Monthly Archives: April 2008

Pizza Pizza

Posted on by

Tonight was CARES Pizza Night, and we had over 30 people show up! At one point early in the evening, it was so full that a small line developed, and residents who didn’t know each other sat at the same table and talked! We were very excited to have such a great turnout. I actually asked God to make sure the pizza lasted until the end because I was worried about running out. It wasn’t exactly a feeding-the-5000-type miracle, but we had enough leftover pizza to let residents take some home at the end. =)

Then, after I saw the poor Mavs get sent to the golf course for the summer, the Stars won in OT to take a 3-0 series lead against San Jose. I want to go on the record and predict that the Stanley Cup Finals will be Dallas against the Pittsburgh Penguins, and OH BABY what a series that could be!

I’m on a 3-day break officially, although I did go in Tuesday afternoon to teach a new guy how to revise the aircraft manual that I’ve been maintaining. I was a bit sick on Sunday and Monday, so I took it easy at home, watching movies and playing PS3. I’m feeling better now, though. Sleep does wonders!

Also notice my new poll at right! In the last poll on random money dropped in your lap, 8 of 18 respondents (44.4 percent) said you would pay bills with it, followed by saving it (about 4), going on vacation (3), buying something fun (2), and investing it (1), and giving it to charity (0).

A Productive Week

Posted on by

What a week! Sunday night I rejoiced as the Stars advanced to Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 5 years. We played very well and sent the defending champion Anaheim Ducks to the golf course earlier than many people expected. On Monday we took LOTS of pictures with both cameras at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens. If some of them turn out well, I might set up a gallery here for you. The little B&B (Texas White House, just south of downtown) was FABULOUS, with a comfy bed, personalized service, wonderful-smelling bath supplies, and the quaint feel of a house built in 1910. On Tuesday we watched a couple of movies (The Forbidden Kingdom and Ratatouille), played some video games, and rented a detached garage to hold Jenny’s car and our stuff. Wednesday brought me back to the tennis court for the first time in months, and I’m still a bit sore to prove it. Good times, though. Thursday was CARES Cupcake Night, featuring 3 kinds of cupcakes and good time with our residents. On Friday I played Guitar Hero III for the first time in preparation for our CARES Guitar Hero III Party on Saturday. I have a feeling I might be losing a Guitar Battle tomorrow against a teenager, but that’s OK.

In other news, we have chosen a name for BB, and his initials are still BB! Check the Baby Box page for the latest.

A Note on Comments

Posted on by

A while back I increased the security settings for blog comments. I was getting lots of automated spam comments (the manufacturers of Viagra and Cialis were apparently very concerned about my, um, well-being), so I started requiring all commenters to “register” with the site. This solution proved to be more trouble than it was worth, and no one registered. So I changed it back. All you need to do is click “Comments” at the top of the blog entry, enter your name and email address, and add your comment. No more registering! Comment away – I love hearing from you!

Vacation Time

Posted on by

We are back from Chicago after a nice trip. As usual, we met lots of great new hires, sold lots of stuff, and laughed a lot with our buds from People. This trip included a fun diversion between the new hire luncheon and the meeting that night: an unveiling party for Illinois One, our newest themed aircraft. Like the other state-themed planes, it bears an interpretation of the Illinois state flag. I actually like the plane’s version better than the flag itself. Click here to see what you think. They let us see the aircraft up close after the unveiling, so I grabbed a friend and had him take a picture that I’ve wanted for years: me in the engine.

In about 3 1/2 hours, our “vacation” will officially begin! Jenny compiled a big list of activities and goals, possibly more than we can achieve, but it’s good to aim at something. Thursday night is the Stars game. Friday is “productive day” when we wail on BB’s room and assemble some or all of his furniture. Saturday is video game day. Sunday is open. Monday is Fort Worth day, when we go hang out near Downtown. We might go to the Botanic Gardens and take lots of pictures while the flowers are blooming or the zoo and see the animals. Monday night we plan to stay at the Texas White House, a cool bed and breakfast near the gardens. Tuesday we might play in Fort Worth and then return home to relax.

Off to MDW

Posted on by

Jenny and I plan to leave for Chicago Sunday morning for the final out-of-town New Hire Luncheon and Message to the Field. The original forecast predicted rain and snow with a high around 40F and strong north winds. Apparently Chicago forgot that spring has arrived. Now they say the rain/snow will be done, but we’re still miss the PERFECT weather we’ve had here in Dallas over the last couple of days. We plan to return on Tuesday, run a CARES Spaghetti Dinner Wednesday night, and then start our “vacation” on Thursday.

In related news, the Stars have won their first two playoff games against the defending champion Anaheim Ducks IN ANAHEIM. Games 3 and 4 are scheduled for Tuesday and Thursday back in Dallas at AAC. We bought tickets to Game 4 to kick off our vacation. Woohoo!

In the Mail

Posted on by

Several pieces of snail mail I’ve received in my lifetime stand out for me, such as:

  • My first published article (a two-page on quiet times, published in a small Christian teen magazine)
  • My wait-list letter from Rice University (significant not because I still wanted to go by that point, since I’d already decided on Baylor, but because my pride wanted me to say I’d actually been accepted to Rice and not wait-listed)
  • My care packages from Mom and Dad at Baylor
  • My offer letter from Southwest
  • My first commendation letter from Colleen (SWA President)
  • My first issue of Parenting magazine (this week)

Yep, we have a trial subscription. Where’s my minivan and soccer practice schedule?