1. Milwaukee - Andrew Bogut
2. Atlanta - Marvin Williams He will be the biggest bust in the draft
3. Utah - Deron Williams
4. New Orleans - Chris Paul
5. Charlotte - Raymond Felton The Best player in the draft
6. Portland - Gerald Green
7. Toronto - Danny Granger
8. New York - Channing Frye
9. Golden State - Andrew Bynum
10. LA Lakers - Sean May
11. Orlando - Rashad McCants
12. LA Clippers - Martell Webster He will be very good someday. Just in time for the Clippers to lose him in Free Agency
13. Charlotte - Charlie Villanueava
Bonus Selection: Detroit - Jarrett Jack
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Know your theology?
I found this test on Dave Drury's blog and it was pretty fun. I encourage you to take the test
http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=43870
I scored as Neo-Orthodox:
You are neo-orthodox. You reject the human-centredness and scepticism of liberal theology, but neither do you go to the other extreme and make the Bible the central issue for faith. You believe that Christ is God's most important revelation to humanity, and the Trinity is hugely important in your theology. The Bible is also important because it points us to the revelation of Christ. You are influenced by Karl Barth and P T Forsyth.
Neo orthodox
75%
Emergent/Postmodern
71%
Roman Catholic
61%
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan
61%
Charismatic/Pentecostal
50%
Fundamentalist
32%
Reformed Evangelical
25%
Modern Liberal
14%
Classical Liberal
11%
http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=43870
I scored as Neo-Orthodox:
You are neo-orthodox. You reject the human-centredness and scepticism of liberal theology, but neither do you go to the other extreme and make the Bible the central issue for faith. You believe that Christ is God's most important revelation to humanity, and the Trinity is hugely important in your theology. The Bible is also important because it points us to the revelation of Christ. You are influenced by Karl Barth and P T Forsyth.
Neo orthodox
75%
Emergent/Postmodern
71%
Roman Catholic
61%
Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan
61%
Charismatic/Pentecostal
50%
Fundamentalist
32%
Reformed Evangelical
25%
Modern Liberal
14%
Classical Liberal
11%
Monday, June 27, 2005
Last Week
Last week our church held their vacation bible school and I was a volunteer. The week before, I was dreading being with kids all week and wondering how I got talked into helping but I have to say I really enjoyed VBS this year. It was my third year helping out and the kids I had this year were by far the best behaved. One boy doesn't go the church and I am hoping that maybe his experience will spark an interest in learning more about God. It was hard to gauge what everyone learned during the week but I think the relationship building and positive experience probably makes up for any lack of learning. As I look back on VBS when I was a kid I honestly couldn't tell you a thing about the programming but I do remember some of my leaders and friends that were there.
On Friday, I was able to go to NY state and visit my friend Don. He and I have been friends since 1984 and it was nice to be around someone who knows me so well. His humor cracks me up. I went to NY to attend the opening of his first art show. It was a photo documentary of the town where he lives. He's very talented and I am really proud of him creating such a great collection. I also got to spend time with his wife and the rest of his family that came to see the show. His sister in law was really cool and fun to hang out with. The only downside of the weekend was losing my money at the local casino on Saturday but at least it got me out of going to the antique mall with the rest of his family.
On Friday, I was able to go to NY state and visit my friend Don. He and I have been friends since 1984 and it was nice to be around someone who knows me so well. His humor cracks me up. I went to NY to attend the opening of his first art show. It was a photo documentary of the town where he lives. He's very talented and I am really proud of him creating such a great collection. I also got to spend time with his wife and the rest of his family that came to see the show. His sister in law was really cool and fun to hang out with. The only downside of the weekend was losing my money at the local casino on Saturday but at least it got me out of going to the antique mall with the rest of his family.
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Why I love Game 7's
I am pumped up for tonight's game 7. I love game 7's because everything comes down to one game. The rest of the series is just an appetizer and now finally we get to the main course. Game 7 has a different feel than the other games. More intensity, more nervousness, more opportunities to be either a hero or a goat. It is hard to believe that the last game 7 was 11 years ago. That's really the big problem with the NBA and with Baseball. There are two many games and everybody knows they don't mean anything until you get to game 6 or 7. Unfortunately they rarely get to this stage. Tonight's game will remind us how good the NBA can be.
