- I've started a secret blog that I post to on a regular basis...
- I've been swamped with fan mail...
- I had to participate in a great and wonderful holiday...
- I was the unfortunate victim of a plumbing disaster this past weekend...
- I've been on tour with the Rolling Stones as their backup guitarist...
- I got lost on the internet and just now found my way back to Blogger...
- My No-Shave-November beard took control of my body and carried out it's own agenda...
- A pack of wild beavers stole our laptop and held it hostage until I shaved...
- I've been swamped at work because of the wonderful consumerism of the "holiday season"...
- Lately I've been reading a whole lot more than I thought I could...
- Time has been flying by and I'm not sure how to slow it down...
- I've been out shopping for all of your Christmas gifts...
Excuses
Man...I feel like such a slacker. I haven't posted anything since Nov. 17. I didn't realize it has been that long. I guess I can throw out some excuses why I haven't posted that may or may not be true. I think I will let you decide which to believe.
No-Shave November - 1/2 Way There
A little update on how no-shave November is going for me...
Day 1:
Day 15:
I have to say that I'm really doing a modified version of no-shave November because I'm keeping my neck shaved for work. I don't need to be looking all shaggy and gross going into meetings with the company's CEO and President.
Anyway, let me know what you think. I feel like I've got a pretty sweet beard going...Heather's not a big fan of it, but she is letting me do it so that's pretty cool of her. :)
Musical Monday - 11/15/10
Man this month has been super busy! I haven't really had time to think about musical mondays. It's actually made me a little sad to not write up a little something every Monday. Today should change that though.
I keep tell you that Pandora is amazing, and it never ceases to amaze me. One of my favorite channels that I have is the 'Deas Vail' channel. They are probably one of my favorite bands right now and almost every song that is played on that channel is sonic gold. I've heard a few songs by One Republic, but I hadn't heard today's song until last night while watching CSI: Miami. All of One Republic's songs are melodic and truly catchy. You know what type of catchy I'm talking about...the kind that just gets your head bouncing and your foot tapping.
Please enjoy 'Secrets' by One Republic.
I keep tell you that Pandora is amazing, and it never ceases to amaze me. One of my favorite channels that I have is the 'Deas Vail' channel. They are probably one of my favorite bands right now and almost every song that is played on that channel is sonic gold. I've heard a few songs by One Republic, but I hadn't heard today's song until last night while watching CSI: Miami. All of One Republic's songs are melodic and truly catchy. You know what type of catchy I'm talking about...the kind that just gets your head bouncing and your foot tapping.
Please enjoy 'Secrets' by One Republic.
How to: Add Lightbox to Blogger
I'm not sure if you are like me, but...don't you hate it when you click on an image on your blog or someone else's blog and it sends you to an ugly page with just the image and then you have to go back a page to continue reading...or sometimes just close out the tab by accident and never go back to the blog post? I hate that blogger doesn't have a built in image handler.
Well, today you are in luck. I've come across a little gem of a hack/plugin (I call it a hack just because it is not supported natively by blogger) that will help people stay on your blog when they click on an image to see the larger shot of it and it makes your blog look professional. :)
It's called Lightbox. It overlays an image on top of your blog with a sweet little dimming effect. Click on the image below to see what I'm talking about. (it's a huge image by the way...just click in the shadow area to close it)
Well, today you are in luck. I've come across a little gem of a hack/plugin (I call it a hack just because it is not supported natively by blogger) that will help people stay on your blog when they click on an image to see the larger shot of it and it makes your blog look professional. :)
It's called Lightbox. It overlays an image on top of your blog with a sweet little dimming effect. Click on the image below to see what I'm talking about. (it's a huge image by the way...just click in the shadow area to close it)
Awesome! Ready to get started? I'll guide you through all the steps so go ahead and open a new tab and log in to your own blogger account if you aren't already.
Step 1
Go to the 'Blogger Dashboard' if you are not already there. Now click on 'Design' and then look for 'Edit HTML' (that should be toward the top left of your screen).
