what a weekend

that was probably a top-10 life experience. i'll remember it for a looong time.

hanging out in viera, fl

i just had a hot dog at the fields today so i'm getting pretty hungry. i've been intentionally cheap all weekend (well, besides starbucks) and i think i'm going to go have a decent dinner at chili's or something. i've already gotten the clearance from lindsay, the collins family cfo. afterwards, i'm going to go see some movie (probably firewall with harrison ford and paul bettany). after surfing and writing in panera last nite, i went to see when a stranger calls. it was everything i expected it to be (rolls eyes). luckily it was only $7.50, but i really enjoy watching movies and i don't get to much anymore. i'm paying for the escape from reality just as much as the quality of the movie. (not that i don't like my reality!) anyways, i fly home in the morning on an early direct flight from orlando to lexington.

actual reporting and stuff

i've got four reports from spring training up on the website, nationals farm authority. it looks like i got the scoop on a big injury report since the papers are going to run it as a story tmrw.

update: the associated press has the story up now.
update2: wtop in washington picked the story up from the ap now as well.
update3: i just realized my arms are a tad sunburnt. i didn't expect that. crazy overcast skies and heavy mists of rain.

update from viera, fl

ok i just found out that panera (i'm back again, but i bought a small coffee so it's not mooching the internet this time) closes in 10 minutes so i've got to make this quick.

while at the nats spring training practice this morning, i decided i had nothing to lose. since i'm a legit writer for a legit website about the nationals' farm system, i thought i'd go in the front offices and see about a media credential. i had looked around their website and was seriously going to try to get one before going down, but i never got around to it. anyways, the asst. information director scolded me a bit for not doing it before coming down and scolded me a bit for wearning nationals gear (i was decked out in my nats knit collar shirt and gamer jacket) since journalistic integrity and objectivity requires at least an image of not being a fan of the team. however, after my admonishment, he gave me a MEDIA CRDENTIAL for today and tomorrow!! i've been hitting up my devout nats friends and bloggers for legit questions to have on hand and in my mind for when i go to the PRESS CONFERENCE in the morning and for when i have the opportunity to possibly INTERVIEW players in the locker room in the afternoon. needless to say, i was on cloud nine.

and to top it off, my class on prayer was awesome.

blogging from viera, fl

i made it. panera bread has free wifi internet and it even works in the parking lot - nice. i'm heading over to the washington nationals spring training practice for 2-3 hours and then i'll drive to my class near orlando for the afternoon. we have dinner together after class and then i'm going to come and stay in my same hotel room. that's a story in itself.

i went around to 5 hotels that were over $120 (even at midnight!) before i found a roach motel without the roaches for $54. the guy gave me a $10 discount because it was late and one of his last rooms - an old one they don't normally rent out. it was good enough for me and though the shower looked kind of scary it was actually fine. this morning i packed all of my stuff back in the car but told him i'd take the room again for tonite if i could have the discount again. done deal.

i mean if i had the family here it'd be different, but i don't need much. alright, i'll check in later when i can.

happy birthday jake!!

our son jake turns 2 today and i can't believe how time has flown. i can still remember the day we found out that we were going to be parents (~july 4th 2003 while in new jersey near the shore with friends). we hadn't even been married a year haha. he's been an incredibly good kid and a blessing to us. we love you jake.

ready to go?

well, i think i'm ready to go to orlando for my class this weekend (and to see a couple of the nats' spring training practices). i'm finishing up my homework for tmrw and my bag is packed, but you know how you always feel like you don't have everything.

i'm really going to miss lindsay and jake and she's a tad bit nervous being home alone for three nights - especially since it's scheduled to snow again (is this like an every weekend thing? this will make 3 in a row i believe). while i'll be studying prayer this weekend, say a prayer for all of us if you get a second.

jake's 2nd b-day party

we spent the weekend in knoxville for jake's second b-day party. the drive down wasn't bad and it was nice to hang out with just the family for a bit. saturday morning it had snowed so the party ended up only being people from the knoxville area. we trucked over to chuck e. cheese a bit early and you can tell how often they do these parties - our server ran a tight ship. she wasn't mean - just orderly.

the party was fun, but pretty chaotic. i spent the whole time playing daddy to jake and making sure he ate and didn't spill his drink and stuff and lindsay the local played hostess and made sure everyone was welcomed and happy. jake was very scared of chuck e. when he came around, but he really enjoyed the games and slide after the party. he wouldn't really eat the pizza (well, he'd pick off the the hamburger toppings) or the cake (!) and it was no surprise that he was hungry when we got home.