I am a little nervous because all the trends favor the Spurs. It will be hard for the Pistons to overcome losing the first two games and game 5 at home to win back to back games in a place they hadn't won since 1997 until two nights ago. But the Pistons like being a team against the odds. In fact they thrive on it. They weren't supposed to beat the Lakers last year. Or even make it past the Nets when they were down 3-2. Then they beat the Heat this year in game 7 on the road. I think tonight's game will come down to a battle of wills. From watching the series so far, I think Detroit has the stronger desire and the heart of a champion. Tonight they make history by defying the odds.
I am a little nervous because all the trends favor the Spurs. It will be hard for the Pistons to overcome losing the first two games and game 5 at home to win back to back games in a place they hadn't won since 1997 until two nights ago. But the Pistons like being a team against the odds. In fact they thrive on it. They weren't supposed to beat the Lakers last year. Or even make it past the Nets when they were down 3-2. Then they beat the Heat this year in game 7 on the road. I think tonight's game will come down to a battle of wills. From watching the series so far, I think Detroit has the stronger desire and the heart of a champion. Tonight they make history by defying the odds.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Nervous about game 6
Tonight could be the last game for the Pistons. It could also mean the end of Larry Brown's tenure as coach and the end of two remarkably successful seasons. The past two years have been really fun to watch. I especially enjoyed last year's victory over the Lakers. But this year's championship run has validated that last season was not a fluke. The Pistons are good, very good and will be that way for at least a couple more years regardless of who the coach is.
As for game 6, I have heard a lot about how Detroit plays best when their backs are against the wall. Well tonight they must prove it. The Pistons must improve on covering the 3 point shooters especially if Horry gets hot again. They also need to figure out a way to keep Parker and Ginobli out of the lane. If they can do that I think it will be another close game and come down to who executes their offense most efficiently in the last few minutes. My prediction is Detroit will win 88-84.
As for game 6, I have heard a lot about how Detroit plays best when their backs are against the wall. Well tonight they must prove it. The Pistons must improve on covering the 3 point shooters especially if Horry gets hot again. They also need to figure out a way to keep Parker and Ginobli out of the lane. If they can do that I think it will be another close game and come down to who executes their offense most efficiently in the last few minutes. My prediction is Detroit will win 88-84.
Saturday, June 18, 2005
God as Father
Writing my last post got me to thinking about how the church refers to God as a father. I have to confess that I always cringe when I hear that. Maybe this makes me sacrilegious but to me the term father doesn't bring the kind of positive connotation that its supposed to. I loved my Dad but when I think of him I think of someone who wasn't always there and when we did see each other we usually stayed above the surface and never really connected in any deep level. I never fully trusted him with important issues in my life. So for me to think of God as a father is to think of a distant unreliable person. This could explain why my relationship with God is sometimes inconsistent and surface level. Maybe, I treat God the same way I did my Dad. Never fully letting him in or trusting him.
I wonder what other people, who have less than perfect relationships with their Dad, think when they hear God referred to as father. A lot of friends I grew up with had either judgmental fathers or no father at all. Is that how they view God? Judgmental or absent? It seems like the church could come up with a different analogy for God than referring to him as a father. Or maybe better yet, fathers should be aware of the influence they play on their kids in developing their image of God. Many of them must not realize the impact they have or they simply choose to ignore that responsibility.
I just worry that by using the father terminology, the church is losing out on communicating with a whole generation that carries such baggage in their relationships with their dads.
I wonder what other people, who have less than perfect relationships with their Dad, think when they hear God referred to as father. A lot of friends I grew up with had either judgmental fathers or no father at all. Is that how they view God? Judgmental or absent? It seems like the church could come up with a different analogy for God than referring to him as a father. Or maybe better yet, fathers should be aware of the influence they play on their kids in developing their image of God. Many of them must not realize the impact they have or they simply choose to ignore that responsibility.
I just worry that by using the father terminology, the church is losing out on communicating with a whole generation that carries such baggage in their relationships with their dads.
Thinking about Father's Day
It is hard to believe that my Dad has been gone for over 7 years. I remember the first few father's days after he died and how difficult they were. As time passes it gets a little easier. A week ago my friend Wendy asked me about my Dad and a flood of memories returned. It's still hard to tell the story and the regrets that live on. The regret of not being able to say goodbye before he died and the bigger regret that he and I didn't have the relationship I wanted.