Great! Now on to Step 2.
Step 2
Click into the large text area on the 'Edit HTML' page and we're going to find /head (ctrl+f and type /head). It should be highlighted. Now copy the below section of code right before the /head tag.
Like so...
Make sure your code looks like mine above. Now save the template.
Congratulations!
That's all you need to do. All of you existing images and any new images you add to your blog will now be displayed in Lightbox. You now have a fun, impressive way to display images on your blog. If you have a photo blog, this will truly help in your presentation of your pictures.
Let me know if you use this on your blog, I always love helping others out. If you need any additional help, please let me know too. Look for more helpful how-to's in the weeks to come!
Step 1
Go to the 'Blogger Dashboard' if you are not already there. Now click on 'Design' and then look for 'Edit HTML' (that should be toward the top left of your screen).
Great! Now on to Step 2.
Step 2
Click into the large text area on the 'Edit HTML' page and we're going to find /head (ctrl+f and type /head). It should be highlighted. Now copy the below section of code right before the /head tag.
Like so...
Make sure your code looks like mine above. Now save the template.
Congratulations!
That's all you need to do. All of you existing images and any new images you add to your blog will now be displayed in Lightbox. You now have a fun, impressive way to display images on your blog. If you have a photo blog, this will truly help in your presentation of your pictures.
Let me know if you use this on your blog, I always love helping others out. If you need any additional help, please let me know too. Look for more helpful how-to's in the weeks to come!
Typical Work Week
I saw this cartoon in a cubicle here at work the other day and it made me literally laugh out loud. Definitely a typical work week for many.
Musical Monday - 10/25/10
Great lyrics. Great guitar licks. Great song. Please listen and enjoy your Monday. God bless!
Musical Monday - 10/11/10
One of my recent favorite movies has one of the best soundtracks I've heard in a while. '(500) Days of Summer' is a great "love" story. You have to watch it if you haven't yet. Pay attention to the music in it...then tell me you don't love the soundtrack. I dare you! :) For today's selection I'm picking the song from the soundtrack that I feel defines the feel of the movie the most. Not the video, but the song. Every time I listen to this song I feel like I'm in the movie right at that moment. Please enjoy, 'Us' by Regina Spektor.
Star Wars Trilogy In 2 Minutes
I'm a big fan of the original trilogy of Star Wars, but only the original originals. The remakes with the extra scenes and special effects are rubbish. Don't mess with a masterpiece George! Sorry...I was getting carried away. Anyway, I found this little video that's pretty sweet. It's the original trilogy in 2 minutes...and it's all done with paper. I think George Lucas should scrape the idea of bringing all the Star Wars movies back in 3D and go with this method. Lo-fi and 2D. Enjoy!
Musical Monday - 9/27/10
A great time for me to reflect and think is when I'm washing dishes and I love to put on some tunes to help me focus on the task at hand. Last night I turned on Pandora and Heather had added a station on my phone that I had forgotten about till it started playing. JJ Heller has such a smooth voice. Every song I've heard from her is so easy on the ears. So today I thought I would share one that really caught my ear and I basically stopped washing the dishes and just listened. The version below is a live recording so there is a little less going on in the song which I think makes the song even better because you don't have as many distractions so you can really listen to the lyrics. I encourage you to stop and listen for a few minutes. Have a great Monday!
Musical Monday - 9/20/10
Have you ever heard a song and everything about it seems to work? The lyrics, the way the singer sings those lyrics, the guitar parts, the drums, the message behind the song, everything... That's what 'Your Love Never Fails' is for me. I'm a super huge fan of Jesus Culture. I love both Chris Quilala's and Kim Walker-Smith's voices. But they're only a part of what makes Jesus Culture so powerful.
1 Corinthians 13:8
2 Corinthians 9:8
The chorus just blows me away every time I sing it. No truer words could be said.