right when we got home, me and lindsay changed clothes and went on our second valentine's date - this time to the melting pot. we had been twice before, but just for desert. it was a blast! it's fondue and you have a four course meal - a cheese dip for bread and veggies, a salad, a broth type liquid for a wide variety of meats, and a chocolate for dessert - yum!

on sunday we went to church and then out to lunch with our cousin morgan's 8th birthday. it was fun, but we had to get back on the road so we could drive home in daylight. we made it home in time to watch the last 5 laps of the daytona. all that's necessary you know. lindsay was really tired from the weekend so she went on to sleep and i avoided our tivo programs by reading for my florida class (this weekend!).

i can't believe...

... that i just got to work and i've already been up for 3 hours. we're leaving right after work to go down to knoxville for jake's b-day party tmrw. thus, me and jake took lindsay to work so that we could pick her up and leave straight from there this evening. however, i've had 2 cups of coffee (and chik-fil-a!!) and i'm good to go. i'm sporting my nationals jacket today - you know, with pitchers and catchers reporting tmrw and all.

homework time

a full pot of coffee (decaf because i've finally realized that it does actually keep me awake if i drink it in the evening) and my favorite passage in the entire bible is on tap for tmrw's assignment. check it out while i break it down in a 'detailed observation'.

19 "For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" - galatians 2:19-21 (niv)

down with legalism! up with grace!

stopping to smell the roses, kickball edition

in light of my last entry, this may be an irregularly running post topic.

when i got home from work and picking up jake from preschool, it was 55 degrees and beautiful just 2-3 days removed from snow everywhere. i decided that even though there were a pile of dishes calling my name that we should play some kick(the)ball. we went back and forth across the backyard for about 30 minutes until it started getting dark (it's nice to have just a bit of light again!). through it all i soaked up the sound of the wind, the color of the sunset, the chill in the air, and my son's laughter and delight at kicking the ball. it was nice.

the future

i've been thinking about how to approach this and write about this lately, but it wasn't until class today that i had clarity on the matter. for quite some time, my life has always been focused on doing what is necessary to get to the next step in life. in middle school, i was learning to learn the right way because high school was going to be "so hard." in high school, i always had to do my bestest best and get good grades because two lower middle class single parents does not an affordable college experience make. in college, i always had to do my bestest best because everything was for real now - it wasn't just about getting a full-ride to college, it was about getting a good job to support myself and my future family.

for me, once i got that job, i was content to stay with it for that period of time because it provided great benefits and incredible stability for us newlyweds. however, for many people, that first job is just a stepping stone to the next bigger and better job and they work very hard in order to have glowing references and resume fodder. it wasn't that i wasn't looking to the future even then though. since i started both work and seminary right after college, i knew that at some point i would have to move here to ky to finish my m.div. that's just the way my school works. thus, i was always looking ahead to at least this next step, if not even further ahead.

that brings me to what's been on my mind. lately i keep thinking about what's next. i have the less clarity about "what's next" in my life than i've ever had, but i tend to think / dwell / fantasize more than i ever have. that could simply be correlated to the level of uncertainty though. it's not an anxious or worrisome thing - i mainly think about what it will be like to be a pastor and how things may work and things that we could do if we plant a church and how to adapt if we don't plant a church. i also think about whether it will be in ky or around knoxville or around nashville or in north alabama or west tn or even planting a church back in mclean, va. i think about how much episcopal / catholic liturgical stuff i can get away with in a nazarene church and i think about the kind of realizations i've had over the past few years that i want to help others to see. i think about how to add "coffee and candles" to worship services without being pretentious or attempting to be trendy. i think about how busy adults are and how i can help them incorporate a small group to their busy lives since i find a small group setting to usually be more important or at least more impacting than a corporate worship setting. i notice that at this point i've gotten into thinking about worship in general, but it is still in the context of what may happen in my future.

this brings me to my class today. yes, it's on paul's writings, but we looked at a passage in the sermon on the mount as an example for our next assignment. check out these words of jesus: "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." - matthew 6:34 (nasb). wow. it's funny how you can sometimes come across scripture that so directly relates to what your heart is dwelling on.

now don't get me wrong. everyone must at least be cognizant of their future lest they sit and stagnate in their current experience forever. however, there is something very special about our current experience. if we never relish in it and pay attention to it, it will pass us by without notice as we continue to make our way to our next stage(s) of life.