I do miss him. I tear up everytime I hear a Neil Young song or watch a Maryland basketball game. When I hit a good golf shot I flash back to the first good shot I hit when he and I played last. I wish he were still here to talk about politics and our family or to watch the US Open this weekend.
As I get older I realize I am a lot like my Dad which scares me a little bit. He was a talented, caring man and I carry on these traits. But he also battled a lot of demons and made terrible mistakes. He ended up an isolated shell of himself before he died and I pray that I don't follow in those footsteps. Not that I would become an alcoholic like he was but I do battle my own sins and the fear of losing that battle can be paralyzing. I am learning to take things day to day and thankful I have good friends to help me along the way.
I still get a little jealous of my friends who have close relationships with their Dads. But then I remember how fortunate I am to have a close relationship with my stepdad Mike. He's a remarkably good guy. He's easy going, there when I need him, and sort of the stability of the family. The past couple years he and I have been able to spend a lot of time going to various sporting events which has been fun and good for both of us. It's hard to believe he's been a part of my life for 20 years already.
As I look around at my friend's becoming fathers I also get jealous. It would be fun to have kids and I am confident I would be a good father. But for some reason my time has not yet come and somedays I wonder if it will ever come. Meanwhile, I try to be patient and invest in my nephews. There is nothing better than being the cool uncle and knowing the impact I am having on their lives. When they became teenagers I was worried we wouldn't be as close but they still need me, albeit in different areas than when they were little kids.
So this Sunday I will celebrate father's day at my Mom and Stepdad's. My brother and his family will be there and we will go boating and watch a little golf on TV. While I miss my Dad, I am thankful that I get to see the rest of the family and look forward to the day when I get to start my own family.
I do miss him. I tear up everytime I hear a Neil Young song or watch a Maryland basketball game. When I hit a good golf shot I flash back to the first good shot I hit when he and I played last. I wish he were still here to talk about politics and our family or to watch the US Open this weekend.
As I get older I realize I am a lot like my Dad which scares me a little bit. He was a talented, caring man and I carry on these traits. But he also battled a lot of demons and made terrible mistakes. He ended up an isolated shell of himself before he died and I pray that I don't follow in those footsteps. Not that I would become an alcoholic like he was but I do battle my own sins and the fear of losing that battle can be paralyzing. I am learning to take things day to day and thankful I have good friends to help me along the way.
I still get a little jealous of my friends who have close relationships with their Dads. But then I remember how fortunate I am to have a close relationship with my stepdad Mike. He's a remarkably good guy. He's easy going, there when I need him, and sort of the stability of the family. The past couple years he and I have been able to spend a lot of time going to various sporting events which has been fun and good for both of us. It's hard to believe he's been a part of my life for 20 years already.
As I look around at my friend's becoming fathers I also get jealous. It would be fun to have kids and I am confident I would be a good father. But for some reason my time has not yet come and somedays I wonder if it will ever come. Meanwhile, I try to be patient and invest in my nephews. There is nothing better than being the cool uncle and knowing the impact I am having on their lives. When they became teenagers I was worried we wouldn't be as close but they still need me, albeit in different areas than when they were little kids.
So this Sunday I will celebrate father's day at my Mom and Stepdad's. My brother and his family will be there and we will go boating and watch a little golf on TV. While I miss my Dad, I am thankful that I get to see the rest of the family and look forward to the day when I get to start my own family.
Monday, June 13, 2005
What's wrong with the Pistons?
I missed the first game of the finals so I was very excited to see game 2. Under Larry Brown, the Pistons have never fallen behind in a series by more than one game so I expected the Pistons to win last night and make the series competitive. Instead, they played the worst game I have seen them play all season. After the first minute they were down 8-0 and it only got worse from there. They looked tired, uninterested and unsure of themselves. It was a completely pitiful performance. What happened to the team from last year that was tough and resilient and never stopped competing? After game 1 I thought maybe our bench was a the problem but the starters didn't show up in game 2. The game got so bad that I changed the channel and watched some made for TV movie about two singles that are put in charge of raising a 10 year old. It's sad that some crappy movie is more interesting than the Pistons. After last year maybe I expect too much. After all they did get back to the finals again. Maybe the Spurs are really this good but I doubt it. If Seattle can give them a competitive series, why can't the Pistons? Hopefully, the Pistons can get some momentum from the home crowd tomorrow night. If not, it's going to be a short series and a long off-season.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
Thank you
Thank you to everyone who responded to my recent post. Your comments were very well thought out and I appreciate hearing from my own "small group". I also want to welcome Andy to the blog. Thanks for the book title. I was going to buy it the other night but I couldn't remember the title.
