Really, What Could Be Cuter...

....than a toddler ecstatically hugging a stuffed polar bear?

I had previously scheduled a vacation day for today so I decided to accompany my mom and dad on their usual Tuesday babysitting gig with Lydia. Today's adventure was a trip to the St. Louis Science Center. This photo was taken in the SLSC Discovery Room. Most of the stuff there was over her little head but she had a grand time, nonetheless.

Two Years Ago Today...

I sprung this dog from her holding cage at HSMO. I ask her often if she knows how good she has it. Something tells me she understands.

All I Want Is...

a couple days off. Just like Huey Lewis and the News sang back in 1991 or so.

...taking a little breather from work action to end the week. I covered a vacationing co-worker's Sunday - Thursday shift this week and I had a scheduled vacation day today so that plus tomorrow off equals a four-day weekend. (yeah, that means I only worked Sunday-Wednesday.)

I managed to pull a muscle behind my right leg while I was asleep Monday night. It really, really ached all day Tuesday, less on Wednesday, and is almost back to normal tonight. Must have fallen asleep with my leg crooked or something. Could barely walk and had to do stairs really, really slowly. It really gave me a fresh awareness of how intricately and perfectly God designed our bodies. Every little muscle has its job to do to keep the hitch out of our get-along and when one's hurting, it kinda throws everything else off-kilter!

I drove up to our local Cabela's mega-jumbo-outdoor-sports superstore today. Yeah, I know it's been open for a few years but I've never bothered to check it out. I was impressed by their aquarium and wild-game displays. Did manage to find a Chili-cover for the back seat of my car. I've had the worst time finding something to fit over it and the cheap bedsheets I was using were beginning to wear out. The one I bought today fits perfectly. It does have the word "CABELA'S prominently stitched across the top, but that's no big deal. : )

Speaking of my big dog, we visited the HSMO vet clinic for her annual exam and shots today. Overall, she's healthy, but a bit heavy at 72 lbs. She needs to lose a few pounds to get down into the high 60s. That's my fault for getting a little careless with her feeding. The vet schooled me on how to do a better job. Chili was a very happy dog during her visit and the staff was impressed!

Spent this evening at Q worship rehearsal at church prepping graphics for Sunday. My pal Ben (aka 636benjamin) was running sound so we had good conversation while the band played.

I am reading a personal finance book called All Your Worth . The author of the book was recently featured in an MSN article so I decided to buy her book. It's all about keeping your money in balance to keep your finances on track. I like what I've read so far.

A No-Brainer...

So today a friend mentioned (on Facebook) that he'd bought the Esperanza Spalding CD. I assumed he meant her newest CD, "Esperanza" and then, after some iTunes and Rhapsody research/listening, decided to do the same. Borders and Barnes & Noble had the CD in question for $19.99(!!!!), and Best Buy doesn't have it in their stores. So I clicked over to the Concord Records webstore, since they own Spalding's record label. Lo and behold, they had it available for $11.98 plust $2 shipping.

Guess where I purchased it from?

Yeah.

I don't pretend to understand the economics of offering CDs for sale within bookstores or the state of the music business in general. I don't know if they have to offer certain CDs for $19.99, but one thing I do know; for $19.99 there'd better be at least 2 or 3 CDs in the package. (OK, if it's a single CD of remastered songs or additional unreleased tracks, I can see it. Case in point: the "Deluxe Version" of Tears for Fears' seminal 1984 album "Songs From the Big Chair," but I digress!) I thought $18.99 was bad enough but if Borders is at the point of needing to offer single CDs for $20 then they're going to lose me as a customer. They've whacked the music and DVD section at the store nearest my house and with them, my main motivation to purchase anything there.

I'll gladly wait 3-7 days to get new CDs in the mail if it means I get them for a better price. Instant gratification be damned--I'm NOT paying $20 for single CDs. Sure, I could get CDs electronically via iTunes or other digital download stores for $9 or $10, but I'm old school. I believe something just gets sonically lost in the conversion to MPx format. The sound's just better on CD and besides, I like to read the liner notes.

I mean, you really have to draw the line somewhere.

Thought-Provoking,,,

My friend Katie just posted a fine --guest-written-- essay in her blog - check it out:

An Elegant Sufficiency, Pt. 1

On Independence Day...

Who Are The Brave?

Who are the brave?
Those who go to war?
Who are the brave?
Those who fight no more?
Those who gave their lives
protecting freedom's shore.
Who are the brave?
Those who serve in war.

Who are the brave?
Those who live with pain?
Who are the brave?
Those whose lives are plain?
Those with healthy bodies,
Those protecting the unsure.
Who are the brave?
Those who serve the poor.

Who are the brave?
Those whose speech is free?
Who are the brave?
Those loving liberty?
All those with heart and mind,
Protecting all they find.
Who are the brave?
Those who serve mankind.
These are the brave.

J. Paul Williams

©1992 Studio 224
All Rights Assigned To and Controlled By Alfred Publishing Co.
All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission.

Saturday Afternoon With The Family....

