Mid Year....

I do lots of detailed planning because of work. And since my work consumes a great deal of my life, it ends up a life plan of sorts. So this is mid year review time.
How did things go the first six months of 2010? Am I satisfied with things?
As always...no, I'm not...

However, one needs to be reasonable. Some things went well. Business was actually very good. My personal life also saw some growth...I like to think. In other ways I regressed. I told Sydney I am always moving back to "even" it seems. Good thing I work on it too...or I'd be going downhill, theoretically.

Rambling....

I noticed I was "unfriended" (Via FB) by some people after I posted my thoughts on prayer. It's not a surprise to me. They are atheists...but it's strange because I directed none of that at anyone.

My dad gave me a book "The Spirit of Early Christian Thought". It's an excellent read. In the book, Saint Augustine (From maybe the fifth century after Christ??) explains that he was a part of an intellectual atheist group at one time. He started to notice (same as with most modern atheists, if you think about it) that they were better at attacking other points of view, than at defending their own...(Their ideas about life's meaning were absent, or ambiguous at best.) His disappointment in this fact lead him to investigate Christian thought...which he defends brilliantly in his writings (well, at least those referenced in "The Spirit of EC Thought", I'm making no claim to scholarship here... :-).
Interesting, really...but I'm not attacking anyone. I don't try to tell people what to believe (since I don't like people telling me what to believe either (dialog is great though)...so...

I'm actually just rambling, in a major way.

So my prayer post has been removed. I felt bad after the fact, in posting it. Prayer is intensely personal, and private and (at least in my case) belongs that way. I think I lost something (which I hope to regain in time) after I put it on this silly blog. My ideas are no longer posted.

So much for rambling...

I will do a Mid Year Review in the next week, and decide what needs to change for things to move forward...for growth...the rest of 2010. The plan is to list everything I want to change (a along list) and pick the top five...Ugh, I'm hopelessly goal oriented...

I don't plan to post any specifics, but goals have leverage when you're accountable (even casually) to someone for them...so I'll tell someone...maybe Sadie (our dog) jk... :-)

Someone will know...Sydney always knows my latest goals but we don't hold each other to keep them...unless they are specific to our relationship...because it causes unnecessary tension.

More Ramble...

I started "Outlander"...the best selling novel...it started so well. I was really enjoying the story line and the history (Scotland in the 1700s). I even went out and got a better copy of the book. It is long, and the paperback was hard to read. It was a splurge, I know...right after I bought the better copy the story degenerated into a romance novel...a total chick book...Good grief...I couldn't stand it. It looked alike a chronology of the authors (a woman) sexual fantasies...6 ft 5 Scottish soldier, who always did the right thing, and said the right thing (with the cool accent)...Blek...I also learned more about kilts that I care to know. I put the book down. Now I'm reading "Bad Things Happen". A murder mystery, that was written by a dude.

I've lost interest in World Cup since the USA got eliminated. But I still watch...and I check the Iphone app (I want a new Iphone...I'm due too, I have the original model...they don't even service it anymore.)

Is it Christmas yet???

:-)

You think you're "Tough"?

It's Tulsa Tough weekend, which is an absolutely amazing bike event. It includes rides for every skill level, beginers to Pros...no kidding. I like to watch the pros race. They should wear armor. It was rather hot, but that's how it goes in Tulsa...you gotta be "tough"...
:-)

Anyhow, other than that this is just an odds and ends post.

I flew to Dallas for a lunch meeting yesterday. That is bad planning, actually. Any delay screws it up. I get nervous as hell till I get there. Also, it's hard to really get all the time I need if I am coming back the same day. I'll drive next time, and spend the night...which sounds like much better planning to me. It takes a little longer...but not that much. We met a the Gaylord Texan, which is quite an impressive place. The atrium is huge (like a football stadium). It features an all glass ceiling (with the lone star at the top)...And, get this...it's air conditioned!! That is quite a feat in sunny, HOT Dallas Texas! It's another place I'd like to take Sydney sometime.

Luke's band had a gig at a pizza parlor...yes, you read that right, a metal band at a pizza parlor. I said he was crazy. Were they planning to to turn the volume down? NOPE!
He said it turned out to be more a venue setting, where you could order a pizza if you wanted one. There was a cover at the door, and lots of open space, etc.

His guitar strap knob broke before the show...Ugh. He said he got through it. He brings two, or three guitars to gigs. They are tuned differently (for different songs). He did not bring the third (spare) guitar to this show. Live and learn, right?

Jenny went to lake today with my outlaws...Er, I mean in-laws. Just kidding, I love them all. She had fun. I worried. She got mad at me for that...I gave unrequested instruction anyway. I love her a lot, that's all.

Max spent most of the week at a friends house. His wisdom tooth sockets are healing nicely. (His wisdom teeth were extracted last week...that's all the kids...we're done!)

He has great plans for summer. I am glad he is taking this initiative. He is doing some work for extra money. Getting in shape with P90-X (I think that's what it's called.) It's an intense old school workout. His mom (who is a person trainer) does the workout with him. In addition, he is planning extra training in martial arts. He plans to go to two church camps this summer as well.

If only I could get Luke to step up his game and make some better plans. He is working, but he could be doing more...(extra guitar lessons, get ahead in his volunteer commitments...etc.) Oh well...we are all have to find our own way, right?

Sydney and I are still trying to think of a good family vacation. (I know, it's getting kind of late...) It has to be fun...good for teens, not to close, and not too far, and reasonably priced. We will have three in college soon, so I don't want to drop five grand on a summer vacation to Disneyland or something...Yes, I am cheap...so shoot me... :-)

Tomorrow I am going to church for the first time this year. And Max is cooking burgers for the family later in the day...including some "sliders"...Yum!