You stay the same through the ages
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night
But joy comes with the morning
Your love never changes
There may be pain in the night
But joy comes with the morning
When the oceans rage
I don't have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me
And Your love never fails
I don't have to be afraid
Because I know that You love me
And Your love never fails
I found these scriptures when I was looking up the lyrics and these are what the song is referencing:
1 Corinthians 13:8
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
2 Corinthians 9:8
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Enjoy and I pray that you have a most wonderful Monday!
Musical Monday - 9/13/10
I thought I had this week's selection picked out last week, but last night I heard a great 80s song while Heather and I were on a little date. You can't deny that A-ha's video for 'Take On Me' was ahead of it's time. I mean come on...it was 1985 and they integrated hand drawn cartoons with live action...into a music video! There probably were other's who did the same, but I love it when they shoot into their falsetto. Enjoy this lovely classic 80s tune. It's so absurdly catchy that I'll bet you won't get past the intro before your foot starts to tap.
Musical Monday - 8/30/10
If you knew me 5-10 years ago then you would know how my taste in music has changed. I haven't done a complete 180, but I've definitely mellowed out a ton. I used to be all about metal and hard rock. Now I'm more into alt-rock and indie rock. Definitely more calming, mellow tunes now a days. Does that mean I'm getting old?!?! I don't think so...well...Heather would say I am. :) Anyway, I'm definitely digging a few bands now that I wouldn't have even listened to one of their songs back in the day. Fair, Deas Vail, Death Cab For Cutie, Mae, Rogue Wave...just to name a few.
So today I wanted to introduce you to another band that I've been jamming to, Future of Forestry. They've been around since 2000, but they didn't change their name till 2006. They are a Christian alt-rock band from So Cal and they are crazy talented. The guitar playing on all of their songs is outstanding and super catchy. Every time I hear 'Speak To Me Gently' I close my eyes and my head starts to bob uncontrollably.
Try this...it'll only take 4 minutes and 10 seconds. Start the song, sit back, don't multi-task, just sit there and listen. Enjoy!
Mmmm, Pinto
Heather made Pinto tonight for dinner. I've been craving it ever since we left Costa Rica. I never thought I would crave it, but it's so good.
Musical Monday - 8/23/10
Again, I have to praise Pandora Radio. It's probably one of the greatest innovations in musical technology since the electric guitar. It's so simple too. You type in a band or song you like and it finds other bands and songs that are similar. So great!
Safetysuit is a alt-rock band from Tulsa, OK that I found while listening to my Deas Vail channel. They have a great sound and 'Apology' has a simple, yet catchy groove. Sit back and enjoy!
What Happens In CR Doesn't Stay In CR
Oh how I miss being in Costa Rica...
I'm not sure why I feel this way, but I do. I have spent less than a month there in a year, but when we arrived there this year I felt like I was home. Last year I felt a little out of place, but as the trip went on, I grew more and more comfortable with my surroundings. This year however, I felt like I had been on a long term vacation in The States. I'm not really sure I can explain the feeling of being there in the mountains surrounded by all of God's beauty. It just feels right being there.
God showed me tons while I was there. He affirmed that I was at the right job and that we, Heather and I, were on the right path with the adoption. I hadn't really been doubting that God wanted us to adopt, it was just that I was harboring feelings of disappointment. Disappointment in God not answering my prayers with the answers I wanted...how selfish of me! I wanted God to provide us a child of our own so we could experience the joy of the months leading up to having a baby. I wanted to enjoy going to the doctor and seeing Heather's face during an ultrasound. I wanted to see Heather's belly grow as the baby grew... I wanted a lot... I wanted what God didn't have in store for myself and for Heather. As I sat on top of the mountain over looking Grano de Oro, I prayed to God for clarity and confirmation. He gave it to me in the form of Vacation Bible School.
Our team had the wonderful opportunity to minister to the children of Grano de Oro for three afternoons. We played games with them, we sang songs with them, we performed skits for them, we taught them about the Bible with stories, puppets, and activities, and we gave them candy and trinkets. While we were with them, it was amazing to see them grow closer to us. At first they were stand off-ish, but after the second day they were happy to see us and wanted to be there with us. Seeing all those kids wanting to be loved reopened my eyes to the fact that there are children in this world/country/state/city that don't have a family and they don't have someone to tell them they did a good job or even give them a hug. I can't wait to complete everything on our To-Do list for the adoption. I know God is helping us through this process and I know He will walk hand in hand with us...through the good and the bad.