I spent an enjoyable afternoon with the family today at the ol' homeplace in Festus. Here are some pictures:

Dad dressed up the house for Independence Day!

Granddad trying to get Lydia interested in photography, as he is!

Gram loves her some Lydia!

Lydia, one week shy of 18 months old!

coming home, this awesome cloud formation appeared..I see a hand...do you?

A Choir Geek's Indulgence...

Okay, I admit it. I'm a choir geek. I got hooked on choral singing in high school. My choir director Mr. Nall helped me discover that I really liked singing and was better than average at it. I sang in choirs throughout my 5(!) years of college and in a community choir after college. I've had wonderfully rich and memorable singing experiences at the annual state music educator's convention held at Tan-Tar-A Resort near the Lake Of The Ozarks and even did two in-state tours while in college.

Today my inner choir geek was mightily indulged. The local barbershop chorus Ambassadors of Harmony and the world-renowned Mormon Tabernacle Choir both performed in St. Louis on the same day! I took in the AOH's matinee performance and the MTC's evening concert.

This time of year is always international competition season for AOH and they appeared ready to take on all comers. They performed many old favorites and the two numbers they've prepared for competition. AOH's show must really be seen (and heard) to be believed. Costumes, choreography, sight gags, I could go on... Their special guests this year were Vocal FX, a male barbershop chorus from New Zealand who will be competing along with AOH. The group is all young males but directed by a female and they were fantastic. They performed 4 traditional barbershop numbers and should do well in competition. The audience was treated to a tasty dose of New Zealand culture, as the group also performed 3 numbers in the native Maori dialect and 4 members dressed in traditional Maori warrior garb (i.e. nothing but skirts made of dried (something which I can't remember!)). It was fascinating.

The evening Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert was immensely satisfying, as I expected it would be. Their 175 recordings and appearances all over the world testify to their legacy. The only real bummer was that they had to perform in cavernous Scottrade Center, normally a hockey arena. True, it was probably the only venue in the area large enough to hold them but I'd have preferred a more intimate venue. They'd not been to St. Louis since 1958 and who knows when they'll be back, so I am glad I attended. The concert was a muscal smorgasbord of classical masterworks and traditional American folk music and hymns.

Oh, and did I mention that The Man Himself John Ashcroft guest-conducted the encore? He did. Ashcroft--the former U.S. Attorney General, senator and governor of Missouri--led the choir and orchestra through a rousing "This Land Is Your Land," to the delight of the audience.

It was an interesting end to a great night of singing.

Headliner!!...

The Cardinals had a bit of trouble scoring runs against the Giants' starting pitcher Matt Cain last evening. The headline for the game story in today's paper summed it up thusly:

"Cards bats are unable against Cain"

: )

Memorializing Memorial Day 2009...

I've decided that I'm decidedly in favor of Monday holidays. Let's recap...

- I checked out the annual Gypsy Caravan event up at UMSL. It's a Memorial Day tradition in St. Louis, a benefit for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. I'd never been before, so just to satisfy my curiosity, I drove up there. It was basically a giant flea market. You pay $5 to get in and shop around to your heart's content. I found a couple of people selling old carpenters' tools and other shop items; my dad might have found something he liked. Unfortunately, a torrential rainstorm descended and I got caught without raincoat or umbrella. I tried to wait it out but eventually gave up and walked back to my car, soaked almost to the skin.

- came home to eat lunch and watch the ballgame between the Cardinals and Brewers. It was a classic pitchers' duel between the Cardinals' ace Carpenter and the Brewers' young hurler Gallardo. The game went to extra innings tied 0-0, with the Brew Crew finally breaking through in their half of the 10th to win 1-0. Truly disappointing for the Birds.

- packed up Chili-dog and headed to Festus for dinner with the parents. We dined on pork steaks and all the trimmings, with oatmeal cookies, and strawberries à la mode for dessert. We watched old war movies on television after dinner. My bro and sis-in-law sent pictures of Lydia enjoying herself at the Lake of the Ozarks with her mama's family. She enjoyed being out on the water but wasn't thrilled about not being able to go wherever she wanted! : ) Such is life at 16 months old. I'm sitting for her Thursday night...

Kids vs. Cookies...

My church is fortunate to have a video-savvy guy on its worship staff to produce videos such as this one, which we used in today's services.



We used it as part of our stewardship series, "The Buck Stops Here: The Heart Of The Matter."

Weekender, 3 days late...

Had an enjoyable last weekend....Chili and I embarked to Bark In The Park, on a lark, no shot in the dark, Hark! We mingled with dogs (and people) of all shapes and sizes. We left at mid-day so I could get over to Castlewood State Park in time for my bible class's annual year-end picnic. I threw the frisbee around with friends and partook of some great food. I led a small band of adventurous folks on a hike up the hill and onto the bluffs overlooking the Meramec River. Later in the evening, some of us met up to see the new Star Trek movie and we enjoyed an ice cream nightcap at Oberweis afterwards. Here are some pictures:

Been There!!...

