. We read through a couple books that boys would enjoy....like "Sign of the Beaver" and "My Side of the Mountain". At some point, I decided to read them the entire Chronicles of Narnia series. It was a goal of mine (that I posted on my 43Things Page) to read through the entire series. Joi had bought me the Complete Chronicles of Narnia (pictured to the left) for Christmas one year. I had never read the books before. But, it was something I wanted to do. I thought my boys might enjoy it too...so I decided to read it to them. To add extra incentive to my boys, we told them that we would let them watch "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" movie after we had read the book. I like my boys to have read the book before they see the movies. I want them to understand that in most cases, the books are way better than the movie. Anyway, I read a chapter every night (unless we were out late or other obstacles got in the way). After several months, we read through the entire series from start to finish. Just last night, we read the last chapter of "The Last Battle". It was a momentous occasion. We enjoyed living in the land of Narnia for the past several months. While we enjoyed the stay, I think we are all ready to move on to a new land and a new story. Joi and the boys checked out "Treasure Island" from the library. That's the next book we are going to tackle. Should be fun. It's another one I never read as a kid. I'm looking forward to it.

Failing Forward

One of the best "business" books I have ever read is by John Maxwell called "Failing Forward." You'll find this book in the business section of a book store, but it's more of a life/self help book. The whole book focuses on not being afraid to fail because failure leads to growth when you approach it the right way. Also, it gives practical steps on how to treat failure, learn from it, and move on without losing courage. It's a great book and I HIGHLY recommend it to everyone. I am signed up for the daily email from All Pro Dad and they sent a link to this video, which validates the theme of Maxwell's book. Imagine what the world would be like if these people who failed gave up and didn't learn from their failures. A great, inspirational short video. Enjoy!

Verizon Wireless Extortion

Joi and I went to the Verizon Wireless Store on Saturday. It was time for our "New every Two" promotion, where you get a new cell phone (or at least a credit toward an expensive phone) every two years. I had done loads of preparatory research, as I often do when making large electronic purchases. Joi and I were both going to get the LG Env3. I had originally had my eye on the LG Env Touch, but I didn't want to have to pay for a required data plan. We're trying to save money and budget well...and a data plan wasn't really in our budget. Besides, I get enough internet time at work and at home. I don't really need more internet time on my phone. Joi's sister has the LG Env3 and it seems like a good phone. Joi and I both liked the full qwerty keyboard for texting and it was a handsome phone. We knew that this phone didn't have a required data plan because Steff and Russell are very careful with their money. They don't even have a texting plan, so we knew that they wouldn't pay the $9.99 or $29.99 for a data package. So, back to the LG Env3 phone. Let me clarify, it's not a smart phone. It's just a plain, old cell phone with a full qwerty key board. When we went into the store, we told them what we wanted and got right to business. Immediately, the salesperson told us that the LG Env3 has a required data package that you HAD to get. What? That can't be! So, we said, but we don't want the data package. We just want that phone. We were told, "Sorry, you have to get a data plan if you want that phone." So, we countered with "Our sister has this phone and there is NO WAY she has a data plan." His reply? "If she got this phone after November, she HAD to have a data plan." So, in November, Verizon changed the rules and made a data plan a requirement on all the cool phones. It's all about the Benjamins (that's rap slang for Verizon is extorting their customers into purchasing a data plan - whether they want one or not - in order to pad their wallets). I was fuming! So, my wife and I conferred for a moment. We decided to ask what phones didn't require a data plan. He went to one corner of the room and said "These three phones here!" Those three phones were regular, no frills, flip phones...except for a Samsung Slide out (which was the only phone with a qwerty keyboard that didn't require a data plan). Are you freakin' kidding me?!?! My wife and I conferred for a second time. My opinion was that I was ready to leave Verizon all together. They shouldn't force their customers into getting a plan that they don't even want just because they want a nicer phone. It was extortion. I felt used and abused. I was not happy! Joi calmly reminded me that most of our friends and family were on Verizon and since they offered the ability to talk to other verizon customers for free...it was saving us money to be on Verizon. Otherwise, we'd go over on our minutes. Okay...good point. So, we decided to ask if they could adjust our plan or get us onto a better plan to help offset the cost of the data plan. The salesman, who obviously was not interested in keeping our business, said "Nope, you are already on the cheapest plan you can get. The only option you have is to drop the texting ability off of your plan to offset the cost." So, in order to get something that we didn't even want - the data package - we had to give up something that we actually use - texting. At that point, we were both livid. We left (actually, I stormed out!). We were trapped and Verizon knew it. We had to stay with them in order to talk for free to our friends and family who were also on Verizon, but if we didn't want a cheapo phone, we had to get the data package and spend, at least, $9.99 a month (per phone). I am so angry and disappointed in Verizon. If you aren't already a customer...stay away! If you aren't trapped like we are, steer clear of Verizon. They are practicing extortion and I don't like it!

