Author Archives: Andy

A Week Off = Awesome

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As of this morning, I’m off for seven days and plan not to dispatch a single aircraft until next Sunday night. (Or maybe Saturday night if they offer overtime) This should be a great week because…

  • I plan to go get my new bike on Monday or Wednesday. I’ve decided on the Specialized Sirrus Elite hybrid and just need to figure out which size frame would fit me best. Richardson Bike Mart has both the large and extra-large frame in stock, so I hope to try both and bring home the winner.

  • Tuesday is Daddy Day, which means I watch the boys all day while Jenny gets some time off. We might play in the park in the morning before it gets too hot. Then our home group meets that night. We’re currently halfway through Donald Miller’s Searching for God Knows What, which has prompted several interesting discussions.
  • On Thursday Jenny and I will cheer on the Rangers thanks to a BOGO coupon that Carter Bloodcare gave me. This will be our first and probably only baseball game of the season. Earlier that day, we’ll have lunch with my family.
  • On Friday we’ll drop the boys off with Jenny’s mom and drive down to Waco for the Baylor-TCU football game. Our friends the Seastrunks are going with us. Mr. Seastrunk went to TCU for grad school. Last year we all attended the Baylor-TCU game in Fort Worth, sitting in in a sea of purple. (We don’t need to discuss the outcome of that game) This year we’re making them sit in the Baylor section. We booked a cool B&B called The Cotton Palace for that night. We might visit the Baylor Bookstore or run the Bear Trail while we’re there. Sic ‘Em, Bears!!!
  • On Saturday we’ll enjoy a quick breakfast at the inn, rush to the Mid-lo to pick up the boys and put on their pirate costumes, and continue to Grand Prairie for my niece Reagan’s third birthday party. She has decreed that her party shall be a princess party, but apparently pirate costumes are acceptable substitutes for the boys on the guest list.

At some point during all this fun, there will also be at least one or two naps.

Random Facts About Me (and YOU?) for August 2011

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OK, I’ll make you a deal. If I can come up with 10 more random facts about me, you have to post 10 random facts about yourself. Sound good? Great.

  • I hate pickles. On occasion I forget to tell the person behind the counter at Chick-Fil-A that I hate pickles, and my chicken sandwich gets contaminated. Then I am sad.
  • I judge businesses largely by their websites and their responsiveness to email. If a business is going to spend the time and money to build a website, it should be well-designed, professional-looking, and capable of telling me almost anything I want to know as a customer. If I email the business, I want a response within 1 business day that answers the specific questions I ask. These are big demands, but I’m very impressed when a business meets them. I emailed two bike shops this week, and both failed. One never responded at all. The other responded quickly but obviously didn’t read my email closely. I wrote back but haven’t heard from it since.
  • I hate to sweat unless I’m working out. That’s largely because I’m paranoid about body odor for some reason. Please, Lord, let me never be THAT GUY.
  • I once urinated in public. Next to a cop car. While on a ride-along with a cop. He was looking for bad guys, and I was about to explode, so I went for it.
  • Despite my view that he’s taking way too much credit for our state’s comparative economic health, and largely because many people believe those claims, I predict that Rick Perry will win the White House next fall.
  • After feeling convicted during a church retreat, I came home and destroyed my Nine Inch Nails CDs. A decade later I changed my mind and bought back my favorite NIN song (“Wish”) on iTunes.
  • When I’m stressed or depressed, I tend to comfort myself with food, especially sweets. Fortunately, I was blessed with my mom’s metabolism and a life that isn’t terribly stressful most of the time.
  • Something about the idea of rank appeals to me, especially in a military context. Maybe it’s the chance for a career progression and always having something to work toward. I enjoy studying the military ranking system and comparing it across the different branches, such as the equivalency of a Navy Captain to an Air Force Colonel. Yet I also find a rigid ranking system a bit risky. Being ranked higher than someone else doesn’t automatically make that person right, yet it gives him/her the ability to issue orders.
  • I’m really, really glad I’m not a politician. So is my wife. And my mom.
  • I wish I could have a Groundhog Day in which I could experiment with all sorts of different interpersonal scenarios and wild adventures, sorta like a Choose Your Own Adventure book. I would definitely do some stupid things like going streaking at a Ranger game or trying to eat the 72oz steak at the Big Texan in Amarillo, but I would also try having the same conversation in different ways to see what works best, how fast I could drive on the freeway without wrecking, and how it would feel to tell off a coworker who gets on my nerves. I would probably drink more milkshakes, too.