Ummmm...

I encountered this price tag yesterday at my local grocery....I wasn't amused.

Ready For Her Close-Up...

Lydia Joy at 16 months - enjoying crepes with the family at Crepes In The City today. That's her grandpa watching in the background.

My Weekend...

Had a nice full weekend, so I thought I'd chronicle it, just for fun. Most readers won't care, but, hey, it's MY blog! : )

Saturday...

out of bed
let dog out
daily devotional quiet time
clean self throughly
walk dog around neighborhood
breakfast and devour Saturday paper
proceed to sears hardware for lawn mower motor oil
back home, add oil to lawn mower
oh, shoot, mower needs gas
proceed to QT to fill gas can
cut the grass, front and back yard
*lunch*
drag out weed eater and blower
start to cut weeds, run out of trimmer line
proceed to home depot for replacement line and, on impulse, jumbo bag o' fertilizer
back home, install replacement trimmer line, finish cutting weeds, front and back yards.
sweep off back patio thoroughly.
clean off roof, unclog gutters as needed
*wow* major clog in gutter at SE corner of house
make temporary repair to soffit/rafters at NW corner of house
drag out fertilizer spreader, realize i bought way too much fertilizer
return jumbo bag o' fertilizer, purchase smaller bag
fertilize front and back lawns
put away spreader, trimmer, and blower.
walk dog around neighborhood again
home, feed and water dog
rest while watching Ask This Old House
order pizza and rent movie (Frost/Nixon - highly recommend!)
let dog out
go to bed

Sunday...

out of bed
let dog out
daily devotional quiet time
clean self thoroughly
breakfast, morning paper sports section
church
get lunch from McAlister's Deli
home, eat lunch, read paper and devour crossword
start laundry
get groceries
clean house
drive to church singles group game night out in Wildwood
drive home
finish BSF lesson
upload a couple of pictures to facebook
let dog out
go to bed

Recently...

Against all odds, my backyard Redbud tree bloomed out. It lost a big chunk last fall when the remnants of Hurricane Ike marched through the Midwest.

Black Joe Lewis and The Honeybears @ The Pageant last Friday night. Two horns, drums, Black Joe himself in the middle on vocals, lead ax, and harp plus bass and rhythm guitar.

Chili-dog spied a cat one day last week. A black one, no less. I'm grateful for a backyard with a fence and a dog that does not jump it.

Two Postscripts To One Tragedy...

This year's Pulitzer Prize winners were announced this week. My employer received word that it was a finalist (but not the winner) in the category of breaking news reporting, for its coverage of the mass shootings in Kirkwood in February, 2008.

In a related story, Suburban Journals reporter Todd Smith, who was in the room that tragic night and took a bullet in the hand, was recently laid off.

Strange, strange times I'm living in...

The Big Three-Five...

The Big Three-Five....not as significant as The Big Three-Oh or The Big Four-Oh, admittedly, but that is what I am tonight. 11:55 a.m. marked the beginning of my 35th year on this good earth. At that time, I was in my nearby Borders store picking through their racks of 1/2 price CDs.

(Borders is beginning their retreat from the CD business, folks...some stores are eliminating CDs altogether and others are just reducing stock...get them while the getting's good! I picked up John Prine's classic 1971 self-titled album and John Coltrane's classic 1962 album of ballads. SCORE! I think I'll return tomorrow...)

So after lunch, Chili-dog and I headed out for a hike in the warm sunshine. We covered around 3 or 4 miles, I think. I met my parents at Tucker's Place for dinner tonight. What better way to celebrate a birthday than wtih a $20 steak? My filet mignon was cooked perfectly and was accompanied by a giant baked potato. My mom baked me a strawberry cake which all of us enjoyed a la mode at my house afterwards.

Kweranga...

Recently, my friend (and P-D photojournalist) Elie Gardner traveled to Africa to witness the wedding of a former P-D colleague. She created a really nice slideshow of it here:

Kweranga

What Did We Do Before YouTube?...

Regular followers of this blog wll recall that last Thanksgiving Day, I posted the lyrics to the song "Thankful Boys and Girls" by Billy Crockett. Well, tonight someone named Jeremy Fern was nice enough to leave a comment that pointed me to his own performance of the song. Check it out:



Not bad!

Quick Shout-Out...

to my mama--she makes the best potato salad I'll ever taste, bar none. She modestly claims to put in it "not even half of what it should be made with" (roughly paraphrased), but this blogger doesn't care. It's the best.

And yes, I did tell her so after lunch yesterday.

Her Easter lunch was really simple yesterday - just baked ham, potato salad, green beans and bread. oh, and the deviled eggs...OH the deviled eggs.

and my late Mamaw's famous Strawberry Dream Cake for dessert. I did almost make myself sick, as per usual. Couldn't help but think of joyous Easter dinners past at the red brick house just around the bend west of Malden, MO.


(and I was sent home with copious leftovers. I'll be hamming it up for several days this week.)

He Did It Again!...