God can do miraculous things even when you don't realize you need them. Please be in prayer for Heather and I as we continue down the road of adoption.
Musical Monday - 8/16/10
I'm back!
I can't really say that I'm completely here though...I do believe I left my heart on the mountain top of Grano de Oro. So today's selection is for everyone that went to Costa Rica this year and for everyone we met and saw while we were down there.
Don't Stop Believing! Classic.
Musical Monday - 8/2/10
Israel Kamakawiwo'ole...
Try and say that 5 times fast. Sometimes I can't even say it once, let only 5 times. I can't get enough of this song. It's such a happy and enjoyable song. It makes me smile every time I hear it.
Israel can play a mean uke, can't he? I would love to learn how to play a ukulele. If I do get to learn how to play it, this would be one of the first songs I learned.
And since we are in Costa Rica and the official language is Spanish, I thought everyone would enjoy reading the lyrics of this awesome song.
RIP Israel! You are missed, but you will live on through your music.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Try and say that 5 times fast. Sometimes I can't even say it once, let only 5 times. I can't get enough of this song. It's such a happy and enjoyable song. It makes me smile every time I hear it.
Israel can play a mean uke, can't he? I would love to learn how to play a ukulele. If I do get to learn how to play it, this would be one of the first songs I learned.
And since we are in Costa Rica and the official language is Spanish, I thought everyone would enjoy reading the lyrics of this awesome song.
RIP Israel! You are missed, but you will live on through your music.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Costa Rica 2010
I am so ready to go back to Costa Rica this year. I can't truly express how excited and happy I am to be going back. I am really excited to see how God will use our team to bless the Jones' and the villagers in Grano de Oro. Heather and I have been truly blessed financially this year and I am in awe of that. I was concerned at the beginning of the year about coming up with the money to go, but I knew God wanted us to go and He would provide everything we needed. Truly amazed. God is good.
Stay tuned for many posts about our experiences in Costa Rica.
Musical Monday - 7/26/10
I love Pandora Radio. It's such a great way to find new bands that sound similar to bands you already know and love. I've been infatuated with two bands lately, Fair and Deas Vail. Both bands have a more mellow, indie rock sound compared to other bands that I listen to so I'm definitely on a new musical genre kick. Anyway, I was listen to my Deas Vail station on Pandora and a song came up that I loved and wanted to hear it again right then, but all I could do was write it down and find it later. So I found it and I want to share it with all of you.
The band: The Afters.
The song: All That I Am
Listen, read the lyrics, enjoy!
Musical Monday - 7/19/10
Wow...it's been a while. I'm not really sure why I took a break from Musical Mondays. I think it started with having to take a furlough the first week of July. That really threw me off for a while, but now I'm back and ready for lots of great tunes.
Today's selection comes from Leeland. 'Wake Up' is a song that will get you pumped and make you want to serve the Lord in anyway possible. It's a fairly simple song, but the message that you get from the lyrics far out weighs the simplicity of the music.
Enjoy!
Running -- Track My Progress
I'm letting everybody in on a way to track my runs and kind of keep me accountable. How far I run, where I run, how fast I run, etc. It's a pretty cool little iPhone app that syncs up with a website where you can see everything I see. I'm not sure how often I will be running, but I think my buddy and I will run a couple times a week.
We'll start tomorrow morning with a little run. It'll probably be a short, slow run just to get us back in the groove. I'll keep you posted on how we are doing here, but to see everything you can check out the link below.