Jonathan’s Toddler Bed

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Jonathan, as young men his age generally do, has figured out how to escape from his crib. He first succeeded a couple of weeks ago at around 19 months old. He did it twice this week, so Jenny and I decided it was time to remove the front wall of his crib like we’d done with Brenden. Jonathan loves running at Brenden’s bunk bed full-speed and flopping onto it, so we figured he might do the same with his own once we converted it to a toddler bed. Here’s the video of his first encounter:

On his first night in the “new” bed, he pulled his blanket, pillow, and pacifiers off and carried them over to the door, where he eventually fell asleep for a while. Then around 9:30pm he suddenly woke up and got scared because he didn’t know where he was. Jenny put him back in the bed, which seemed to do the trick.

“This Whole Class is Jammed with Ignorance!”

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Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot. — Anonymous

What does it take to become an expert in something? What does it take to convince others you are an expert? Formal education? A certain number of years working in a field? Reading enough books? Memorizing sound bites and talking points from others?

Many people seem to find it easy to speak authoritatively on a variety of topics. Political pundits and politicians throw out simple solutions to major economic problems like the budget deficit or Social Security. Every fall we hear football fans criticize the coaches, players, and officials from the weekend’s games. Strangers offer unsolicited advice to pregnant women and new mothers at the grocery store. Religious protesters carry signs at funerals and courthouses to defend their interpretations of Scripture.

In some cases, the people involved actually know what they’re talking about, providing a legitimate expert opinion. Perhaps the politician was an economics professor prior to joining Congress, or the Monday morning quarterback spent twenty years coaching college football. But as you’ve surely seen, it’s just as easy, if not easier, for people to throw around their opinions when they don’t really have a clue.

I’ve done it. I’ll bet you’ve done it, too. It makes us feel good to have people listen to our opinions, founded or unfounded. It helps keep the conversation moving when different people can offer different views with conviction. Saying “I don’t know enough on that topic to have an opinion” doesn’t produce an interesting debate. But in many situations, it’s a much more honest response.

I think the world is much too complex for anyone to be a true expert on more than a few topics. We rarely know as much as we think we know or pretend to know. One of my pet peeves is know-it-alls who love to show off their knowledge and have passionate opinions on everything based primarily on a few talking points they heard from some so-called expert. One of the reasons I like to blog is the opportunity to explore new ideas with all of you without having to pretend to be an expert. I don’t really think I’m an expert on anything. The truth is, I’m pretty ignorant on many topics, even if I don’t advertise it. And so are you, whether you realize/admit it or not.

Just for fun, here are a few different topics, my highly biased estimated level of competence, and where I got my knowledge or lack thereof:

Expert – JACK SQUAT!

Very Knowledgeable –

  • Writing – BA in writing from Baylor University, years of blogging, various writing jobs, a few minor publications
  • Part 121 flight dispatching (domestic only) – 6.5 years on the job
  • Um…um…surely there’s something else…right???

Knowledgeable –

  • Tennis – Years of playing and watching including time on my high school varsity team. Oh yeah, plus a Beginning Tennis course at Baylor =)
  • Business – MBA from Embry-Riddle, time in various jobs. Strangely enough, my MBA would qualify me to teach at the college level at some schools even though I’m far from an expert on any business field.
  • Christianity – Nearly 20 years as a Christian attending various churches, lots of reading and self-study. At first I wanted to file this one under “Very Knowledgeable”, but I still feel like it’s a dense fog after all these years.