The Moon Man did it again! I was driving home from the Y last night and was listening to the Cardinals baseball game in the car. The Cardinals were on the wrong end of a 7-4 score and were trying to rally in the 9th inning. Busch Stadium organist Ernie Hayes did his thing to rally the crowd and broadcaster Mike Shannon noted that Hayes was "working those pearly gates."

I don't know what he was even trying to say there. I can only speculate that he was trying to refer to the white organ keys somehow?

Old Friends...

I attended the wedding of a couple of old friends last evening. I had been looking forward to this occasion ever since I received the invitation in the mail. They are both really fun people whom I'm blessed to be friends with. The groom is a transplanted Texan whom I got to know through the young adults bible class we both attended. The bride and I attended the same church for several years. The three of us have many mutual friends and I figured on seeing a lot of them at the wedding.

Their wedding and reception last night was a really fun night of joyful celebration. I caught up with many people whom I hadn't seen in a long time. Some are expecting children, one is engaged to be married. There was a great buffet dinner and the usual wedding cake afterwards. A DJ spun the tunes for dancing the night away. I did, yes, I did dance a little. When The Commodores' "Brick House" comes on, my body just has to move, people. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is.

New Kitchen Pictures

I promised some pictures of my kitchen with the new blinds installed. So here they are.

The last picture includes my 2 favorite sources of reading material: Jazz Times magazine and The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

This finally completes the renovation project which began around this time in 2005. This is what I started with:

Complete history of the project is here.

One Year Ago Today....

He left us.

I still think of him. A couple of his old uniform shirts hang in my closet. The miracle of genetics helps people see him in my face, at least I think so. My pal Chili-dog reminds me of him.

It is said that time is a healer. I think of the period leading up to this time last year in relation to where I am now and I think that statement is accurate.


Is it any coincidence I chose today to cut my grass for the first time this year?

Of course not.

Say WHAT???...

The baseball season hasn't even started for real yet and longtime Cardinals radio color man (and he's REALLY colorful) Mike Shannon is already in mid-season form. To wit: The Cardinals are playing two exhibitions against their Memphis minor league team this weekend. During tonight's game, Mike remarked that two players had reached base "via the Annie Oakley."

WHAT??

I couldn't believe my ears as I pulled into the YMCA parking lot! What the heck was he talking about?

Turns out he wasn't kidding. From the Baseball Lingo blog:

"Annie Oakley is a base on balls or a WALK.

Complimentary tickets to the theater or to sporting events have traditionally been punched with holes to designate that the tickets are free. During the late 1800s, these freebies were called "Annie Oakleys" in honor of the famous riflewoman whose feats included shooting holes in small cards. Baseball observers quickly adapted "Annie Oakley" to mean a base on balls, which was and still is also known as a "free ticket" or "free pass" to first base."

I'd never heard that term used before tonight. Thanks, Moon Man!

Snips and Snails and...

puppy dog tails!

Dude Got Fired By The Government...

GM CEO Wagoner forced out as part of gov't plan

can't tell me THAT doesn't bruise the ol' ego...

Paging Mr. Chambers...

"If we are going to be ready for Jesus Christ, we have to stop being religious."

My Utmost For His Highest (updated)
March 29.

Oh, Really?...

BITHLO, Fla. (AP) - Authorities said a man threw a Molotov cocktail at his neighbor's trailer, but the wind shifted and set fire to two cars, a pickup and a travel trailer in the man's own yard. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that a 51-year-old man got into a fight with his neighbor on Tuesday night and threw the makeshift gasoline bomb.

Authorities believe alcohol was involved.

The man faces multiple charges, including arson. He was being held at the Orange County Jail.

---

Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com

sometimes the stories just write themselves...

Pass The Vicodin, Please...

Lance Armstrong Gets Plate, 12 Screws in Injured Collarbone

OUCH!

A Shoe-In...

Near the end of the Missouri/Marquette game today, a Marquette player was out of bounds making a routine in-bounds pass. He accidentally stepped partially in-bounds before making said pass, thus committing a violation that gave Missouri the ball, and the ballgame. The CBS sports color commentator said it best:

"If he'd been wearing size 11 shoes instead of size 13s, that wouldn't have been a problem."

Mizzou heads to Glendale, AZ for a "Sweet 16" matchup with Memphis next weekend. They'll likely get run over but let's hear it for them, anyway. They've set a new school record for wins in a season, won the conference tournament and advanced deep into the NCAA Tournament. They've come a very long way from the days of Quin Snyder and the infamous Ricky Clemons Affair.

P.S. - did you know there's such a place as Richard Stockton College? Seriously. It's in New Jersey. Their basketball team lost the NCAA D-III men's basketball championship to our own Washington University Bears yesterday. Tip o' the hat to Wash U. coach Mark Edwards for building a real D-III powerhouse.

P.P.S. - Can you guess who Richard Stockton was? Without consulting Wikipedia or your encyclopedia set?

Toon-ed In...

Pearls Before Swine

Calvin and Hobbes

Lyrical...