Musical Monday - 6/28/10
Nothing really more can be said about 80s music besides 'really?'...I just love watching music videos from the 80s, they are absolutely amazing and entertaining. So for our last installment from 1983 is an awesome video and song from Men at Work, 'Land Down Under'. You gotta love the classic VW van in the beginning and the amazing flute playing. But my favorite part is around the 1:40 mark...what's with the fake digging, juggling, and crazy dancing?!?
Please enjoy and have a great Monday!
Musical Monday - 6/21/10
Sleeveless British flag shirt...
80s high flying split...
Snazzy mullets...
Can it be? Oh yes, it's Def Leppard! Enjoy.
Musical Monday - 6/14/10
Today's selection comes from an awesome band....The Police. You can't beat Sting singing 'Every Breath You Take Take'. This is definitely not the P. Diddy or Puff Daddy song about Biggie Smalls...a good song in it's own right, but no. The beat of this song is so infectious and learning to play the guitar part a few years back was ridiculous! I hope this song puts a little smile on your face this grand Monday morning!
Musical Tuesday - 6/1/10
It's June...JUNE!?! Already? Man I'm getting old. If you didn't know, my birthday day in June 13 and I will be the ripe old age of 27. I'll officially be in my late 20s. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but I have 13 days to come to grips.
So, during the month of June we will be on another musical journey through time and space...well, maybe just time. I've picked out some tunes from the year I was born, 1983. I hope you stick around this month and check out some epic early 80s music.
Today's selection comes to us from across the pond. Dexys Midnight Runners...who came up with that catchy name? 'Come on Eileen' is a classic 80s tune with like 8 tempo changes and some awesome falsetto singing....at least is sounds like they straining to hit some notes. You can't think of this song and not laugh because of the video they made, I mean come on guys...overalls? Really!?!
Enjoy this wonderful 1983 classic.
Musical Monday - 5/24/10
A little earlier in the year I introduced you to the band 'Fair' and I told you that I would bring them back for some of their new album...which is simply amazing... Anyway, this is a fun little video that they recorded for one of my favorite songs off the album and it's great to see them all in the studio playing the song and having fun doing it. "Walking In My Sleep" is so catchy and simple, I love it. Take a few minutes to just sit and listen to this great indie band. Have a great Monday!
Musical Monday - 5/17/10
I love giving props to local artists so today's selection is from Carlos Whittaker. Carlos works at the Buckhead campus of North Point Church in Atlanta. As his blog describes, he is the 'Director of Service Programming' now, but he previously worked at Sandals Church in Riverside, CA. All I know is, he is an amazing worship leader and his album is awesome. His first single of his debut album is simple yet profound, plus it's getting tons of air play around the southeast. I've been following Carlos for a long time now and I knew his album was coming, but I never knew I would here it on the radio...I definitely crank the volume everytime I here it come on. I love the driving beat and the cry for God is amazingly great. Take a few minutes and listen to 'Rain It Down' and head over to Carlos' blog for some great posts.
The story behind the song...
The story behind the song...
Musical Monday - 5/10/10
I feel like this week's selection needs to be laid back and free flowing so let's all take a big, deep breath and get comfy for 'The Girl From Ipanema'. I love listening to this tune, it makes me feel so carefree. Take a minute to quiet your mind so you can experience a few minutes of bliss with Astrud Gilberto at the helm.
Musical Monday - 5/3/10
Today is a special day in our household...it's my lovely wife's birthday! And to celebrate this great day we will listen to "our" song. This song was sung at our wedding and every time I hear it I smile and think of the best day of my life, the day that I got to marry my very best friend. Take a few minutes and head over to Heather's blog to say hello and happy birthday.
You Are...
more beautiful than a perfect sunset...
more precious to me than anything in the world...
a Godly woman...
a Godly wife...
my one and only love...
my rock in life...
always there for me...
always willing to do more...
always by my side...
always keeping me in check...
my life long companion...
my best friend..
a sight for sore eyes...
a wonderful wife...
more amazing than you think...
more than I deserve...
mine...
Heather.