One thing I have learned this week is that I do have Christian community with many people already but just not in the traditional church settings. These relationships have generally been built over several years and started over some type of common bond. I think my recent frustrations are due to lack of patience in developing new friendships as well as uncertainty if there is enough of a common link to make them long-lasting.
I did get to meet with my pastor again and I shared with him what I was learning. I give him tremendous credit for allowing me to vent and be honest. His willingness to do that was a great step toward building the type of authentic relationships I am looking for. At this meeting I was able to share an idea that I have been sifting through. What if the church built small groups based on common ministry interests. If people like working with the children, then maybe that is their community. Others in the church might enjoy visiting the sick and elderly and they become a small group. Out of each ministry, groups of relationships could flow out of a common interest and passion. I realize this is not a new concept. But I propose that shifting the focus to creating small ministry teams would build community and establish new ministries within the church at the same time. Just a thought.
One thing I have learned this week is that I do have Christian community with many people already but just not in the traditional church settings. These relationships have generally been built over several years and started over some type of common bond. I think my recent frustrations are due to lack of patience in developing new friendships as well as uncertainty if there is enough of a common link to make them long-lasting.
I did get to meet with my pastor again and I shared with him what I was learning. I give him tremendous credit for allowing me to vent and be honest. His willingness to do that was a great step toward building the type of authentic relationships I am looking for. At this meeting I was able to share an idea that I have been sifting through. What if the church built small groups based on common ministry interests. If people like working with the children, then maybe that is their community. Others in the church might enjoy visiting the sick and elderly and they become a small group. Out of each ministry, groups of relationships could flow out of a common interest and passion. I realize this is not a new concept. But I propose that shifting the focus to creating small ministry teams would build community and establish new ministries within the church at the same time. Just a thought.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Not at Home
I hesitate to write this post but I want to put my thoughts down and get some feedback from you. A couple years ago my church started home groups as a way of making people feel more connected. At first I attended one led my buddy Curt and it was okay. The group was made up of a mishmash of people with the lone common fact that none of us had small kids. After a year or so I decided it was time to leave that group because it was more of a chore than a blessing. I really like several of the people that attended but as a group it wasn't really bringing me the type of community I was looking for. The next several months were spent in avoiding members of the group who would invite me every time I saw them. They wanted to know why I wasn't coming, say it wasn't the same without me, blah, blah, blah. Finally, they gave up on my eventual return and I was able to roam the halls of the church free from their pestering.
Round 2. A year and a half ago a new home group started so I figured it was time to end my exile. Since my friend Sheila was hosting the group, I decided to try again. Despite the new group and my new attitude, I again felt a disconnect. The people in this group were great and I enjoy their company individually. But the meetings were stiff and artificial. Each week I would anxiously look at my watch until I could leave. After about 6 months I left my second home group. Thankfully, this group was less envangelistic in trying to retain me.
Round 3. Last Christmas, I decided to give home groups one last try. This time I went to the one hosted by my Pastor. I went mainly to see the inside of his new house and because I was looking for a free meal that night. Not the best motives but they did get me to attend. This group was different than the others. Again, I liked the people but I was in a distinct minority demographic. Lots of young family types and me. There was also one older woman there and I enjoyed visiting with her. Greg, the leader of this group is good guy but in the end I felt a little out of place and decided that this was strike three.
Now I am in the awkward position of being one of a small minority who does not attend a home group. This is fine because I have enough friends at the church already. But the church really pushes these groups as one of the main parts of the church community and my negative feelings toward these groups makes it hard to get excited about this ministry. I had breakfast with one of the pastors a couple weeks ago and I was sharing my reasons for not going and he asked me if I had any better ideas for building community. That's a very good question. I am usually good at determining the flaws but not so good at offering solutions. I googled church community hoping to find some solutions, but didn't get any good results. Then I got to thinking about how churches in the past built community when their wasn't such an emphasis on small groups. Maybe they already had community. Maybe we could model something after them. I don't know. What I do know is that you can't force community via programs and formats. Relationships have to evolve naturally or they don't really provide the authenticity that people are looking for.
Since many of you who read my blog are Christians and involved in various churches, I am asking for your help. How do we build community in the church? Are small groups the answer? And if so, what happens when you don't like them? I look forward to reading your thoughts and suggestions.