I discovered a new old tune while checking out some of Brazilian superstar Milton Nascimento's early albums on Allmusic.com earlier this week. "O Trem Azul" is the third song on his 1972 masterpiece collaboration with Lô Borges, "Clube da Esquina." I immediately iTunes'd it and slapped it on my iPod along wtih a couple of his other hits. I have been listening to it over and over all week. The tune and lyrics are so hauntingly beautiful and deep and I just love them. Here they are, translated from the Portuguese:

"O Trem Azul" (Blue Train)
Lô Borges/Ronaldo Bastos

Things that come sometimes
And we forget to say
Phrases in the wind
Now and then come to remind
Of things that have remained
For a long time to be said
In the wind a song (whispered by the wind)
A love song wants to fly, fly

You take the blue train
The sun on your head
The sun takes the blue train
With you in my head
The sun on your head
.................

You can really visualize those lyrics. Someone who is sad (blue) over the ending of a relationship. Thinking about things they didn't say, forgot to say. The wind reminds him of these things when it should be sending love songsto their lover. Perhaps they're riding a train, with the bright sun shining ironically on them, and it reminds them of happier, sunnier times.

I found a clip of Antonio Carlos Jobim performing the song on his album "Antonio Brasileiro" Hear it here : "O Trem Azul"

Seriously!!...

who would open a sno-cone stand in the middle of March? Some poor souls chose this weekend to hold the grand-opening of their sno-cone trailer in the parking lot of the strip mall down the street. I've passed by there several times this weekend and let's just say folks aren't exactly lined up around the block.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Athletic...

From Jeff Gordon's Tipsheet blog on STLtoday.com:

So what does NBA player Lorenzen Wright pack for a West Coast trip?

The Cleveland Plain Dealer took inventory:

Five dress suits and one casual suit; seven belts; six dress shirts and six pairs of cuff links; five ties; five pairs of jeans; three long-sleeve T-shirts; four casual T-shirts; one vest; two sweat suits; nine pairs of shoes; 14 pairs of sunglasses in a case; underwear, undershirts, socks; one dop kit with toiletries, computer; cell phones; DVD player and movies; jewelry; iPod; headphones; Bible.

“This is a lot of stuff, isn’t it? I never looked at it like this before,” Wright told the newspaper. “But you know what’s funny? I’ll wear it all, except for maybe one suit. Somehow by the time I get home, I never have anything left.”

Tuesday Night, 9:29 p.m.

- I'm relaxing in a comfortable chair, a dog in low-energy mode parked on the floor next to it, watching the Blues wax the Stars in hockey...

- had another furlough day off today. This was the third of five I'm unfortunately having to take. It was a windy, warm day. Chili-dog and I got in a long walk on Grant's Trail in the late afternoon.

- I finally got around to ordering blinds for my kitchen windows this morning. It's only been, what, almost four years since the kitchen remodel? This will be the final part of the project. I ordered 2 more sets of 3 Day Blinds "Transitions" faux-wood blinds identical to those in my bedroom. I'll post a picture of them when I get them up next week. This will be my third purchase from 3 Day Blinds; almost every window in my house will have one of their products covering it.

- we're firmly in weather transition season here in the Midwest. Spring is valiantly trying to wrestle power away from Winter but Winter refuses to yield. We had a warm, windy weekend followed by a cold Monday, followed by a warm, windy Tuesday. A strong cold front is passing over tonight so tomorrow and Thursday are forecasted to be just plain cold again. Daylight Savings Time kicked in on Sunday and I'm grateful for the extended daylight; I have resumed walking Chili-dog in the evenings after work.

- Today, the ratty plastic roller shade covering my big basement window gave up the ghost. I have a couple of old sliding closet doors covering the glass until I can get to Homer Depot to buy another ratty plastic roller shade.

- On the tragic shooting death of Pastor Fred Winters over in Maryville - my heart hurts for his family and his church members. But it's important to remember that the rain falls on the saint as well as the sinner. No one is immune to random, unspeakable violence. Yeah, I am one of the many who would like to know why God chose to have his life end that way, but that's not for us to know. The Bible is clear that his ways are not our ways and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts. "Farther along, we'll know all about it..." What is clear is that Pastor Fred died being obedient to God in fulfilling his calling to preach the gospel. He was absolutely ready to go.

- Facebook is re-connecting me with more and more old high school classmates and even further back, old classmates from my childhood in Malden. A couple of them live here in the area and I didn't even know it.

- How did I miss Chicago's wonderful love song "Beginnings" all these years? love it!

- received the latest issue of Jazz Times magazine in the mail today. They've come a long way baby - included in this issue was an interview with a trans-gendered bassist...umm, yeah. And this was not just any bassist, this person has played extended gigs with Mel Torme and Doc Severinsen.

- A shout-out to Missouri Conservationist magazine. It's available free of charge to all Missouri residents and is the best literary bargain anywhere, period. The wildlife photography in it is always of stunning, brilliant quality. I also enjoy reading about the great outdoors of our fair state!

