State of the Country Address...

Instead of typing/cutting & pasting...I will just pass along a link. Head over to my mother in-law's page, Ann, and read this letter...it is worthwhile.

http://annb1129.blogspot.com/2007/05/state-of-country-address.html

Boring for You - Cool to Me

As some of you might know, I am a Computer/Network Technician in Oklahoma. I work out of Oklahoma City but travel all over the state. We have been involved in some interesting accounts, though 85-90% of our business involves school districts across the state. I have been to Dallas to do some work at Ross Perot's business a few years ago. I have worked on Kelly Ogle's computer, and Brad Edwards had brought his computer in the shop once before. Now, I am working on Clay Bennett's new computer...the owner of the Seattle SuperSonics and chairman of Dorchester Capital in OKC. After it is ready, this afternoon around 1pm I am taking it to install in his office. I hope he is here today...but I figure he is up in Seattle. I'll let you know!

Wordless Wednesday - Another Reason To Be Afraid of Water!







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Survey Says...

What were you doing 10 years ago?
May 1997...I was finishing up my Junior year of high school. I was working for Mid-Del Schools that entire summer doing inventory.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
Well...that is an easy question. Liz and I were about to get married...our one year anniversary is June 11th!! I can't believe time has gone by so fast.

Five snacks you enjoy:
1. buttered popcorn
2. pretzels
3. tostitos with cheese sauce
4. Original Ruffles with french onion dip
5. salted peanuts

Five songs that you know all the lyrics:
1. so many worship music songs (hymn or contemporary)
2. pretty much any Dave Matthews Band songs
3. Hear You Me - Jimmy Eat World
4. How To Save A Life - The Fray
5. Grow Old With You - Adam Sandler

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
1. Give to LifeChurch/mission work
2. Get out of debt
3. Travel to some destinations we'd like to go see
4. Buy a different house with some land
5. Not only give to missions, but go do some mission work, too.

Five bad habits:
1. excessive eating
2. not exercising
3. not spending enough time with God one-on-one
4. not leading my family in prayer/devotional time
5. not reading/studying

Five things you like doing:
1. cuddling up with my wife
2. playing football
3. playing basketball
4. watching football (especially those OU Sooners!)
5. getting together with family

Five things you would never wear again:
1. Anything in a small size.
2. Anything medium, too.
3. Probably even anything with a large tag on it, as well.
4. socks with stripe around it
5. the makeup/wig that I wore, so Addy could have a few minutes of pleasure (pics on my wife's blog, too)....something tells me it won't be the last time, even though I don't care for it.

Five favorite toys:
1. bed
2. laptop
3. tv
4. xbox 360
5. basketball goal (with a basketball, of course)

Something To Think About - Just Let Go

At church this past Sunday, I heard a really good illustration that I thought I would pass along. It has really stuck with me ever since I heard the story. Here it is:

The "South Indian Monkey Trap" was developed by villagers to catch the ever-present and numerous small monkeys in that part of the world. It involves a hollowed-out coconut chained to a stake. The coconut has some rice inside which can be seen through a small hole. The hole is just big enough so that the monkey can put his hand in, but too small for his fist to come out after he has grabbed the rice.
Tempted by the rice, the monkey reaches in and is suddenly trapped. He is not able to see that it is his own fist that traps him, his own desire for the rice. He rigidly holds on to the rice, because he values it. He cannot let go and by doing so retain his freedom. So the trap works and the villagers capture him.

That really sticks out in my mind...what are we holding onto in our lives? We can free ourselves, if we were just willing to let go of "what we think we really need".

The Weekend - Happy Memorial Day!

It has been a pretty good weekend. Liz had a CPR/First Aid class for DHS (for her in-home daycare), so she had to take off work from the wedding chapel this weekend. It was nice to spend some extra time with her!! Meanwhile, Addy spent Thursday night, Friday night, and Saturday night with her grandma.

Friday night, Liz and I met my parents, aunt Carol, and my niece Kayla for dinner. Kayla lives with my parents for a couple more weeks...my sister got a job in Arizona and Kayla was finishing out the school year with my parents. Anyway, (back on subject) after dinner they all came over to our house so Liz could cut Kayla's hair. Her hair is so thick and it just wasn't looking good...my wife is so good with hair (better than she gives herself credit for) because it looked amazing! After they left, we were exhausted and ready for bed. We got cleaned up and hit the sack.