So, basically, my wife offered to take the Samsung with the slideout and told me to go ahead and get the data plan so that I could get the phone that I wanted. I'm a gadget guy and she was very nice to let me have my gadget...despite the fact that we were giving in to Verizon's extortion. So, I got the LG Env Touch, which was the same price as the LG Env3, but way cooler. I'm excited about the new gadget I get to play with...once it gets delivered to our house. But, I am very angry and disillusioned with Verizon's extortion. VERY ANGRY! Did I mention that I was angry?

Spiritual Birthday - 20 Years as a Christian

Today is my spiritual birthday. Twenty years ago, I attended a Christian camp in Thousand Pines, CA with the church I had just started attending with my brother, Robert (Covina 1st Baptist in Covina, CA).  On February 18th, I went forward during an altar call. It was an emotional moment for me. I will never forget that moment and my brothers embrace after I decided to follow Jesus. I cried. It's something I do at very emotional moments in my life. Giving my life to Jesus was a decision I have NEVER regretted.

I grew up as a Catholic and left the Catholic church prior to my confirmation. I searched for a few years through high school and started attending church at the invitation of my brother (who had recently become a Christian himself). The drastic change in my brother was evidence enough that there was something to this Jesus person. After attending for a couple months, asking questions, and reading the bible for the first time - something that I was never encouraged to do as a Catholic - I gave my life to Jesus. It's been twenty years today. It's been a wonderful ride. God has always been faithful, despite my unfaithfulness from time to time. I have seen miracles in my life and in the lives of those around me. I have seen God work in mighty ways. God allowed and blessed me to pursue one of my passions...music. I have been in several Christian bands over the years. I was able to take part in the creation of several tapes, CD's, and other cool musical projects. God brought me my beautiful wife. Aside from my brother, my wife has had the greatest impact on my spiritual growth. She always encourages me to push further, go deeper, and not accept mediocrity in my spiritual life. For that, I am grateful. God has blessed me with three wonderful boys. I am blessed to be their father. I have enjoyed teaching them about how to follow Jesus in their own lives. Someday, they will make their own decision to follow Jesus and I will rejoice with them and embrace them (probably with tears).

I am thankful that God called me to be His child. I am thankful that He moved in my heart twenty years ago today. I am thankful that He has kept me safe through the past twenty years and that He has kept me under His mighty wing. I am thankful to God for my salvation and for rescuing me when I was stupid and walked away from time to time. I am thankful to be counted as worthy to serve Him for the past twenty years. Here's to another twenty!

When God Moves You To Pray

I saw a woman on the light rail this morning. I'm a people watcher. I like to watch people's mannerisms, expressions, how they dress, how they speak, etc. The woman that I noticed today just about broke my heart. Her hair was disheveled, her clothes tattered, and her expression was utter disappointment. She looked beaten. She wasn't poor or homeless from what I could tell. She just looked like she didn't care anymore...about her appearance, about life. She looked down at the floor. The corners of her mouth turned down. Her hands folded shyly in her lap. I don't know why, but she broke my heart. I wondered what this poor woman had gone through to make her look so beaten down. At that moment, God moved me to pray for her. Now before you start to think what a great holy man I am, I need to tell you that this isn't normal for me. I've yearned for but never quite cultivated a conversational prayer life with God. I pray, but not as often as I would like to or feel that I should. But, something in this moment called for prayer. So, as I took the 15 minute ride from the station to my stop on UC Denver's campus, I prayed. I prayed for her life circumstances, whatever they may be. I prayed for her heart. I prayed for her mind and the depression that seems to be captivating it. I prayed for God's protection in her life. I prayed that she would meet God in a mighty way and that He would give her the hope that she needs to carry on.