It's Probably Not A Good Thing...

when, whilst cleaning out your kitchen pantry, you hold up a tupperware-like container of something and ask the dog, "what do you suppose this was?"

A can of peaches semi-exploded in the pantry during the night and leaked all over everything. At first I noticed a pool of yellow liquid on the floor and thought that Chili-dog had sprung an accidental leak. Then I investigated further and decided a jar of olive oil was the actual culprit. Only after finding more liquid on an upper shelf did I find the peaches. Guess I should have eaten them sooner. To my shame, I've had to throw out many items that were never opened and/or were way past their expiration date, including 3 cans of green beans and a small can of corn.

The pantry is clean and airing out now so all's well that ends well.

Theatrical...

I took in a stage play last night, something I'd not done in a very long time. My friend KW played a supporting role in a community theatre production of "Charley's Aunt." St. Charles Community College's Center Stage Theatre produced the show and did a great job. The production was just fine and my friend's performance was enjoyable. If any of my St. Louis readers have a free night this weekend, it's worth checking out!

"Walk With Me"...

I attended a singles ministry convention in Nashville, TN back in 2003. One of the seminars I attended there was given by a man named Earl Creps. At the time he was a professor at the Assemblies of God Seminary in Springfield, MO. His seminar was all about reaching "post-moderns" which was the demographic my church service was trying to reach at the time. His talk really grabbed me by the ears and opened my eyes to the validity of non-traditional methods of evangelism and from time to time I check in to see if any more of his talks are posted on his web site. Recently I clicked on one that really got me to thinking.

Check it out: "Walk With Me"

I Am First Free...

This is a video that my pal Ben produced for my church's annual "State Of The Church" service, which happened while I was in Florida last Sunday.


I am First Free from Ben Muehleisen on Vimeo.

New Gadget...

I have added a playlist of songs I created at playlist.com. It is at the bottom of the blog page and will play automatically when you call up this blog. If it gets too annoying, let me know and I'll take it off.

Sunday Night...

...and after a weekend of Florida sunshiny warm goodness, St. Louis reality feels really cold.

- flew down to sunny Florida on Friday afternoon. The occasion was the wedding of my friend DW, who is a staff missionary with Campus Crusade For Christ at their headquarters in Orlando. He met a fellow CC missionary there and, well, one thing led to another. The wedding was lots of great and I was honored to be in attendance.

- I stayed with my aunt and uncle, who live in a nearby suburb. I'd never visited them on their home turf so they were happy to have me stay the weekend. I also made the acquaintance of their Golden Retriever dog, Riley. Riley is 11 years old and a really mellow fellow these days. He's about 9 kinds of lovable, though!

- Florida loves them some toll booths! I must have spent almost $10 on tolls alone. I guess the tourists pay for their roads...smart thinking!

- My flights to and from were smooth. I flew Southwest coming and Air Tran going.

- Chili-dog stayed with my parents while I was gone. She behaved herself, I'm told.

The Tax Man Strikes Again...

So last summer when I was getting bids for the replacement windows for my house, each contractor highlighted the "$200 Tax Credit" the government would give me for installing energy-efficient windows. Well, I got the new windows. Well, I was preparing my taxes the other night and could not find the form for the tax credit. So, I called up the IRS and asked, "WHAT'S UP?"

It turns out the law that created that tax credit for 2006 and 2007 was allowed to expire for 2008! It was reinstated for 2009 in one of the economic relief stimulus bills passed late last year, but for 2008, you're out of luck. Bummer!

I'm not too broken up about it, as it's only $200 and I get a headache trying to figure out who should have known about the expiration of that law. Yeah, someone somewhere had to know about it, but who do you blame? Does it really matter?

Maybe I Should Try This!...

Catching Up...

Let's blow off the accumulated dust from this blog...

- did not blog last Sunday night for no good reason...might have been Super Bowl letdown, eh, whatever. I removed the previous post's effigy of Kurt Warner...he's a good and righteous man, a stout warrior whom fate didn't smile on last week.

- my brother had a birthday last Sunday. which means mine isn't too far off. he turned 31 and we're 4 years apart, so hmmm...who's about to be halfway through his 30s?

- the folks kept niece Lydia (grand-baby to them!) last Saturday evening and overnight until Sunday as a birthday gift to my bro. That gave him and the wifey some alone time that they don't get a lot of since Lydia came along. Plus, Lydia got to go to church and be shown off by her proud grandparents. My mom cooked up a whopper of a vegetable soup for lunch that day. My body didn't know what to hink about the sudden infusion of nutrition.

- I really need to be booking my flights to and from Florida for later this month. Wedding experts, please weigh in: how should I go about wedding gift-giving in this situation? just do a card since I'm coming in from out out of town, or have the gift sent beforehand? Please advise.

- Plumbing experts please advise: is it really possible that my gas water heater could be 25 years old? I swear, the born-on sticker on it says 1983. I've heard the This Old House plumbing expert say that they should be replaced after 7 or 8 years. Regardless, mine is still going strong.