Saturday, Liz had to get up early (especially for a Saturday) and head up to OKC for her class. She had a class from 9-5, but it was on the same weekend as an art festival (the building the class was in was right in the middle of the festival). She allowed herself some extra time to park and find the building. While she was at work, I did some shoveling of the dirt (the remains of the landscape removal), cleaned the kitchen, took all the trash out, and did some laundry. I was getting ready to start another project around the house about 2:30 (thinking I still had some time) when Liz called saying they got let out a little early. We were planning on going to my parents' house when she got home, so that was cool that we would get to spend a little extra time out there. It seems like we don't get to spend too much time with them, simply because we are always so stinkin' busy. Liz got here, we took a few minutes to relax and headed out to their place in Blanchard. My parents were cooking us a wonderful meal...they are such spoilers because they let us pick whatever we want to eat. They cooked us a brisket, baked beans, mashed potatoes (for me)/potatoe salad (for them), and rolls....it is soooo good!!! After dinner, we played a game of cards.....Continental Rummy, our favorite game! After cards, we thought we were ready to go....3 hours later after visiting/talking in the living room, we finally made it out of there.

Sunday, we got up and got ready for church. I was so happy and excited because Kayla and my dad were going to LifeChurch with us this morning. We picked my dad up at their church, then went to pick up Kayla (who spent the night at a friend's house), and headed up to church. We had a total of Kayla, my dad, Liz's mom, Liz's dad, Liz's brother, Addy, Liz, and myself...quite the group! After church, I asked both Kayla and my dad what their thoughts were. Kayla really enjoyed her class...I was happy to hear she liked it. I really wasn't sure what all the kids (in that age) did during class. My dad said it was alright, he thought the music was too loud and you couldn't hear the people singing over the instruments. I see that as mixed...people are sometimes worried to truly worship because they are worried what their voice sounds like. After church, my mom and Carol picked up Kayla and dad from church. Addy, Liz, and myself went out to Liz's family's house for a cook-out. The food was so good....I love food cooked on the grill. We finally made home for the evening. We took Addy out to ride on her bicycle for awhile...during which we had a coupel ducks follow us home. We fed them some bread, which I'm sure they loved!

It was a pretty good weekend, and it isn't over yet!! We are all off tomorrow for Memorial Day. We don't really have any plans yet. We will probably go to the park for a little bit, and we will probably also get some work done on the house. We want to get as much done before it gets too freakin' hot! We hate the heat! Well, I will let you know what we ended up doing with our extra day off.

Appetizer
Name a sound you like to hear.
I have a few....I like listening to my wife sing, I like hearing amazing musicians play their instruments, the sound of the crowd at an OU football game. Those are all favorites of mine. There are many times when my favorite sound is just peace and quiet...I enjoy silence.

Soup
What is your favorite kind of cheese?
Wow...I love cheese!! Cheese is good...can't think of a favorite!

Salad
Do you sleep late on Saturday mornings? Why or why not?
I don't sleep very late...well, later than I do on weekdays for sure. I am usually waking up about 8 or 9 in the morning on the weekends.

Main Course
When was the last time you forgot something? What was it, and how long did it take to remember it?
I am like my wife...I tend to forget things. My memory used to be perfect...I could remember the smallest detail. Every since I turned 26, like my wife, I feel like I am 62 in that area. I don't remember conversations that my wife swears we had and other things, too. I have to really pay attention to what is going on, in order to remember it later. I used to be able to do other things and remember stuff...now I have to focus. The last two mornings I forgot to take the trash out. I almost forgot to set the trash cans outside to be picked up today, but I somehow remembered that as I was pulling out of the driveway. I was running late, and I didn't have enough time to run back inside to get the trash bag out of the kitchen. I am just feeling old!

Dessert
Fill in the blank: I notice ____________ when _____________.
I notice it is about time for football practices when my birthday arrives on July 29th.

If you'd like to participate, visit Friday's Feast. Also, please leave me a comment so I can head over to your place and enjoy your feast as well.

Dangerous Church

In light of the topic recently about contemporary versus traditional churches, I looked up church in Pastor Craig's messages. I found this one that stood out to me. I don't want to be a part of a "safe" church...which "strives to keep members happy", "avoids controversial issues", and "remains cautious". That last one stands out to me...."we've never done anything like that before"....yes, you've heard it all too many times. What if we took the "we don't do that here" approach and instead asked God how He would like it done?

Watch the message and find out why God didn't intend for the church to play it "safe". God has called us to GO into the world and teach people about the salvation that our gracious Lord provides...I think we should do whatever it takes to get that message to the people. Sometimes that even means thinking outside the box and being creative...to get the message to people that wouldn't normally attend church (unlike what many churches do...build a building and hope they come to you).