Musical Monday - 4/26/10
What's on Dad's iPod - Part 4
It's been a crazy fast month, hasn't it? Well, to slow things down a little bit let's take a trip back to 1964 where a young group of guys recorded one of the best songs ever...in my humble opinion :) The Animals did not write The House of the Rising Sun, but they do have the most popular and recognizable version of it. The lead singer claimed that it was originally written in the 16th century, but the oldest known recording was in 1933. It's like many old folk songs, passed down generation to generation and was almost lost had it not been for a Alan Lomax, who was the curator of the Archive of American Folk Song for the Library of Congress. So let's thank Alan Lomax for keeping this song in our history and The Animals for making such a great version of the song that transcends time and genres.
The Animals - House of the Rising Sun
Musical Monday - 4/19/10
What's on Dad's iPod 3
You can't go wrong with good ol' Neil Diamond. A lot of people don't care of him, but I have to say that I'll listen to him anytime he's on. Probably his most famous song, 'Sweet Caroline', was released in 1969 and still to this day is played at many sporting events. I don't know why it is played at sporting events, but that's pretty awesome that a 40 year old song is still played regularly. In 1970, Elvis Presley covered 'Sweet Caroline' and everybody loved it so he kept it in his set list for many years. Please enjoy this classic tune and have a great Monday!
My Sweet New Monitor
Look what I got the other day! Work generously gave me a 23" Sony monitor. It's great...I can multitask like crazy now...don't know if that's a good or bad thing. :-)
Musical Monday - 4/12/10
What's On Dad's iPod: Part Duex
What can you say about Roy Orbison? I love listening to pretty much all of Roy's songs, but one of my true favorites and his most famous song is 'Pretty Woman'. Roy's voice is so entrancing; I get lost every time I listen to this song. I have to say that my favorite performance of Roy's is one from 1988, Black and White Night. I've seen this performance on PBS a few times and I can't pass it up whenever I see it on. Heather and I bought my dad the DVD and CD of 'Black and White Night' for Christmas one year and it's a great package deal.
And without further a due...
'Pretty Woman' by Roy Orbison
Garden Update
Look how big our plants from seed are now. They are really taking off and I'm stoked about getting our garden setup this weekend!
Musical Monday - 4/5/10
Well hello April! This year is just flying by, isn't it? So I decided to start a little series in April entitled, "What's Playing On Dad's iPod?" This month we will dive into my dad's iPod and see what he's listening to.
Today's selection is a great doo wop oldie from Gene Chandler. 'Duke of Earl' is a classic tune that will get you tapping your foot, almost uncontrollably. This song makes me think about when I was younger and dad, mom, my cousins, Addie and Amy, and I would go fishing we would all be in my dad's 1966 Chevy Nova (my first car by the way) and we would be jamming to all the classic oldies. We all loved hearing this song and we would all sing the backup singers parts. Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl... Memories...
Now on with the show.
Musical Monday - 3/29/10
Happy Musical Monday! Today's tune is one of the better songs off of the latest album by Relient K, 'Candlelight'. It's a fun little tune with an awesome drum beat. The best part is during the 2nd and 3rd chorus'...pay attention for the drum breaks...they put a smile on my face every time I listen to it. Have a great Monday and I hope this fun, playful tune makes this week a little bit brighter.
Musical Monday - 3/22/10
Today we are going to make a tribute to the late Leonard Cohen with Damien Rice singing a cover of 'Hallelujah'. Man, what a great tune. Damien Rice is an amazing singer/songwriter that I would put up against any other singer/songwriter from any time period. He's definitely got the chops to hang with the best of them. Anyway, take a listen to this stirring rendition of 'Hallelujah' written by Leonard Cohen and performed by Damien Rice.
Musical Monday - 3/15/10
The first time I heard Phil Wickam was when he was on tour with Mercy Me and Audio Adrenaline. He opened for them and I was mesmerized by his voice and musical style. All of his albums are chock full of amazing songs that show how much God loves each and every one of us. 'You're Beautiful' is off of his sophomore album 'Cannons'. Today's selection has been played in our worship service by Matt Ware and he puts just as much emotion in the song as Phil does. I get chills every time I hear it. I pray that you listen to this song with open ears and an open heart. Enjoy!