- I am really shocked to read about and see the destruction and distress leveled upon my friends and family in the Bootheel of MO due to the recent ice storm. I can't imagine what it must be like for them. Can't help but think of my dearly departed Papaw, as well. If this had happened a year ago, he'd have been suffering in a cold, dark house.

- The weather warmed up in record-setting fashion yesterday. Chili-dog and I were lazy most of the day but did get out for a mid-afternoon hike at Buder Park and a tromp through the woods of two newly-discovered conservation areas nearby. Pictures are here.

- Facebook has re-connected me with a growing number of my old high school classmates. A mini-reunion of FHS Class of '92 was held last Saturday night after being organized on Facebook. I could not attend because I covered the night shift at work.

- No, I will not be posting a "25 Random Things About Me" on Facebook or in this space. : )

Spotted At The Super Bowl...

Credit: McGrath/Getty

Ummm....yeah!

Commanding the Night Brigade...

It's Saturday night and I'm at work covering my co-worker who took the night off. Let's hope for a quiet night, OK? My certified pre-owned laptop from Dell Financial Services arrived via FedEx today, so getting it up and running should keep me occupied most of the night.

I spent most of the day doing stuff I usually do on Sundays. Tomorrow I'll probably be lunching in Festus with the parents and bro/sis-in-law, as tomorrow is my bro's birthday. Then tomorrow night is the big Super Bowl and I'll be partying with some friends from church all night. Thus I won't be cleaning house and Dierbergs-ing. I gave the house a good cleanining (even scrubbed the tub, Mom!) and gave the dog two good walkings.

Pearls Before Swine...

Mr. Blago Goes Home...

You know they really don't like you when they vote to evict you and your extravagant coif out of the governorship THEN they take another vote to tell you to LEAVE HERE AND NEVER COME BACK.

He either really did do what he's accused of and is just off his rocker or he actually didn't do it and there's more to the story then we're being told.

Rod Blagojevich removed from office by unanimous vote of Illinois Senate

Snow Day...

The official snowfall measurement in my backyard.

Chili-dog kept a lookout for suspicious dogs.

She's a real Messy Marvin when it comes to snow-eating.

I had the day off today so I scheduled an afternoon play-date with niece Lydia:

I was pleased to see her wearing the shirt I got her for Christmas!

A Truly Bad Idea...

on the occasion of this snow day in St. Louis, I present the following YouToob goodness:

We Are The Champions...

of the Our Little Haven benefit trivia night. My table took first place out of 68 tables! We decided to donate the $400 prize back to OLH. My shining moment occurred when I was the only one at my table that somehow knew that Lori Chalupny was the St. Louisan who won a gold medal in last summer's Olympics (as a member of the U.S. women's soccer team.)

Categories were: sports movies, TV theme songs, presidential inaugurations, "The Office", battle of the sexes, are you smarter than a 5th grader, famous st. louisans, before they were stars, events of the year 1993 (when OLH was founded), and one other that I can't recall at this late hour.

Sunday Night...

- So yeah, I did my first-ever guest blog post yesterday for my pal Ben, who has been mission-tripping in Haiti since Wednesday. Ben's all about the awesome and I blogged about our awesome outdoors. My pal Katie's guest blog post was awesome, as well!

- So yeah, Garrison Keillor really did write a song about Thursday afternoon's USAir Flight 1549 excitement. He performed it on last night's Prairie Home Companion show. Lyrics and streaming audio are here. (The audio only works in the IE browser.)

- Speaking of USAir Flight 1549, gotta hand it to the pilot and his crew. The guy made the best of what could have been abject tragedy. He put that plane right down in the cold Hudson river and everybody on board lived to tell the story. I think I'll read the passenger safety card a little more closely from now on.

- I'm planning a little mini-vacation at the end of February. A friend of mine is getting married down in Orlando, Florida and he has invited me to attend. My dad's youngest brother and his wife live in the area so I'll happily fly in for a couple of days.

- So yeah, the Chicago/St. Louis/Phoenix-Glendale/Arizona Cardinals really are the NFC Champions. Ain't it funny the way things work out? The best team in the NFC's worst division is going to the Super Bowl. With a 37-year old QB at the helm. I feel happy for Kurt Warner. God's giving him another shot at glory after so many years of struggle following his previous triumph with the Rams. I loved seeing old Bill Bidwill hoist that trophy - gotta believe there was some gnashing of teeth among the old-guard civic leaders in St. Louis.

- Speaking of the Rams, they have apparently gotten the Man they wanted as their next coach. Many fans despaired when word got out that long-shot candidate Jason Garrett of the Cowboys had flown into town for a second interview Friday night. Less than 24 hours later, word leaked out that Steve Spagnuolo of the Giants would be the new coach and Garrett was quickly hustled out of town.

- Chili-dog is really gassy lately. She just is. I'll be sitting here and she'll be sitting here and suddenly she just spouts off. I'm going to try her on plain low-fat yogurt this week. The live cultures in the yogurt are said to be the best remedy for the bad bacteria that causes the gas.