Fairly Ignorant

  • Parenting – Yes, I’m a father of two. But I feel like I’m learning as I go and have little to offer in terms of parenting advice. What works for my kids might not work for yours.
  • Soccer – I know there are two teams, a ball, and generally low scores, at least at the pro level. And the rules are kinda like hockey rules. That’s about it.
  • Cycling – My new hobby is a whole new world of terminology, particularly with regard to the equipment. I haven’t really gotten into technique yet.

Completely Ignorant

  • What Goes On Inside My Children’s Heads
  • The Secret to Rick Perry’s Hair
  • The Short-Lived Backwards Jeans Movement in the 1990s. Darn you, Kris Kross!

So, in light of my profoundly limited knowledge on the majority of the topics in existence, I am trying to be more careful when offering my knowledge or opinions. It won’t win me a $10 million TV deal as a political pundit, but at least (I hope!) I won’t lead you astray or make you facepalm.

New Wheels?

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In June I told you about my new fitness adventure, a weekly bicycle ride. I kept it up for a few weeks and had a great time. A couple of weeks ago, I borrowed my brother-in-law’s newer mountain bike and was pleasantly surprised at how much lighter and smoother it was compared to mine. After that, I knew it was only a matter of time before I went bike shopping. I just wasn’t sure when, or where, or for what.

Unfortunately, during last week’s ride my old, long-neglected mountain bike forced my hand by kicking the bucket. Well, that’s not entirely true, but its rear brakes suddenly sound like metal fingernails on a chalkboard, both tires are dryrotting, and the rear tire went flat a mile from my house, which made for a long walk home in the August heat. As with an old car you plan to replace, I don’t want to spend any more money on this one.

So now I have the intimidating but pleasant task of shopping for a new bike. I want something that’s fairly light but suitable for both roads and semi-smooth trails. Neither racing nor off-road riding really appeals to me. Someday I hope to ride with Jenny and the boys in the many parks near our house. So my best bet seems to be a hybrid bike, which attempts to combine the sturdiness, comfort, and flat handlebars of a mountain bike with the lighter weight and speed of a road bike. Possibilities include models from Trek, Specialized, and Giant. Apparently, each bike shop only sells certain models, so sometime soon I plan to visit two local bike shops for test rides.

According to my recent exercise poll, exercise isn’t really popular among my readers. =) But if any of you ride, I’d love to hear any thoughts you have.

Time to Move

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'Mt. Rainier viewed from Upper Tipsoo Lake near Chinook Pass' photo (c) 2009, Frank Kovalchek - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Suppose you had to move to another state. I don’t know why, just go with it. You can take your friends and family with you if you’d like or leave them behind, but the moving van is coming to hauling off all your stuff. Where would you go and why?

Although many places appeal to me for various reasons, I think I would pick Washington, probably in the Seattle area. Why Washington?

  • Cool, humid climate – no 30-day stretches in the oven of Texas every summer
  • Outdoor-oriented culture – bike-friendly with lots of trails and beautiful scenery to watch
  • Personality is more important than appearance – women don’t put on full makeup for a trip to the gym in fear that “someone might see them!!”
  • The locals view the earth as a gift to enjoy and protect rather than a resource to exploit and waste
  • Politically, I would fit in better there, and perhaps spiritually as well
  • They build airplanes up there. Big ones!
  • Did I mention the beautiful scenery? And the mountains?
  • Easy access to an Alaskan cruise
  • Several wineries in the area produce excellent rieslings

Unfortunately, the cost of living is significantly higher there, and all the precip might get old after a while. I would also seriously consider Colorado, which also has beautiful scenery with a similar cost of living to ours, or Missouri, which fits my personality and has a great school system for the boys.

Where would you go?

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