Round 2. A year and a half ago a new home group started so I figured it was time to end my exile. Since my friend Sheila was hosting the group, I decided to try again. Despite the new group and my new attitude, I again felt a disconnect. The people in this group were great and I enjoy their company individually. But the meetings were stiff and artificial. Each week I would anxiously look at my watch until I could leave. After about 6 months I left my second home group. Thankfully, this group was less envangelistic in trying to retain me.
Round 3. Last Christmas, I decided to give home groups one last try. This time I went to the one hosted by my Pastor. I went mainly to see the inside of his new house and because I was looking for a free meal that night. Not the best motives but they did get me to attend. This group was different than the others. Again, I liked the people but I was in a distinct minority demographic. Lots of young family types and me. There was also one older woman there and I enjoyed visiting with her. Greg, the leader of this group is good guy but in the end I felt a little out of place and decided that this was strike three.
Now I am in the awkward position of being one of a small minority who does not attend a home group. This is fine because I have enough friends at the church already. But the church really pushes these groups as one of the main parts of the church community and my negative feelings toward these groups makes it hard to get excited about this ministry. I had breakfast with one of the pastors a couple weeks ago and I was sharing my reasons for not going and he asked me if I had any better ideas for building community. That's a very good question. I am usually good at determining the flaws but not so good at offering solutions. I googled church community hoping to find some solutions, but didn't get any good results. Then I got to thinking about how churches in the past built community when their wasn't such an emphasis on small groups. Maybe they already had community. Maybe we could model something after them. I don't know. What I do know is that you can't force community via programs and formats. Relationships have to evolve naturally or they don't really provide the authenticity that people are looking for.
Since many of you who read my blog are Christians and involved in various churches, I am asking for your help. How do we build community in the church? Are small groups the answer? And if so, what happens when you don't like them? I look forward to reading your thoughts and suggestions.
Thursday, June 02, 2005
Good Luck Cleveland. Now He's Your Problem
Before I begin my rant, I am very thankful for the Pistons winning the championship last year. I also do not think we could have done it without Larry Brown. But here we are, less than a year later and he is half way out the door on his way to Cleveland while the Pistons are still in the playoffs. The guy has always had one eye on the next job and I don't fault him for that. I do fault him for the bad timing because it was obviously a distraction in games 2 and 3. I also question how committed he is to the team right now. It seems like he is more interested in denying what everyone knows to be true. He should just admit that he's leaving and be done with it.
The one puzzling thing that I haven't figured out yet is why the Pistons allowed Cleveland to contact him in the first place. They could have told them to wait until the season was over. Why wouldn't they want to keep him as their coach? I give Joe Dumars the benefit of the doubt and hope he knows what he's doing.
The big question is who will take Larry's place. I hear rumors its Flip Saunders. He's a nice guy but his teams never did anything of significance. In fact they actually underachieved when you look at the talent they had. I also heard that Phil Jackson could be a candidate. First of all, I find it unlikely that he would choose to live in Detroit over LA. But if he did coach the Pistons I would have to pick a new team to cheer for. Phil Jackson is an egotistical jack***. I hated him when he coached the Bulls and still hated him when he coached the Lakers. Why doesn't he go to Atlanta and try to win with that team? Then I'll give him credit for being a good coach. I would like to see them go after Nate McMillan. He seems like a very good coach capable of developing young talent. Maybe he could even turn Darko into a decent role player.
Back to Larry Brown. Just what is Cleveland thinking? He has limited front office experience. He is historically impatient with players. His relationship with Lebron was lukewarm at best in the Olympics last year. He is not the type of person who will be committed to seeing a longterm plan come to fruition. My guess is he goes for the quick fix in Cleveland. They make the playoffs but lose in the early rounds. Then in two years he leaves again to coach somewhere else and Cleveland will be left with a bunch of bad salaries and busted draft picks.
I shouldn't be so bitter. He did take us to the promised land. Who knows after tonight's game with the Heat we may be headed back there. But this time with an uncertain future.
The one puzzling thing that I haven't figured out yet is why the Pistons allowed Cleveland to contact him in the first place. They could have told them to wait until the season was over. Why wouldn't they want to keep him as their coach? I give Joe Dumars the benefit of the doubt and hope he knows what he's doing.