A Little Marriage Humor...20 Jokes

1. My wife and I have the secret to making a marriage last. Two times a week, we go to a nice restaurant, have a little wine, some good food and companionship. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays.

2. We also sleep in separate beds. Hers is in Sydney and mine is in Melbourne.

3. I take my wife everywhere, but she keeps finding her way back.

4. I asked my wife where she wanted to go for our anniversary. "Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said. So I suggested the kitchen.

5. We always hold hands. If I let go, she shops.

6. She has an electric blender, electric toaster and electric bread maker. Then she said, "There are too many gadgets and no place to sit down!". So I bought her an electric chair.

7. Remember.... Marriage is the number one cause of divorce. Statistically, 100% of all divorces started with marriage.

8. I married Miss Right. I just didn't know her first name was Always.

9. I haven't spoken to my wife for 18 months. I don't like to interrupt her.

10. The last fight was my fault. My wife asked, "What's on the TV?"....I said, "Dust!"

11. In the beginning, God created earth and rested. Then God created man and rested. Then God created woman. Since then, neither God nor man has rested.

12. Why do men die before their wives? 'Because they want to'

13. Getting married is very much like going to a restaurant with friends. You order what you want, then when you see what the other person has, you wish you had ordered that.

14. At the cocktail party, one woman said to another, "Aren't you wearing your wedding ring on the wrong finger?" The other replied, "Yes, I am, I married the wrong man."

15. After a quarrel, a husband said to his wife, "You know, I was a fool when I married you." She replied, "Yes, dear, but I was in love and didn't notice."

16. A lady inserted an 'ad' in the classifieds: "Husband wanted". Next day she received a hundred letters. They all said the same thing: "You can have mine."

17. The bride, upon her engagement, went to her mother and said, "I've found a man just like dad!" Her mother replied, "So what do you want from me, sympathy?"

18. When a woman steals your husband, there is no better revenge than to let her keep him.

19. A little boy asked his father, "Daddy, how much does it cost to get married?" And the father replied, "I don't know son, I'm still paying."

20. First guy (proudly): "My wife's an angel!" Second guy: "You're lucky, mine's still alive."

Wordless Wednesday - Free Cat!





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Traditional versus Contemporary Churches...

I have been reading a discussion on another blog about church. They talked about their experience last week at a "contemporary" church and seem to be kinda critical about the fact that they put so much into getting "warm bodies" there. They said they spend too much money on church advertising and doing what it takes to get people in the doors.

Isn't that the point? Get the word to the people! Why don't we use the internet, live worship bands, donuts, moonbounces, etc. to reach the people that wouldn't normally go to any church.

I can understand liking a more traditional setting, too. I grew up in those type of churches. It is hard to reach the lost in those type of churches, too. You can reach them...yes. Mostly, you look at the attendance at the "traditional" churches and it is mostly people that have already accepted Christ in their lives.

My point isn't to bad mouth one style of church versus the other....it is all the family of God. My entire point behind this post is just that. If you don't like one style versus the other...don't criticize it....just don't attend. You can find one that fits your style. How can we criticize anything that is reaching people and bringing people to Christ? If one (yet alone thousands) have found Christ in either style church....how is it wrong!?!?

LifeChurch - On MSNBC

My church was featured on MSNBC in regards to using technology to reach the world. Jesus said to "go into the world" and not "build a building and hope they come to you". I think we should use all the "tools" we can to get the word and message out to the people. Check it out...

http://video.msn.com/v/us/fv/msnbc/fv.htm??f=00&g=003d2240-7893-4d6e-b5b6-735dd9ce5f07&p=hotvideo_m_edpicks&t=c24&rf=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/&fg=

10 things your restaurant won't tell you...

1. "It's more about the sizzle than the steak."
Business is good for the restaurant industry. Americans now spend roughly half their food budget dining out, and restaurants expect revenue of more than $537 billion in 2007. That's a 67% increase since 1997. It's not just our collective avoidance of the kitchen that's pumping profits: Restaurants work every angle these days, using marketing psychology to get you to spend more. Fast-food outlets even use a high-stimulus environment to maximize the source of their profit. Specifically, the use of bright light, bright colors, upbeat music and seating that does not encourage lolling. Even the menus are rigged. "We list the item that makes the most profit first so it catches your eye," says restaurant consultant Linda Lipsky, "and bury the highest-cost item in the middle."