Gardening 102: Seed Starting
We are really excited to start our garden this year because we thoroughly enjoyed planting, weeding, picking, and eating everything in our inaugural garden last year. This time around we are going to try to start a few things from seeds instead of just buying all plants this year. Since I work at Park Seed, I have access to lots of seed varieties, seed starting accessories, and tons of horticulture knowledge that I find invaluable in our quest to lessen our grocery bills and become just a little bit greener.
To start things off, I've thrown together a few seed starting systems, thanks to one of my coworkers' help. We combined a Park Seed Windowsill Bio-Dome Seed Starter with just a few plain ol' six-packs...nothing too glamorous. I have three six-packs started right now. Two of the six-packs are filled with tomatoes, but they aren't the same variety of tomatoes. One of the varieties of tomatoes I have is an Organic seed certified by Clemson which is named 'Mater Sandwich Hybrid'. This variety is an indeterminate tomato, which produces fruit throughout the season; most of your normal tomatoes are indeterminate. The other tomato variety is a determinate, which means it will produce all of it's fruit at once. This type of tomato is great for canning, juicing, or saucing, which is why we are trying both "type" of tomatoes. The name of that tomato is 'Fabulous Hybrid'. And to round out my first run of seeds is a sweet banana pepper.
Like I said earlier, the wealth of horticulture knowledge that roams around Park Seed is crazy! I've been working here for nearly four years now and I have only gained a small grain of sands' worth. Hopefully I will be picking up more and more now that spring is here and I want us to grow as many veggies and herbs as we can. I will keep you posted on my seed starting trials and any more tidbits of gardening info that I learn.
Musical Monday - 3/8/10
I have to say that this song(s) is a nice change of pace for Musical Monday. It's a cover song...I don't think I've ever had a cover song on Musical Monday. The original songs were performed by Taylor Swift and Coldplay, but this collaboration is by Jon Schimdt. At that end of the song he explains why he combined the two songs. I first heard this song when a group drove down to Columbia, SC to attend Midtown church. Hali Harrell told me to look it up on my iPhone and I was hooked on it from then.
Cook-ay Slots
I wanted to share with you a fun little game that I found back in 2003...wow, has it been that long? Anyway, Odd Todd made this game and it is so addicting. Cook-ay Slots is a classic Vegas style slot game, but with loads of hilarious twists. You'll have to play it to really get the entire effect. I love almost everything about this little gem. Especially the sound effects. They are hilarious! Another great easter egg is when you click on the little cook-ay that the guy is holding located on the top of the slot machine. Just listen...it's awesome! Oh, and you have to play until you get three lobsters. That is my favorite part. 'You got the lobster!' Classic.
Have fun playing Cook-ay Slots!
Musical Monday - 3/1/10
This week's selections is from the indie rock band, (I'm digging a bunch of indie rock music right now) Deas Vail. The band name, Deas Vail, is a combination of Latin and old French that roughly translates to 'Humble Servant of God'. They have been together since 2003 and have released five albums to date. Recently they signed to Mono vs. Stereo record label that is ran by Relient K. Their latest album is 'Birds & Cages' and it is a magnificent listen. It's a great album to put on in the background and just jam. It's filled with great piano licks and awesome vocals.
Take a listen to 'Birds' featuring Matt Thiessen from Relient K.
World's Fastest Car - Bugatti Veyron
Like most guys, I'm obsessed with speed. The faster the better. One of my favorite tv shows is Top Gear. Top Gear is a BBC show that tests supercars, performs crazy stunts, and lets stars race around a track in a "reasonably priced" car. (it's a horrible low-end Chevy)
Anyway, in this clip, they set out to top out the fastest car in the world, the Bugatti Veyron. It supposedly tops out at 253 MPH. That's crazy fast! It has a whopping 1001 hp to boot! I would love to drive a Veyron, but sadly I can't quite afford one. Also, there were only 220 Veyrons made in the 3 years it was produced. It is priced at a lovely $1.7 Million!