At one of the stops, she stood and exited the train. I don't know her life circumstances and I probably never will. Chances are good, I'll never see her again. But, I thought that it was interesting that God moved my heart to pray for her. I only hope that my time in prayer for her will be fruitful in her life. Has anyone else had experiences like this before? Did you ever get to see the difference that prayer made in their life? Or perhaps someone prayed for you anonymously and you found out about it later? Did you feel the difference? I'm just curious now about why God moves in these particular times and what results come of it.

Memorable Old Spice Body Wash Commercial

I'm not sure if you've seen this commercial yet. But, it's one of the funniest commercials I've seen in a long time. It certainly threw me off guard when I first saw it and it made me laugh. In a marketing class I took in college, I learned that the element of surprise in commercials is one of the best ways to make your product remain in the memory of the viewer. This commercial did that and more. It took me by surprise, I still remember what the product was, and it has remained in my memory ever since. Not only that, but I stop whatever I'm doing whenever the commercial comes on because it just makes me laugh. Now that's good advertising! Enjoy the commercial and let me know what you think. "I'm on a horse!"

NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest Fail

I was excited about the NBA All Star Slam Dunk Contest. It's usually the best part of All Star Weekend. In previous years, the dunks were inventive, innovative, creative, and awe inspiring. I still remember the year when Spud Webb standing at just 5' 6" tall won the contest. It was pretty awesome. I remember when Michael Jordon did his flying act and leaped from the free throw line, glided through the air, and slammed it down. Pretty freakin' awesome! I even remember when Nate Robinson (5' 9") won his second slam dunk contest by jumping over 6' 11" Dwight Howard. Or when Dwight Howard wore the Superman cape to perform his dunk. Memorable moments. Typically, each year the participants in the slam dunk contest raise the bar a little higher. So, I was amped up for last nights contest. To make things even more exciting, the Lakers high flying Shannon Brown was selected to compete primarily due to letshannondunk.com, a publicity effort by Joel Myers (the Lakers commentator) to get Brown into the dunk contest. Shannon has an amazing athletic ability and a huge vertical leap. So, I was excited.

Unfortunately, I was so disappointed. The first round was less then inspiring. Shannon came out with an awesome 360 degree spin dunk, but missed and in his second attempt just switched hand mid-flight and didn't bother with the 360. He got mediocre points for it and didn't make it past the first round. In the second round, the rookie DeMar DeRozen and Nate Robinson went on to compete for the title. Both of their dunk attempts were unexciting, uncreative, and boring. Even the commentators of the night thought that no one should win. When they were opening to envelope to see who the winner was, Charles Barkley said "Maybe no one was the winner." I think he summed up what everyone was thinking. I was highly disappointed. Robinson went on to win his third consecutive Slam Dunk Title. Yawn! I'm hoping that next year the players try a little harder.

Copeland Style Valentine's Day

When we were dating, Joi and I celebrated Valentine's Day. I'd buy her flowers and maybe chocolate, we'd have dinner out. When we got married we both realized that Valentine's Day was a consumer trap. Flower prices went sky high. Chocolate was overpriced. Even dinner out at a decent, romantic place was crowded and expensive. So, we decided to start our own tradition. When we were in California, our tradition was to get Vince's Spaghetti and watch a Laker game. Okay...not really romantic in the traditional sense, but it worked for us. Now that we are in Colorado, we have to figure out a new tradition because the Laker games are on later here and there is no Vince's Spaghetti (sadly).

I'm more of a proponent of showing Valentine's Day love, affection, and gifts all year long. I buy flowers for Joi fairly often (usually once every month or two). I write little notes on the bathroom mirror with a dry erase marker. I hide heart shaped love notes around the house. I don't need Valentines Day to force me to remember that I need to show my wife that she is special to me. In fact, recently, I made it my goal to do one romantic thing for Joi every single day. I want her to know that she is special to me and that I am thinking about her.

We don't celebrate Valentine's Day in the traditional sense.We do it our own way. This year, Joi is going to make homemade spaghetti on the day after Valentine's Day. Also, on the day after Valentine's, I'm going to the store to purchase her an assorted box of chocolates at 50% off or more. Chocolate is still an important element in romance. It's even nicer when the price romances our budget.

Joi and I were just talking about our Valentines Day tradition. She said she likes it because it shows our boys that it's their job to show their wives that they love them all year long and not just one day a year when the "consumer market" tells us it's time. I like my wife. We're on the same page.