2. "Eating here could make you sick."
The 2006 E. coli outbreak that started at a New Jersey Taco Bell and sickened more than 60 people was traced to green onions. But food-borne illness isn't the only cause for concern: In a separate December incident, 373 people in Indianapolis got sick after eating at an Olive Garden where three employees tested positive for the highly contagious norovirus. "You don't call out (sick) unless you're on your deathbed," says freelance chef Leah Grossman. Indeed, according to a recent study, 58% of salaried New York City restaurant workers reported going to work when sick; the number is even higher for those without benefits. They're not giving up the $100 they'd make in a shift because they're sick.

3. "Our markups are ridiculous."
It's no secret that restaurants enjoy huge markups on certain items: Coffee, tea and sodas, for example, typically cost restaurants 15 to 20 cents per serving, and pasta, which costs pennies, can be dressed up with more expensive fare and sold for $25 a dish or more. At a fine-dining restaurant, the average cost of food is 38% to 42% of the menu price, says Kevin Moll, the CEO and president of National Food Service Advisors. In other words, most restaurants are making roughly 60% on anything they serve.

4. "Big Brother is watching you . . . eat."
No one likes having their every move scrutinized, but that may be just what's happening at your favorite restaurant. Cameras are popping up everywhere, from four-star eateries to the place where you grab your lunchtime sandwich. At New York City's four-star Daniel, for example, four closed-circuit cameras monitor the dining rooms, offering a bird's-eye view of every plate.
"It's about maintaining a quality of service," says Daniel spokeswoman Georgette Farkas. "With the cameras, the chef can tell when each course needs to be plated and served." So much for that romantic dinner for two.

5. "There's something fishy about our seafood."
Even when you pay top dollar for a seafood dish, you might not get what you're expecting. About 70% of the time, for example, those Maryland crab cakes on the menu weren't made using crabs from Chesapeake Bay, says James Anderson, the chairman of the Department of Environmental and Natural Resource Economics at the University of Rhode Island. Because of high demand, crabs are often from other Eastern states or imported from Thailand and Vietnam. There's also the problem of outright substitution -- inexpensive fish, such as pollack, getting passed off as something pricier, like cod. How widespread is the problem? In 2006 the Daytona Beach (Fla.) News-Journal sent fish samples to a lab to prove that four out of 10 local restaurants were pawning a cheaper fish as grouper. The same lab also checked seafood from 24 U.S. cities and found that, overall, consumers have less than a 50-50 shot at being served the fish they ordered.

6. "Reservation? What reservation?"
When Timothy Dillon, 34, showed up at new Chicago trattoria Terragusto for his friend's birthday, he wasn't expecting a wait. He'd made a reservation for four, then called the day of to confirm and add one more. The restaurant told him no problem, but when the party showed up, they were met with a long wait. After almost an hour of standing by the bar being ignored, they ended up leaving for another restaurant.

7. "Our specials are anything but."
It could be the chef legitimately wants to try out something new, but it could also be something nearing the end of its shelf life that needs to get out of the kitchen. How can you tell a good special from a bad one? Watch out for an expensive item used in a way that's minimizing its flavor, such as a lamb chop that's been cut, braised and put into a dish where it's a supporting player. Pastas, stews and soups containing expensive meats are also suspect. "There's an old saying in the restaurant industry," says David A. Holmes, the vice president and director of Out East Restaurant Consultants. "Sauce and gravy cover up a lot of mistakes."

8. "There's no such thing as too much butter."
Think that salmon fillet you ordered for dinner is good for you? Think again. Restaurants load even their healthiest fare with butter and other calorie-heavy add-ons. Restaurant meals average 1,000 to 1,500 calories, says Milton Stokes, a registered dietitian and spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. That's roughly two-thirds of the daily average calories recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. According to a recent study, women who eat out five times a week consume an average of 290 additional calories per day.

Though most Americans assume that fast food is the worst offender, similar fare at casual sit-down restaurants can be even more caloric. The classic burger at Ruby Tuesday, for example, has a whopping 1,013 calories and 71 grams of fat. The McDonald's Big Mac, with its 540 calories and 29 grams of fat, seems downright diet-worthy by comparison. "We butter our hamburger buns," says Julie Reid, the vice president of culinary for Ruby Tuesday, "so we tell people if they're looking to cut calories, they shouldn't eat the bun."