The big question is who will take Larry's place. I hear rumors its Flip Saunders. He's a nice guy but his teams never did anything of significance. In fact they actually underachieved when you look at the talent they had. I also heard that Phil Jackson could be a candidate. First of all, I find it unlikely that he would choose to live in Detroit over LA. But if he did coach the Pistons I would have to pick a new team to cheer for. Phil Jackson is an egotistical jack***. I hated him when he coached the Bulls and still hated him when he coached the Lakers. Why doesn't he go to Atlanta and try to win with that team? Then I'll give him credit for being a good coach. I would like to see them go after Nate McMillan. He seems like a very good coach capable of developing young talent. Maybe he could even turn Darko into a decent role player.
Back to Larry Brown. Just what is Cleveland thinking? He has limited front office experience. He is historically impatient with players. His relationship with Lebron was lukewarm at best in the Olympics last year. He is not the type of person who will be committed to seeing a longterm plan come to fruition. My guess is he goes for the quick fix in Cleveland. They make the playoffs but lose in the early rounds. Then in two years he leaves again to coach somewhere else and Cleveland will be left with a bunch of bad salaries and busted draft picks.
I shouldn't be so bitter. He did take us to the promised land. Who knows after tonight's game with the Heat we may be headed back there. But this time with an uncertain future.
Monday, May 30, 2005
Rest-a-While
I spent Saturday at my friend Todd and Julie Kuiper's cottage in Grand Haven. Actually, it is Todd's parent's cottage and they are gracious enough to let us use it. The name of the cottage is called rest-a-while and the name is a perfect fit. Every year around Memorial Day the Kuipers invite Jon and Beth Wilmot and I to spend the weekend at the cottage. I have a lot of good memories at this cottage.
My first time at the cottage was way back in 1993 when a bunch of us college buddies stayed there and went to our friend Duke's wedding up in Fremont. I'll never forget that weekend. My old roommate Dan had never been to the beach so it was fun to show him the sand and the water. (I was also there when he saw his first escalator, which is a story I'll share in another post someday.) We had a great time that weekend. We grilled, went to the beach and stayed up late talking and playing cards. I miss a lot of those friends but am thankful that I still see Todd and Jon on a regular basis.
A couple years ago, it rained all weekend and the kids got stir crazy. Julie and Beth didn't love the fact that Jon and Todd and I played Video games all day while they took care of the kids. I didn't mind because I kept whooping on both of them in Madden 2000. It was also the first weekend after I broke up with Liz. I wasn't a couple anymore which was a little bit of an adjustment because Liz was such a good fit with the group. As I look back to that weekend it was actually fun but it reminded me that we are all growing up and how much life changes.
This year was very restful. During the day, we took Caleb, Josh and Ethan for a walk in the woods to look for squirrels. Then later in the day went down to play in the sand at the beach. Their kids are all so cool. Very well behaved. I am amazed how big Abby and AJ are getting. Abby has the cutest toothy grin. In the evening, Julie and Beth took the kids so we could have some guy time which is incredibly rare these days. We went to see Star Wars, played Race for the Whitehouse and talked about our fantasy baseball league. The only downside of the weekend besides losing to Jon, was that I didn't get to visit with Julie or Beth very much. They are both remarkable women and I still wonder how Todd and Jon got so lucky.
I love the fact that we have this annual get together. I enjoy my friends and Grand Haven is the perfect location. It is good to rest-a-while.
My first time at the cottage was way back in 1993 when a bunch of us college buddies stayed there and went to our friend Duke's wedding up in Fremont. I'll never forget that weekend. My old roommate Dan had never been to the beach so it was fun to show him the sand and the water. (I was also there when he saw his first escalator, which is a story I'll share in another post someday.) We had a great time that weekend. We grilled, went to the beach and stayed up late talking and playing cards. I miss a lot of those friends but am thankful that I still see Todd and Jon on a regular basis.
A couple years ago, it rained all weekend and the kids got stir crazy. Julie and Beth didn't love the fact that Jon and Todd and I played Video games all day while they took care of the kids. I didn't mind because I kept whooping on both of them in Madden 2000. It was also the first weekend after I broke up with Liz. I wasn't a couple anymore which was a little bit of an adjustment because Liz was such a good fit with the group. As I look back to that weekend it was actually fun but it reminded me that we are all growing up and how much life changes.