John Quicy Adams and Microblogging

We are not as clever as we thought we were. With the advent of Twitter, the concept of  "microblogging" has become very popular. In case you don't know what microblogging is Google defines it this way: "Microblogging is another type of blogging which consists of blogs with very short posts." Most kids now-a-days think that the concept of microblogging was invented by the creators of Twitter. And now modern technology will meet history when historians will post the short dairy entries of former president John Quincy Adams on Twitter. John Quincy Adams kept a daily diary where he summed up the events of this day with short "tweets" explaining everything from the days weather, books he read, notable events, and food he ate. And this all took place 200 years ago. Here are a couple examples of John Quincy Adams diary posts.

11/30/1809: Day without interruption. Idle. Captain Beckford dined with us. The Ladies continue both quite unwell.

8/7/1809: Fog. No Observation. Spoke a fishing Schooner from Grand Bank, bound to Plymouth. Read Chantreau’s travels.

Interesting, huh? I like the concept. The process of microblogging helps you to remember what you did while taking very little time to record. I've always been keen on keeping a diary, but I never seem to have enough time to do it. I was thinking that each diary entry needed to be a masterpiece and several pages long. President Adams showed me that this is not the case. I might start keeping a microblog diary. It can be useful, too. Read on.

After my Grandmother died, I remember looking at an old diary that she kept and finding lots of these types of microblog posts. My Grandma was a record keeper. She wrote everything down. It was interesting to go back and read things like "Chris came to visit. Had tuna casserole per Chris' request. Doesn't like where he lives."  It was like reliving my own history. In fact, I used to suffer from a terrible "cold/flu" every September-October. I would lose my voice and suffer from a stuffy nose and a horrible cough. I visited my Grandma one year with this condition and she noted that I had been suffering from this every year around this season. She knew this because she microblogged my sicknesses. I had no clue that it happened every year around the same time until she pointed it out. I was able to determine that perhaps these "colds" were just allergies since it happened around the same season. I looked into it and started taking allergy medication during that particular time of the year and I have been fine ever since. Microblogging can be useful.

I might start using this idea. It could be very useful for me, especially since I have occasional short-term memories issues. I might start a work-microblog where I record what I did during the course of the day. Or a personal microblog where I record what happened that particular day. I like it. Thanks John Quincy Adams!

My Boys and Chess

I don't exactly remember when it started. I'll start here. My wife bought me a chess set from Kenya through her sister and brother in law who lived in Kenya as missionaries at the time. This was several years ago. They brought it back with them when they came back to the states on furlough. It's a beautiful set made from some sort of clay that is hardened and painted. Even the board was made out of the hardened clay. It looks similar to the set in the picture to the left, except my board is square. It's just too beautiful to have in a box in the closet. So, we keep it out on display in our living room. I've always wanted to learn how to play chess. I played my step-father once before he passed away. He beat the crap out of me. I'm not a very good player. I know how the pieces are supposed to move, but I have no concept of strategy yet. I played my brother-in-law when they came back from Kenya for good. He beat the crap out of me, too. But, I'm not giving up.

At one point, my son Garrison asked me to teach him about chess. I explained a little about what the pieces do and how the game works. We played a test game so that he could see the concepts in action. I figured that it would be too complicated for him and that he'd lose interest and come back to it later when he was older. Shortly after, his cousin Dylan (who is a few years older) was taking a chess class at his home-school enrichment program. He came back from the class and challenged everyone who was willing to play so that he could try out the new strategies he was learning. Most of the time, he beat me too. Garrison would watch these games and started picking up the little nuances of the game. At another point, Dylan started teaching Garrison how to play and they would sit at our house and play games. You wouldn't expect to see a 7 year old and a 10 year old playing chess, but they were serious about it and were in it to win it. Garrison started to get pretty good. I even started thinking that we should put him in a chess club or something.

The other day, Garrison challenged me to a game of chess. He's now eight years old and a darn good chess player. He has actually mastered the art of thinking a few moves ahead (something I'm still working on). Well, long story short, he beat me....twice. And it wasn't even a close game. Within a few moves he had my King trapped and proudly stated "Check Mate". My ego was bruised, but it fired my determination to really start to learn some strategy. A couple days later Garrison and I played a heated game which I eventually won...but it was close. He's a smart cookie, that Garrison.

Yesterday, while Joi and I were watching the Lakers beat the cream out of the Utah Jazz (without Kobe and Bynum, no less)...I watched Garrison and Gavin (my five year old) play chess. Garrison has been teaching Gavin the rules of the game. I asked Gavin if he knew how the pieces moved and he explained to me a couple of pieces and how they move. I was impressed. They played a game and Garrison kept giving Gavin pointers. It was so cool to see my five year old and my eight year old play such a heady game as chess together. It was a proud Daddy moment for me. I've got some smart boys.