9. "Nice tip -- too bad your waiter won't get it."
Just because you tip your waitress 10 bucks, it doesn't mean she's going home with that money. More than likely, she'll have to pass on some of it to the people who helped her serve you: The bartender might get $2, and the busboy $3 to $5. It's called a tip pool, and it's becoming standard practice in many restaurants. "It happens often that if someone leaves a voluntary tip (for their server), a significant portion of that money is going to other people," Zagor says. According to federal law, only employees who customarily receive tips -- wait staff, hosts, bartenders and bussers -- can participate in the tip pool. But sometimes management takes a cut. In 2006, waitstaff from the Hilltop Steak House in Saugus, Mass., won $2.5 million in damages after complaining that managers dipped into their tips.

10. "Never go out to eat on a Monday."
If you think that Monday, when restaurants tend not to be crowded, is a great time to eat out, think again. "You're being served all of the weekend's leftovers," says Francis, the exposé co-author. Kitchens prepare food on a first-in, first-out basis, meaning whatever is oldest gets served first. It's a way to ensure that everything on the menu is as fresh as possible. The system works great most days, but it can run into a little glitch over the weekend. Distributors typically take Sunday off and make their last deliveries Saturday morning, which means that by Monday any food not used over the weekend is at least three to four days old. And it will be served before the same ingredients arriving in Monday's delivery. What to do if you wish to dine out on a Monday? Ignore your instincts and go to a place that's perpetually crowded.

Wordless Wednesday - Redneck Timeout!





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One more tribute to Mothers...

This video was shown at the end of the service on Mother's Day at LifeChurch. It is funny!! It is only a couple minutes...please watch!

Friday's Feast - #1

Appetizer
Tell about a time when you had to be brave.
What does it mean to be brave? It is tough when you have never been in the military, firefighter, police officer, being faced in a life or death situation, or an extremely tough obstacle in life. I can't think of anytime where I had to be "brave" and overcome some huge obstacle. I wouldn't call getting up and speaking in front of a group of people (even if you are extremely uncomfortable doing that, like me) brave, I wouldn't call getting up with my mom and sister to sing a song in front of the church brave, enduring a ride that goes way up in the air when I'm afraid of heights, etc. I can't think of anything that qualifies that word "brave" in my life.

Soup
Which upcoming movie are you excited about seeing?
I don't even know what's coming up. We don't watch tv at all... we watch stuff online (replays on abc) or movies... we never see previews or check out what is coming soon. I do want to see "The Reaping" and "Vacancy" that are at theaters.

Salad
Name an item you try to always have on hand.
I always want to have money on me, but my one item that I want at all times is my cell phone. I don't want to get stranded away from home (even if it is a mile away) without being able to call for help. I travel all over the state for my job, it would really be horrible to get stuck on a highway miles and miles away from anything.

Main Course
Imagine the most relaxing room you can think of. Now describe it!
My bedroom. I just want to be next to my wife. I even enjoy sitting behind her in bed brushing her hair. I love being next to her, that is when I am most relaxed and happy.

Dessert
On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being highest), how spiritual or religious are you?
I don't know...7. We are very religious, we love the Lord, we go to church, we try to do right, etc. The only reason I rate myself lower is because I do a horrible job leading the family in spiritual things (bible study/devo, prayer, etc) at home. It seems life is so incredibly busy...work, come home, clean, cook, eat, clean, spend time with family, bed, etc. It is just an excuse, I shouldn't have to "make time" for God...it should be me "making time" for other things. I struggle with this daily! Please pray for me, that I will be the MAN that God wants me to be.

If you are interested in Friday Feast, then go here http://fridaysfeast.com/ . Be sure to leave me a comment, I want to read your answers.

Dr. Phil - About Men #1

I was reading stuff online and came across this stuff on Dr. Phil's website. Pretty interesting! I can relate to some of this, and I'm sure my wife can, too. I will post different one's randomly.

Michael and Stephanie

"I cannot communicate with Michael," says Stephanie. "He's a typical male. He is so hard to talk to ... When I try to tell him what I do or don't like, Michael will shut down."

Michael says that Stephanie tends to dwell on things. "She'll walk around the whole day angry over something that I don't even know what I did," he says. "She has so many preconceived notions, what can I do to please this woman? It seems like there's nothing I can do that's good enough for her."

Stephanie turns to Dr. Phil for help: "I can't talk to my husband. Please help me communicate more effectively."

Dr. Phil starts by explaining that men have very fragile egos. "Men make a lot of relationship choices based on fear," he says, "and men have been socialized to a stereotype. Talking about feelings is just not natural for a guy."