so that's it. not that i won't ponder these "next things" any more, but i'm making a conscious decision to focus on each day, each passing minute. i'll worry about... ahem, think about the next step in life when it gets closer, but for now i need to be here for 2-3 more years.

around the superbowl, there was some marino - roethlisberger conversation about living in the moment and soaking up every minute of the experience that surrounds you. i'm in seminary and i feel like the past 3.5 years of it have blitzed by while i continue to just do each assignment that comes to my doorstep and do what it takes to get by. not many people get or take this kind of opportunity. i want to get more out of this than just doing assignments and then receiving a degree. i want to be spiritually formed ever more so in the image of our Creator and i want to come out on the other side able to be a blessing to others ever more so than i was able to when i began this adventure.

happy feast of saint valentine - do something special for someone special today.

snow and chili

we got a beautiful 4" of snow this morning and we proceeded to sit around and enjoy the peaceful bright white views out of our windows while we watched some kid tv with jake. i let lindsay sleep in a bit after she had a sleepless night and i made myself runny fried eggs on toast. it was yummy, but a bit salty. lindsay doesn't usually just has a hot pocket thing in the mornings so when she got up she was fine with a bowl of cereal. we popped in in her shoes and though i didn't have high hopes, it was actually an really good story of maturing and moving on in life.

the clock rolled around to 1, we put jake down for a nap, and we had a bite of lunch (sandwich for her, last bit of leftover spaghetti for me). we laid ourselves down for a nap round about 2 and because jake talked and played in bed for an hour, he (and by proxy, we) didn't end up waking up until 5! the roads were better and we ventured out to wal-mart to get the ingredients for some chili. the recipe comes from one of my closest friends in virginia. we started at the patent office on the same day, were seated across from each other for the hr intro stuff, and have been friends ever since.

well, the chili was absolutely delicious. we've watched rachael ray and her 30 minute meals for fun for a couple of years and i've always heard her talk about using fresh ingredients, but this was one of the first times i've experienced the difference. there was just so much good flavor coming at me in every spoonful. definitely a big thumbs up.

now we're watching elizabethtown and hoping that the fresh inch of snow on the roads isn't icy in the morning so we can go to church

the week thus far

has been alright. my class is going pretty good, but i wish i had remembered to download the powerpoints for lecture since it was hard to see from the backrow where i sit so i can plug in my laptop. i neglected to mention that this isn't an exegesis class (scouring the greek), it is an inductive bible study class - fun fun! this type focus more on the structure and relationships in books and passages to uncover more depth of meaning. it should be fun as long as the work doesn't get too overloaded.

work has been interesting this week as i've been working on a couple of servers full time. my project list gets long at times, but i'm doing my best to prioritize. i've been unusually tired this week (even nodding off a few times like the good days at the pto!), but i went to bed a little early last nite and i feel great this morning. ask me again after the 10am computer support meeting and the weekly going out to eat with my coworkers.

4 things

peter tagged me and this looks interesting enough to fill out. Update: took a while to fill out and link a ton of stuff, but was fun. oh and i didn't stick to 4 items much.

four jobs i've had:
1. typesettist at a print shop @ age 15-16 (just me and my grandfather for about a year)
2. movie theater @ age 17 (everything - concessions, box office, doorman, projectionist)
2.5. network administrator @ age 20 (one man show doing nt, novell, linux for 70 node network)
3. patent examiner @ age 23-25 (staring at a computer screen all day researching and writing in response to computer processors and then computer networking patent applications)
4. network engineer @ age 26 (internet security guy maintaining connections and servers for a 1,700 student seminary)

four movies i can watch over and over:
1. back to the future (i used to always include wayne's world and big as my favorites with this, but they haven't stuck with me like bttf.)
2. lord of the rings trilogy (extended only)
3. napoleon dynamite
4. rounders or the shawshank redemption would be my final pick

(the only) four places i have lived:
1. smyrna, tn (well, nashville from birth - 4 yrs, but smyrna thru high school)
2. cookeville, tn (cookevegas for college at ttu)
3. northern virginia (arlington, annandale, and finally woodbridge)
4. nicholasville, ky

four tv shows i love to watch:
1. grey's anatomy
2. the o.c.
3. er
3.5. american idol
3.75. desperate housewives
3.875. all things real world or road rules
4. 7th heaven

four places i've vacationed:
1. virginia beach, va - our first family vacation, in september 2004
2. manasquan?, nj - our first vacation as a married couple, in july 2003
3. orlando, fl - at age 8 and on the honeymoon
4. not really a vacation, but a summer 2001 evangelistic internship took me to the following states: MI, IN, IL, MN, AZ, IL, KY, SC, TN, IA, WI, ND

four of my favourite dishes:
1. panang curry chicken or pad thai
2. general tso's chicken
3. jambalaya or gumbo
4. any pasta + any tomato sauce + any meat (spaghetti, baked ziti, do the beans in chili count as pasta?)