While this chess game was going on, my middle son, Gage who is more interested in music and art than chess was drawing me a picture that I could take to work and hang on my wall. It's a beautiful drawing in crayon with him and I walking in the mountains with a beautiful sunset making the sky appear blue, green, orange, and yellow. I loved the picture and it's already pinned to the cork-board in my office. It's great to be a Dad.

Products I Would Endorse

This morning when I was traveling to work, I noticed all of the advertisements hanging inside of the bus. Many of these advertisements were endorsed products by popular celebrities. It got me to thinking...What would I endorse if I was a popular celebrity?

Well, in case you were wondering, here is my list of products that I would stand behind in an endorsement.

• Calvin Klein's Obsession Cologne for Men - A masculine, woody scent. I've been a fan for many, many years. My wife likes it! I often get compliments about how I smell. I'd endorse this product.
• Fender - I've almost exclusively used Fender products (guitars, amps, etc) in most of my music career. I wish I could get endorsed and get some free gear. I like the look, sound, and the classic feel of a Fender. I'd endorse it.
• Dean Markley Blue Steel Guitar Strings - I have yet to find a guitar string with the tone, response, and longevity of the Blue Steel strings. Plus, the fact that they are cryogenically frozen appeals to the geek in me.
• Olay Complete All Day Moisture Lotion with SPF 15 - I live in Colorado in the mile high city. I'm closer to the sun than most people and I am sensitive to skin cancer concerns. The thought of putting lotion on my face (especially a sun block) makes me cringe. I don't like greasy lotions. Olay Complete is non-greasy and soaks into the skin wonderfully. I highly recommend it. I use it daily and it works wonderfully.
• Boulder Canyon Natural Foods Kettle Chips, Malt Vinegar and Sea Salt - I first tried these chips at Biker Jim's Gourmet Hot Dog Stand. I am a fan of Salt and Vinegar chips anyway, but these take the cake. Crispy, flavorful, and awesome. I would endorse them in a second.
• Dr. Pepper - I have cut way back on soda in recent years, but when I do drink one, I enjoy Dr. Pepper as my soda of choice. I've been a Dr. Pepper drinker since boyhood. There are meals that soda just goes with. I can't eat pizza, for instance, without a soda. It just goes with the meal. I like Dr. Pepper. Even Diet Dr. Pepper is really good (compared with other diet sodas). 
• Leatherman Multi-tools - I discovered Leatherman when I befriended some geeks in the IT department at APU. I've used them exclusively ever since. I never leave home without my Leatherman Squirt S4. It's always in my pocket and I use it multiple times throughout the day. When I am doing outdoorsy things (camping, hiking) or doing projects around the house, I always have my Leatherman Super-tool handy. You just can't beat it for usefulness and durability. Even Survivorman has one!
• Mythbusters - I don't know if you can endorse a television show, but I'd endorse this one! It's entertaining, educational, and full of awesome manly explosions. What a great way to bust myths and teach science at the same time.
• Youtube - I never fail to find what I'm looking for on Youtube. If I can remember some cartoon I saw when I was four or some cheesy 70's commercial, it's on Youtube. Plus, it doesn't hurt that musicians like Pomplamoose have created the video-songs genre, which makes discovering new music pretty entertaining. Weird Al even has a Youtube page. Need I say more?
• Biker Jim's Gourmet Hot Dogs - He sets up a stand on the corner of Arapahoe and 16th in Downtown Denver. They are the best hot dogs I have ever tasted made from gourmet meats like rattlesnake, elk, reindeer, wild boar, pheasant, and other interesting kinds of meat. His caramelized onions and cream cheese cocking gun give an awesome complement to the gourmet brats.  If he had t-shits, I would wear it happily every single day. If he made magnetic car adverts, I would cover my Ford Taurus with them to let everyone know about the yummy goodness that he brings to a hungry world. I love these dogs!
• Citizen Eco-Drive Watches - I inherited this watch from my Step-Dad, Dave, when he passed away. Specifically, he owned the Skyhawk. It's solar-powered and never needs batteries or charging (except occasional exposure to the sun). It's got several time zones and customization for which timezones you want to see and which ones you don't. It's got other bells and whistles that I have still yet to understand and learn about. It's definitely the watch of a scientist-engineer. Oh..and did I mention that it's made out of titanium (the watch and the band)? Yeah...I'd endorse this!
• Paul Mitchell Tea Tree Shampoo - This shampoo was used on me for the first time when I was getting my hair cut. It made my scalp tingle (in a good way). I like how clean it made my hair feel, I like the tingles, and I liked the scent. The only problem is that it's just too expensive for daily use. But, I'd endorse it if I got freebies.
• iPod - Being a music aficionado, I don't know what I'd do without my iPod. I like being able to take my entire CD collection with me everywhere I go (thank God for the 160 GB model). I use it all the time. I listen to music going to and from work. I listen all day long at work using iTunes. I listen in the car. I even have a docking station radio at home where I can play it while I clean, cook, during dinner, or during romantic interludes (insert Enya here). Everything goes better with music. My entire family have iPod's. Even my kiddos like their iPod's, especially my music lover, Gage.
• Wii - I enjoy video games, but video games that get your body moving are genius. I love Wii for that very reason alone. On heavy snow days or really cold days, when the kids can't go outside, they can get some exercise playing Wii Fit or Outdoor Challenge. Every morning when I come downstairs for my morning routine, I find my wife dutifully doing step aerobics using Wii Fit Plus. It's good fun, good exercise, and worse my endorsement.