Also, when Stephanie turns to her husband and says, "Can we talk?" what Michael hears is, "Have you got about an hour for me to chew your butt out?"

"Didn't you say that most of the time that you're talking to him, you're chewing him out?" Dr. Phil asks Stephanie.

"He deserves it," she says.

"How's that working for you?" Dr. Phil asks.

Dr. Phil drives home the point that men have fragile egos, they hate rejection, and their relationship choices are often fear based. So, when Stephanie criticizes her husband or makes an attempt at what she thinks is problem solving or communicating, he may view it as rejection. Then, if he makes a physical advance and she rejects him — which Michael says she does often — that's another blow to his ego.

Dr. Phil reads parts of the letter Stephanie wrote to Dr. Phil, in which she realized that she's not "fighting fair" with her husband. "I have done a great job of killing his character and dignity," she wrote, acknowledging that she needs to make changes from within herself.

All I'm asking you to do is recognize these characteristics about men," Dr. Phil tells Stephanie. "Men make these decisions based on fear. He's saying, 'I don't want to get rejected, I don't want to get hurt again, so I'm going to shut down.'"

Also, men have been socialized to not talk about their feelings, because showing their emotions could be perceived as weakness. "It's not natural for us to do that," Dr. Phil says. "That's just the way it is. I'm not saying it's right, I'm not saying it's fair, it's just the way it is. And what you're doing is not working. You are attacking ... When we are attacked, physiologically we are wired up to have one of two reactions: fight or flight."

Dr. Phil says that 90 percent of problems couples have are not resolvable. "You don't solve them, you just agree to disagree," he says. "You can be right or you can be happy."

Wordless Wednesday - I Think I Will Keep Going!





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Something to think about - "Don't Buy Gas" emails

Thanks to the recent run-up in gas prices, many of our email accounts have become cluttered with chain emails asking us to boycott major gasoline stations on a certain date in the future. The reason being, we’re mad about having to pay so much for gas and if we all band together for one day and refuse to buy gas, we’re supposedly going to cost the major gas companies billions of dollars and force them to drop the price of gas. For those of you who continually forward these emails to everyone on your contact list, please stop. This is one of the most ridiculous ideas out there and it would never work.

There are plenty of extremely logical and obvious reasons why this tactic would never work, yet most of us tend to overlook these as we focus on trying to place blame for the huge jump in the price of gas since the end of February. As is usually the case, logic tends to take a backseat to emotion.

That being said, I’m going to try my best to explain why this idea won’t ever work in the real world and why you should automatically delete any emails like this that you may receive.

The first (and most obvious) reason is you are simply delaying the purchase of the gasoline you need; we’re not actually decreasing the demand for gas (which might bring the prices down), we’re just shifting the demand to another day in the very near future.

For example, let’s say that 100,000,000 people decide to join this boycott, which causes 1,000,000,000 fewer gallons of gasoline to be purchased on that particular day. In theory, this would cost the major gas and oil companies about $3 billion in revenue.

However, you mean to tell me that during the next couple of days that those 100,000,000 people aren’t going to go back to the gas stations to purchase the gas that they didn’t buy the day they were boycotting? Of course they’re going to; they still need all that gasoline in order to get to work, drive the kids to school, etc. There wasn’t a drop in demand, just a shift in demand - which means that the gas companies don’t actually lose the $3 billion in revenue, they just get it within the next couple of days.

The second reason is if for some insane reason this boycott tactic actually worked and did cause the gas companies to lose money, do you actually think that these companies would lower prices to gain back the small percentage of their total annual revenue that they lost? I highly doubt it. The more likely scenario would be these companies would actually slightly RAISE prices in order to try and collect some of the money that they may have lost.

Hopefully it has become pretty obvious that the only way we’re going to be able to save money on our car’s gasoline is to reduce the demand for gasoline by driving less and driving more fuel efficient vehicles. It’s not going to come by some crazy scenario where we boycott gasoline stations for one arbitrary day.

I hate filling the gas tanks, too. It feels like I am having to finance a tank of gas. Shifting the demand of gas to another day is not the answer. Please stop sending me those emails and bulletins! Sorry for the rant...I will step off my soap box now.

-Ology Survey...

FOODOLOGY

Q. What is your salad dressing of choice?
A. Thousand Island...I also enjoy the Caesar Salad, too.

Q. What is your favorite fast food restaurant?
A. Chick-Fil-A (which I rarely get, since most are in the mall) and Arby's...those are probably my favorites, but I don't have either by the house (across Norman). I also like Wendy's, BK, McDonalds, and Sonic just fine.