four sites i visit daily:
1. my google start page with all of my rss feeds (blogs and news)
2. district of baseball - washington nationals headlines
3. fictional fantasy baseball league that i'm in - the year is 1952 and the los angeles angels are my team. third best out of 20, but second in my division and only the division winners go to the playoffs.
4. gmail

four places i would rather be right now:
1. at a washington nationals game
2. in my office as a pastor of a church
3. starbucks
4. touring europe on vacation

four bloggers i am tagging (your turn!):
1. kevin
2. & 3. jason & missy
4. alicia

first day of class

in about 45 minutes, i'll start my first on-campus class during the workday. it's the pauline epistles class and though it will require a lot of work, i'm looking forward to it. then, tonite at 5:30pm i meet with my bioethics class for about 30 minutes to determine when we'll meet for class. we only have to meet for six 2-hour sessions so i've heard we'll schedule them for every other week. hopefully, it'll be in the evening and at a reasonable time so i can pick jake up and trade off with lindsay like we did last semester. since the meeting is at 5:30 tonite, i'm having to pick up jake and then take him to the meeting since lindsay doesn't get off work until 5:30. hopefully it'll take him a good portion of the time to get through a happy meal and then play with toys. it could wind up being an adventure.

i still only have six hours this semester, but i've got 3 classes - a 3 hour, a 2 hour, and a 1 hour. i've told you about the first two and the third is actually taking place on two fridays in orlando, florida. the first is feb. 24th and i'll get to see the washington nationals practice the next morning (woohoo!). i've already gotten my plane ticket for the first weekend and work is paying for the second (april 21st). i'll get to do some work at our orlando campus while i'm down there the second weekend. this class is a spiritual formation class on the broad topic of prayer. after getting my books for the class, i'm looking forward to the class even more.

superbowl weekend

dad's visit was good and we had a great time hanging out. jake especially enjoyed all the quality time. lindsay and i went on valentine's date (part 1) on saturday since we already had babysitting. it was a nice restaurant named malone's where we both got some aweseome filet mignons. valentine's date (part 2) will be at the melting pot in knoxville on feb. 18th @ 5pm when we'll be in town for jake's 2nd b-day party. if you're reading this, you're invited, but you're probably too far away for just a couple of hours of fun at chuckie cheese.

we were indecisive on whether or not to host any kind of superbowl party since we were playing hosts for the weekend, but in the end a couple of my friends from work came over to watch the game. the conversation and laughter was much better than the lackluster game and the funny but unmemorable commercials. (grey's anatomy was better.) how was your sunday evening?

flurries

yesterday morning, the weather showed precipitation for the next five days. some days rain and some snow when it gets cold enough. well, it has rained since last nite and this morning it has turned to flurries. it's a nice relaxing morning watching jake play with dad who came up last nite.

the week was another hectic one at work. one day i was working on the mail server, rebooted it, and the boot loader config file had been cleared out (as i only figured out later). luckily we have multiple linux servers set up similarly and i was able to compare and figure out how to get the server back up. however, it took a couple of hours even with the help of a colleague. that would be the end of the story, but the mail sending program's config file started up with a newer version i had been testing and it took me another couple of hours to realize that had happened and to roll back to the last config file. blech! and at the end of the day on wednesday, we found what looks to be the work of someone using our list server to relay spam. so i've been configuring a new box to use for that old one. ugh... the cycle never ends.

needless to say, i was very glad for the weekend to be here this week. it's good to have family in town and i'm having 2-3 guys from work over to watch the superbowl. they didn't have other plans and i had hoped to at least have a small gathering over for the game. i hope you enjoy your weekend as well!!

nationals farm authority

i haven't really mentioned it publicly, but last december i was asked to help out a little bit on a washington nationals blog that follows their minor league system. my main task is to keep the big board up to date, but the main guy is on a work trip so i wrote a couple of articles this week. the blog was formerly located on blogger.com, but we have now moved over to a website created by a friend that will some day be a nice collection of blogs relating to dc sports.