Well, that's all I can think of right now. I may think of more later and post "Products I Would Endorse, Part 2". If any of these companies want to use my endorsement, feel free to send me freebies and I would be happy to endorse your products on a more vocal basis (but what can be more vocal than a blog?). But, since I'm already a fan, I'll endorse your product anyway.

The Who....Yikes!

The Who performed at the Super Bowl this year. I didn't watch it. I'm not all that much of a football fan. But, I like The Who...so I was interested in how they did. When I was Skyping my Dad shortly after halftime, he mentioned that they did a horrible job. I decided to see if I could find the performance on You-tube (I love technology!). Sure enough...someone posted it. So, I watched it. Yikes!

I saw The Who in 1989 on the "Kids Are Alright" reunion tour. I thought they did a fine job. I enjoyed the emphasis on songs from Tommy. Three of the original members performed (Roger, Pete, and John) along with a bunch of other musicians. They sounded good. They hit the notes. They had a decent amount of energy for being older men. The only clue to their age was Pete Townshend's arm brace that he wore due to too many windmill moves playing his guitar.

Now flash-forward 21 years to the 2010 Super Bowl. There were only two original members left after the death of John Entwistle in 2002. Roger looked the same as he did when I saw him in 1989. He's aging much better than...say...Keith Richards. He looked to be in decent shape. Pete, however, looked older. He wore a hat and sun glasses to hide something (balding, gray hair, wrinkles?). Pete is now 64 years old and Roger is 65. They are no spring chickens. Musically, they sounded pretty good. Pete still has chops on the guitar. However, Roger and Pete both sounded horrible when they sang. When Pete switched to harmony he was off key and out of time with Roger's lead vocals. In addition, poor Roger can't hit those high notes anymore. They both sounded pretty gritty vocally. My dad summed it up well when he said that they sounded like they both had a nasty smokers cough.

The medley that they performed consisted of a slew of their hit songs like "Won't get fooled again", "Who are you?", and "Pinball Wizard." I am more a fan of their more obscure songs like "Happy Jack", "Boris the Spider", and "I can't explain." I would have loved to see a medley of those songs. But, oh well! All in all, while I love The Who...I was less than impressed with their performance. I might be time to retire. Roger and Pete are at that age. It's time to let the royalty checks roll in and just enjoy the rest of their life getting a tan in Tahiti.

Disney Did Ghostbusters 47 Years Earlier

The other day I had a flash back to an old toy I used to own. It was a Fisher Price Movie Viewer and it came with a cartridge with a Disney Cartoon short called "The Lonesome Ghosts". The movie viewer was awesome. You had control of the speed of the silent film. You could go fast, slow, and even backward using the dial to control the direction and speed. It was pretty nifty. I remember watching the film going forward and backward watching ghost materialize and dematerialize out of thin air. It was pretty cool.