Q. What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
A. You're killing me with the food questions...I'm a lover of most food. Cheddars, Chilis, Charlestons, Rib Crib, Salt Grass Steakhouse....that is probably my top 5 right now.

Q. On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?
A. 10%, if we have really good service then maybe a little more generous.

Q. What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick off of it?
A. I can't think of a single thing...I like variety.

Q. What do you like to put on your toast?
A. butter, butter & grape jelly, or honey on toast already made....I also really like taking bread, then put butter & cinnamon sugar spice on it, stick in the oven to toast (cinnamon toast)...so good!

Q. What is your favorite type of gum?
A. I like all different kinds, except the cinnamon gums like Big Red.

TECHNOLOGY

Q. Number of contacts in your cell phone?
A. I have no idea and I don't know how to find out without actually couting each name (which I'm NOT going to do).

Q. Number of contacts in your email address book?
A. I use several different email addresses, so I don't know all together.

Q. What is your wallpaper on your computer?
A. A snapshot of the OU football stadium during a night game.

Q. How many televisions are in your house?
A. We have 2 in the house, 1 in the garage (used to be in the living room). Addy has a tv in her bedroom for videos, we took the tv from the living room to the garage, then we have the big screen tv in our bedroom (where we watched the most tv/movies anyway).

BIOLOGY

Q. Are you right-handed or left-handed?
A. Right.

Q. Do you like your smile?
A. It is ok...I just wish I had straight, white teeth.

Q. What's your best feature?
A. I don't know, I am just happy with myself as a whole.

Q. Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A. Outside of the occassional nail clippings, skin (from cuts or peeling), cutting of hair, etc....nope, not at all.

Q. Which of your five senses do you think is keenest?
A. smell and touch - I notice smells really well (good and bad)...my skin can be somewhat sensitive to the touch, too. My feet for example...I can't walk up a ladder without shoes on, and you can definitely forget walking on rocks.

Q. When was the last time you had a cavity?
A. I have no idea...hopefully, I don't have any now. I really need to get to the dentist.

Q. What is the heaviest item you lifted last?
A. Addy, I guess. I have no idea.

Q. Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
A. No, the closest thing is blacking out for a few seconds.

BULLCRAPOLOGY

Q. If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
A. Yes, I should live everyday as if it could be my last (because it could)...it still would make a difference (especially long-term planning).

Q. Is love for real?
A. Yes!

Q. If you could change your first name, what would you change it to?
A.I wouldn't.

Q. What color do you think looks best on you?
A. Black.

DAREOLOGY

Q. Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000?
A. Absolutely!

Q. Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?
A. I don't think so.

Q. Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?
A. Yes, just surprise me though....I definitely couldn't do it to myself, and I don't want to watch it being done either.

Q. Would you never blog again for $50,000?
A. Of course!

Q. Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?
A. No way!

Q. Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1,000?
A. I don't care for hot sauce, but I definitely would!

Q. Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for 1,000,000?
A. Okay...I'd like to say no, but if we're talking NO PUNISHMENT...including God, then I might take out someone like Osama or Saddam (I know he is already dead)...just someone evil and cruel.

Q. Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000?
A. Definitely! We don't watch much anyway.

DUMBOLOGY

Q: What is in your left pocket?
A: Wallet and phone

Q: Is Napoleon Dynamite actually a good movie?
A: I don't think so...it is ok.

Q: Could you live with roommates?
A: I have...it can be difficult. I had two really good one's...then I lived with a group on a seperate occassion and had payment difficulties (shared bills).

Q: How many pairs of flip-flops do you own?
A: A couple, I think.

Q: Where were you born?
A. Midwest City

Q: Last time you had a run-in with the cops?
A: Not in awhile, I have been lucky and not been pulled over (that is the extent of my "run-ins").

Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: A daddy.

LASTOLOGY

Q: Friend you talked to?
A: I talked to a few co-workers just a minute ago.

Q: Last person you called?
A: Liz

Q: Person you hugged?
A: I'm sure it was Liz.

FAVORITOLOGY

Q: Number?
A: 23 - that was my favorite sports number and always had it.

Q: Color?
A: Crimson & Cream (OU!)

Q: Season?
A: Fall/Winterish....December is my favorite month. I like it cold. I also love the whole Christmas time...buying presents/going shopping, hearing Christmas music, decorating the house, etc.

RANDOMOLOGY

Q: First place you went this morning?
A: I went to the laundry room to restart the dryer, then the bathroom.