Please enjoy this great clip as Captain Slow, James May, attempts to go faster than anyone has ever gone in a street legal car.
Anyway, in this clip, they set out to top out the fastest car in the world, the Bugatti Veyron. It supposedly tops out at 253 MPH. That's crazy fast! It has a whopping 1001 hp to boot! I would love to drive a Veyron, but sadly I can't quite afford one. Also, there were only 220 Veyrons made in the 3 years it was produced. It is priced at a lovely $1.7 Million!
Please enjoy this great clip as Captain Slow, James May, attempts to go faster than anyone has ever gone in a street legal car.
Musical Monday - 2/22/10
This weeks selection is a song from one of the best movies ever! Well...maybe not ever, but it is an awesome movie. 'O Brother Where Art There?' is a funny and entertaining portrayal of Homer's 'Odyssey'. The soundtrack from 'O Brother' is such a great collection of songs. I love every song in the movie, but of course the best song in the move is the great tune, 'Man of Constant Sorrow' by The Soggy Bottom Boys. This song makes me grin every time I hear it. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Do I Need New Tires?
What do you think? Do I need new tires?
That's what I thought...nah, they're good for a few thousand more miles. Not really. I felt like I was driving a race car with my street slicks. Don't worry though, I got some better tires yesterday.
Musical Monday - 2/15/10
For this edition of Musical Monday I want to introduce an indie/alternative Christian band from Tooth & Nail records, Fair. They are a great band who just put out their sophomore album last Tuesday, which is amazing but I'm going to introduce to you one of the first songs I heard from them. Listen to how the lead singer's voice is so hypnotic and infectious. I could listen to both their albums on repeat all day long. The albums are so smooth and catchy. Take a few minutes and listen to 'Carelessness' by Fair and if you want to check out the rest of the album, you can go to lala.com and listen to the album in it's entirety once before you have to buy it.
Video About Jad Dean
This video was made by NewSpring church in Anderson, SC. It's Jad Dean, a Greenwood native and former kicker for Clemson a few years back, talking about how the kick he missed wide left at the end of a USC vs Clemson game changed his life. It's an amazing video and you can feel how humbling the experience was for Jad and how much God's love has changed his life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Wide Left Saved My Soul - Jad Dean
Where Have I Been?
Whoa! Where have I been? Well, quick summary of why I haven't posted in a long, long, long time. We went to Costa Rica last summer on a missions trip (which was powerful and life-altering) and while I was there I felt like God told me to back off of a few "extras" that were taking time away from way more important things like my wife, friends, family, and church. Obviously one of those things was this blog. Even though it wasn't taking up very much time, it wasn't adding to my introverted nature. You may not think I am an introvert, but I am. I'm not an extreme introvert, but sometimes/most of the time I would let myself drift into the background and just "hang out" with myself. Don't get the idea that I am hurting for interaction or that I'm crazy...it's just something God showed me on the Costa Rica trip that I wanted to change. (If you want to know more, just ask me...I don't have enough time to type it all out :-) Maybe introvert isn't the correct term, but that's what I'm going with. Anyway, I have been pushing myself to change. Change is good. Change is hard. But, I can see a difference in my life. I'm not completely changed as sometimes I'll feel myself drift back into old habits, but God is changing me.
Isn't it crazy how God works? He shows you flaws that you have that you don't even know about and He works on you even though you may not know it. I didn't really know I was changing that much, but I knew He was helping me along the way. It hasn't happened overnight, but God has definitely shown me a new side of myself that I love and enjoy.
So what does all that have to do with this blog? I've come to the conclusion that this blog can be an outlet of new and wonderful things...more intimate and important topics instead of just music and random musings. Don't worry, I'll bring back the Musical Monday's soon...I can't let the music fade, it's such a big part of me that I can't let it go. My posts may not be as frequent as some blogs, but I'm going to give it an honest effort to bring you along the journey that is called my life.
Won't you join me?
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