Anyway, I remembered this toy and the film the other day. So, I looked up the film on Youtube and sure enough. It's there! Pretty stinkin' cool. So, I watched it again and realized pretty quickly that the movie Ghostbusters (1984) was a rip off of this cartoon made in 1937. In the short cartoon, some ghosts that live in an abandoned home get bored because they have no one to scare. So, in the yellow pages they find an advertisement for some "Ghost Exterminators" (Ghost Busters...see the resemblance yet?). The ghosts call them up mimicking a woman's voice and ask them to get rid of the ghosts in their house. Then they prepare to scare the filling out of them when they arrive. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are the ghost exterminators (there were three main Ghostbusters, too). They are excited to finally have work, so they go over to the house and hilarity ensues. At one point, Goofy even says "I ain't scared of no ghosts"....almost using the famous line from the Ghostbusters Theme song by Ray Parker Jr "I ain't afraid of no ghosts". Interesting, huh? Watch the movie and tell me what you think. I think Disney has a clear case of copyright infringement on their hands. I wonder if they still have a case 26 years after the copy-cat movie premiered.

Garrison's Birthday Festivities

I haven't had a chance to download photos yet from Garrison's birthday festivities. Also, our computer's hard-drive is full, so there is no where to put them anyway. A new computer is really not in our budget right now, so we'll have to be creative until that time comes. Anyway, I'll post photos to this blog once I figure out what I'm going to do about the photos.

As is our tradition, Garrison got to plan the entire day out. Joi and I decorated the house the night before with orange streamers and orange balloons. Garrison loves orange. Everyone was up pretty early because they were re-roofing our condo and started banging away on the roof at 7:05am. Garrison decided to open presents first. He opened a Wolverine t-shirt (he loves Wolverine, even though he's never seen the X-Men movies or read any of the comic books). Then he opened a Lakers Basketball, a poster of Pau Gasol of the Lakers (his favorite player), and a Pau Gasol Lakers Jersey. He was stoked! Of all my boys, Garrison is my little Lakers fan (at least so far). Garrison choose cinnamon and orange rolls for breakfast. We ate and had a relaxing morning. Joi made us all sandwiches, apples, carrot sticks, and chips and packed them all up for our trip to the Apex Center. Garrison decided that he didn't want to eat out on his birthday because he wants to help us with our budget. He's very thoughtful. We went to the Apex Center and met Steff, Josiah, and Dylan (Russell had to work). We decided to play basketball first. We got to try out his new ball. They lowered one of the hoops for us so that my boys could actually reach it to make baskets. We played basketball for a while and then decided to hit the pools. We got in our swim suits and had a blast swimming, going on water slides, doing a floating log obstacle course, and occasionally hitting the jacuzzi for a relaxing soak. We ate lunch at the poolside. It was a good time. After everyone had enough pool time and chlorine (everyone's eyes were bright red), we decided to get dressed and do the rock climbing wall. Unfortunately, it was closed. That was disappointing because Garrison was looking forward to it. Instead we played more basketball and the boys had races on the indoor running track. Around dinner time, we left and kidnapped Josiah and Dylan to spend the night. I took the boys to the Nature Preserve across the street from our house because Garrison wanted to climb some trees (one of his favorite activities). Meanwhile, Joi made Taco Casserole (upon Garrison's request.)We came back from the greenbelt and we all ate dinner together. The boys all went upstairs to play for a while. A little later, Joi lit up the candles on Garrison's lemon cake with lemon frosting (another Garrison request) and we all sang happy birthday to him. Then, the boys went right back to playing. Around bedtime, I continued with my nightly reading of "The Chronicles of Narnia" to my boys (we're almost done with the second to last book - The Silver Chair). While I was reading I looked up to see all my boys and their cousins barely able to keep their eyes open. It had been a long, tiring day. After reading, we got everyone situated in bed, prayed, and turned the lights out. Within a few minutes, it was very quiet except for a soft snoring sound. They were all tuckered out. It was a good day. Garrison received lots of phone calls and messages from family and friends. He received a few cards with money in them. Garrison loves money (although, he's not much of a spender). All in all, it was a good day!

Happy 8th Birthday, Garrison!!

It blows me away to think that my oldest son, Garrison, is already eight years old. He was born on Groundhog's day, 02/02/02. A magical birthday for a magical boy. We weren't sure he was ever going to make his official arrival. He took his sweet time coming out, that's for sure. My poor wife! But, what a blessing he has been ever since.

I can still remember the little hikes that he and I would take around our complex in San Dimas, CA shortly after he learned to walk. He loves to be outside. Always did. He still loves going on "nature hikes" around our new hometown in Colorado. He loves the mountains, the weather, and the wildlife that we are so blessed with in our new home. 