Q: What can you not wait to do?
A: I can't wait to be a daddy! I also can't wait to be debt-free (or at least only owe on house and maybe one car).

Q: What's the last movie you saw?
A: I can't remember...I watched part of Perfect Stranger and part of Next. I guess it was Deja Vu.

Q: Do you smile often?
A: Yes, probably quite often.

Q: Are you a friendly person?
A: Yes, very much so.

Q: Do you have hardwood or carpet in your house?
A: Tile and carpet. I can't wait to rip up the carpet in the living room/dining area and put down hardwood floors.

Q: Do you sit or stand in the shower?
A: Stand.

Q: Now that the survey's done what are you going to do?
A: Check my e-mail and look like I am working.

Long Exhausting Weekend!

Wow! Talk about a long exhausting weekend full of work! Let me break it down for you:

Friday night, I got home around 5:45pm....Liz was already gone to work at the chapel. It is Addy's weekend with her daddy, but he called saying he was going to mow first...so it was going to be a couple hours. By the time I got home, all the daycare kids were leaving at the same time. Marnie left right about the same time...so it was just Addy and myself for awhile. I took Addy around the block a couple times....she rode her bicycle and I walked. After that, I decided we would go down to the neighborhood park...we just drove down there. We stayed there about 45 minutes, until it was about time for John (Addy's daddy) to get to the house (8pm). Liz called about 8:30-8:45 to say she was on the way home. We decided to stay in and order pizza. Addy really wanted to sleep at our house, and John allowed her to do that....so she showed up around 10pm.

Saturday, we got up about 8:30am...we all got dressed, went across the street (to another housing edition) to look at a yard sale, then we took Addy back to her daddy's. Then Liz and I went to eat a healthy breakfast at Golden Corral. After that, we went looking for clothes at a consignment shop...nice stuff there! Liz and I headed back to the house, so she could get to her wedding for the day. My parents showed up at my house, not long after I got back home. We dug up all our shrubs & bushes along the driveway and sidewalk...along with the bricks and rocks that was with it. Liz got home about 3pm, then we went over to my parents for dinner, game, and movie. We picked up Addy on the way back home, to spend the night.

Sunday, we got up to get dressed for LifeChurch....might I add, yet another amazing service!! I have never, EVER seen a bad one there....Pastor Craig is an amazing preacher! After church, John picked up Addy in the parking lot. Liz and I went to eat at Outback Steakhouse (which wasn't good at all this time). After lunch, we went to SAMS and Walmart to pick up some groceries and supplies. We got back home, unloaded the groceries, and got busy...nope, that kind of busy (unfortunately). We started yard work. I mowed the front yard, Liz trimmed up some bushes in the back, then we trimmed hedges/tree in the front yard....Liz also planted a couple flowers in some pots. After the yard work, we went to eat at Goldies by the house (pretty good, I might add). After getting back to the house, we worked on the inside. We cleaned Addy's room, bathroom, office, living room, kitchen, did some laundry, and hung a scarf on our living room curtain rod (to go with the curtain). Addy just got home, and I am exhausted...I know Liz is, too. We had an extremely long day...and weekend full of work! Now, we have to wake up at 6am for the baby arrival of Liz's daycare...then it is back to work for me, too. Not that my work stopped because of the weekend...I think I did more work on my weekend!

Shout out to moms...

Mother's day is approaching soon -a day to celebrate the motherhood. It is a day to thank mothers for all that they sacrifice for their children. A mother practically gives away her hobbies, her interests and many times her job to raise her children. Nature makes a mother like that. She will protect her children against all the dangers and give them all the comfort that she can. How do women balance their role between being a mother and a wife? Can any man do that? It looks very difficult, rather impossible. Men will talk a lot, but when comes to do this fine balancing, not many will succeed at all.

How many men realize the work done by their wives? Rather they start feeling jealous that their wife is paying more attention to kids than them (this is definitely what I do)? It sounds ridiculous. Instead of making such complaints, men should attempt to help their wives and share as much burden as possible.

A wife who is also a mother draws no contract with those she cares for. She makes no pre conditions. For a woman, who loves her husband, her man is very important and for a mother, her children are most important. Women bear many injustices. A lot of them work for years to only get a divorce at the end. To restart the life with kids must be a real tough job for a divorcee woman. Society that is male dominated should not only acknowledge their mothers, but also their wives. Women deserve much more recognition than they get.

Wordless Wednesday - Which Way Do I Go?





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