- I did get over to Simpson County Park yesterday for a nice afternoon walk with the dog.

- Not much else happening 'round here lately. The temperature did bottom out right on schedule, right in the heart of January. I felt really great about that because, well, I like it when things happen when they should. It should be really, really cold in the the middle of January in the middle of America. Work's been a little crazy lately. The most recent round of layoffs within my parent company have resulted in the outsourcing of our sister publication's tech support to my company's tech support of which I am part. That will mean more work once we figure out how we're going to do it.

- A new work week starts tomorrow, folks...let's make it a good one.

Crisis Averted...

This is one of the two strips of metal strapping that attached my garage door opener to the ceiling of my garage. I was headed out to the YMCA tonight when I found that my garage door opener wouldn't open all the way. I flipped on the light and found the opener hanging precariously from just one metal strip, directly over my car. The other strip had finally given out, after at least 8 years (that broken end is where it was attached to the ceiling). I grabbed a ladder and managed to get it re-attached (with some silent prayer, thank you God!). This is when you're glad to have a Home Depot less than a mile from your house and that it's open late. I got the door opened and zipped over to buy a new strip of metal. Now it's bolted back in place securely and I am much relieved.

Phoenix Rising...

33-13....just like that the Phoenix Cardinals are in the NFC Championship game. The Phoenix Cardinals who hadn't won a game in the Eastern Time Zone in forever.

So who'd have thought one of the teams in the championship game would come out of the NFC West?

I would say Kurt Warner's must have gotten his second wind, but he's on his 4th or 5th wind by now. Your team's never out of it when a Godly man is your QB, folks.

The Beauty Of The GMAC Bowl...

From Jeff Gordon's Tipsheet blog on STLtoday.com:

Count Texas coach Mack Brown among those wondering if America needs so many bowl games.

“It is an exciting time,” Brown told The Dallas Morning News. “I see 7-5 teams throwing Gatorade on their coach.

“At Texas if we were 7-5 they would be throwing something on me, but it wouldn’t be Gatorade, I will tell you that.”

The Part Where You Let Go...

- I really like these lyrics. They're likely a conversation between two people (lovers?) but it could easily be a conversation between God and mortal man...

(as performed by Hem on "Home Again, Home Again")

When the rain breaks the road
Are you holding on
Are you holding on
To your last good day?

When the stone breaks the wheel
Are you holding on
Are you holding on
Til the stone rolls away?

And I don't know
Is this the part where you let go?
And tumbling out of a window
Is this the part where you find out
I'm there for you?

When the sun leaves the field
Are you holding on
Are you holding on
To the last sweet light?

When the flame leaves your eyes
I still see you there
I still see you there
On your darkest night.

And I don't know
Is this the part where you let go?
And sinking under a shadow
Is this the part where you find out
I'm there for you now?

As your hand's breaking free
I am holding on
I am holding on
As you've held on to me

And I don't know
Is this the part where we let go?
Tumbling out of a window
Is this the part you're there for me?

And I don't know
Is this the part where you let go?
And sinking under a shadow
Is this the part where you find out
I'm there for you?
You find out I'm there for you
You find out I'm there for you

"The Part Where You Let Go" ©2007 Dan Messé/Universal Polygram International

Defense? What Defense?

Local NCAA D-III school Fontbonne University played a home basketball game against Grinnell College (of Grinnell, Iowa) last evening. The game sort of got out of hand, as this quote from the Des Moines Register story attests:

"Grinnell set a school record with 163 points on Monday night, beating the previous best of 160 established against Martin Luther College in 2002. The Pioneers beat Fontbonne 163-145."

Yeah!

In A Year's Time...

One year ago tonight in this space, I introduced my new niece Lydia Joy Matlock

Here she is, one year later:

...safe in Granddad's arms


my birthday card and gifts to her

about to dig into her birthday cake!

January Sunset

Chili-dog and I explored Buder Park, near Valley Park, MO late this afternoon. The sky was especially delicious against the setting sun as we were leaving.

Happy 2009...

This blog took a little post-Christmas vacation because, well, I didn't have much to say.

Quick-hitters:

- Randall Goodgame is giving away his new six-song EP (a short CD) until January 5. Randall's a way cool Nashvile singer-songwriter whom you might know from his association with Caedmon's Call. The new songs deal with struggle, redemption, and hope. Get it here.

- Come see Dan Hartke at Cicero's tomorrow at 1:15. It's his first-ever solo show. He leads worship for my worship service at church and is a really neat guy.

[EDIT: DUH! The show isn't until NEXT WEEK, the 10th. Sorry for the confusion!]

- You can say Big 12 North football was weak this year, but the only Big 12 teams to win bowl games thus far have been from, you guessed it, the NORTH. Go MU, NU, KU!

- am enjoying a little vacation from work. did some shopping yesterday; found NOTHING to wear but did avail myself of a CD and DVD from Borders.

- will hike today; where to go?

- yo, Snuggie makers! I would buy your wear-able blanket, but I really don't want to go around looking like Obi-Wan Kenobi...