He is amazingly intelligent and a voracious reader. We take him to the library and he gets 5-6 books and finishes them all before the week is up. He just finished "Little House on the Prairie" in under a week. And that's no small book. Lately, there's hardly a time when there isn't a book in his hands.

He's all boy. He loves knives. We bought him his first knife at age seven because he showed a lot of responsibility for a kid his age. Now, he uses his birthday and Christmas money to buy more knives. We had to tell him to cool down on the knife buying. I think he's got eight or nine knives now. But, he still has all his fingers, so he's doing well. He also loves the outdoors, climbing trees, building things, and taking things apart. He's always asking me for something he can take apart so that he can learn about it and perhaps make something new with the spare parts. He asks lots of questions. He's contemplative and sometimes shy and quiet. But, he takes everything in. He hardly misses any details.

It boggles my mind to think that he's 8 years old today. I can still see his little baby face and hear him say "Hi Daddy, did you miss me?" when I walked in from work. He's growing up fast and it almost breaks my heart because I enjoy him and his brothers so much. My goal is to raise them into independent men who can survive in this big world and start a family of their own. But, there's a part of me that wants to hold on to their dependence on me. I love that they like to spend time with me. I love wrestling with them, teaching them about the world, and watching them branch out and take risks. I know that I have to let go and I'm sure that Garrison will be a outstanding young man when that time comes. But, I've still got ten years to train him up in the way he should go. I'm glad. I'm not ready to let go yet.


Garrison is an amazing boy. I couldn't be prouder to be his Daddy. Happy Birthday, G! I love you so very much and I am very proud of who you are and what you are becoming.

A Tour of Europe

I enjoy cooking. I think it's partially due to the fact that I enjoy eating and cooking is just a means to an end. But, nonetheless, I digress. Cooking is fun. I enjoy the process. I enjoy the accolades you get when you've made something everyone loves. Lastly, I enjoy eating the fruits of my labor.

On weekends, I enjoy cooking in order to give Joi a night or nights off from having to come up with and cook dinners. I typically don't like to make easy recipes (like Mac and Cheese and Hamburger Meat). I like to do something ethnic and adventurous. I especially like stews and soups or things that have to simmer all day. This weekend, I got two opportunities to cook. On Saturday night, I made Chicken Marsala. It's an easy but tasty Italian recipe. I love mushrooms, so this is right up my alley. Also, cooking with wine is fun (even though we don't drink). I think it turned out pretty well for my first time. My wife said she liked it and my boys seemed to enjoy it. For next time, I might let the chicken brown a little longer before I throw in the wine, mushrooms, and green onions. But, it was tasty and was excellent as a topper on some spaghetti noodles. After we had cleaned the dishes on Saturday night, I started preparing the next nights dinner. I decided to make Beef Bourguignon. We needed something that we could throw in the crock-pot and let simmer all day while we went to church and our life-group. Sunday's are busy for us and we don't get home until 6:30pm from our life-group...so it's nice to have something simmering all day long that we can just spoon out and eat. What I didn't realize was just how much preparation went into beef bourguignon. It was crazy. I chopped some yellow onions up and browned some bacon in a pan. I took the bacon out to crumble into pieces for the crock-pot. I browned some stew beef and onions in a pan. Cut up the carrots and mushrooms. Added those to the crock-pot along with some chopped white onions (I think next time I'll use frozen pearl onions). When the meat and onions were done, I added them to the crock-pot along with some spices, beef broth, and red (burgundy) wine. I put the entire crock-pot in the fridge to marinate overnight. The entire process took me almost an hour. The next morning, Joi took out of the crock-pot, put it in it's base, and started it on low. We made some noodles between church and life group and put them in the fridge to heat up later. It was tasty. I was hoping to recreate a Disneyland recipe that we enjoyed when we lived in California and had annual passes. We loved the beef bourguignon at the French Market in New Orleans Square and had it every time we went. Of course, Disneyland removed it from their menu, much to the chagrin of my wife and I. My recipe didn't come out the same as the one Disneyland used to make, but it was still tasty. The meat was so tender due to the 11 hours of slow cooking and the wine (which acts as a tenderizer). I think I'll make it again, but I'll tweak the recipe here and there to try to get closer to the Disneyland recipe. All in all, it was a fun weekend cooking adventure. If anyone has the Disneyland recipe, please send it my way!