This year was very restful. During the day, we took Caleb, Josh and Ethan for a walk in the woods to look for squirrels. Then later in the day went down to play in the sand at the beach. Their kids are all so cool. Very well behaved. I am amazed how big Abby and AJ are getting. Abby has the cutest toothy grin. In the evening, Julie and Beth took the kids so we could have some guy time which is incredibly rare these days. We went to see Star Wars, played Race for the Whitehouse and talked about our fantasy baseball league. The only downside of the weekend besides losing to Jon, was that I didn't get to visit with Julie or Beth very much. They are both remarkable women and I still wonder how Todd and Jon got so lucky.
I love the fact that we have this annual get together. I enjoy my friends and Grand Haven is the perfect location. It is good to rest-a-while.
Thursday, May 26, 2005
Typical Day
People always give me funny looks when I tell them I am a legislative assistant. This is followed by the inevitable questions as to what does a legislative aide do exactly. So I thought I would share what I did today.
7:00 - I get to work and type up the minutes from last week's committee meeting. Then I put together the committee member's folders with information on everything that we are voting on in committee this morning.
8:30 - We started committee and since I am the clerk I get to call the roll, take minutes, etc. I also get to explain all the changes that were made to the bills before the committee members voted on them. Today's topics were mandating 55% of all loans made by the broadband authority be given to projects in rural counties. This is part of a rural job package of bills which I helped write. The bill passed pretty easily. The other topic was a little messier. There were two bills to create state loans and tax breaks for methane digesters which turn manure into gas energy. The Sierra Club was opposed to the bills because they think all big farms pollute and this bill could help them. After contentious debate, the bills passed 3-1.
10:00 - I got to sit on the senate floor for the annual Memorial Day Service. Several veterans came to the Senate floor. As they came in, the bag pipes were playing which sounded really cool. At the end each Senator who had a soldier die in his or her district read their name aloud and laid a folded flag in the center aisle. This was followed by the playing of Taps. It was a very moving ceremony and gave flesh to the real cost of war.
11:15- After the ceremony I go back to my office to sit in on a meeting to select what survey questions we want to ask in our literature that we plan to hand out this summer. Should we ask controversial questions or simple questions? What happens if the answers we receive from our constituents don't match up with my boss's views? We end up with 6 pretty vanilla questions.
12:15 I fill out my bill reports and walk the bills we passed out of committee over the Secretary of the Senate so they can placed on next week's calendar to be voted on.
1:30 I led about 25 mentally challenged constituents on a tour of the Capitol building. They were here lobbying for mental health care reform and decided they wanted a tour. They were great. We had fun and they asked a lot of good questions but they were a little hard to keep focused. One woman wanted to know if I had seen the angels that lived in the capitol building. No, but I have seen a lot of demons around the state capitol.
2:30- I was late for education committee which was okay because it was a rather dry presentation on a recent audit of the department of education. I won't go into details but the state needs some improvement on how we count the number of children in each school.
3:30 - I finally get to sit down at my desk only to get a call that two bills that I thought were going to run on the house floor today didn't move because a couple of republicans want more changes. These bills were part of the above mentioned rural jobs package. Hopefully we can work out the problems and have them move next week.
4:15 I spoke to the nursery and landscape association about a bill that we are sponsoring to prohibit invasive plant species. I want their support for the bills. I don't want to harm their industry but we do want to stop these harmful plants from ruining our environment. After a few minutes, we agree on some penalty language for selling the plants and things are looking good for the bill. We plan to vote on our bill next week Tuesday afternoon.
4:30 - I put in a request with the legislative service bureau to draft a bill to repeal a provision in the law that prevents a company from holding two race track licenses in Michigan. We have the only thoroughbred track in the state in our district and the same company is planning to build a new track in Romulus. The bill will allow them to stay in business in Muskegon. I also put another request in to change the dog bite law to make it a misdemeanor to flee the scene if your dog attacks someone. This is in regards to an attack that happened to my friend heidi's mother. You can read about it on her blog.
That brings me to 4:45 this afternoon. I have several phone calls and emails to return on topics ranging from the right to food processing law to the make up of the potato commission. And since the Governor vetoed the bills last year, I also still have to call the adminstration to try and find some consensus on the methane digester bills that were voted out of committee.
Sorry if this was a little detailed but I thought it might give you a glimpse into what a legislative assistant does on a daily basis.
7:00 - I get to work and type up the minutes from last week's committee meeting. Then I put together the committee member's folders with information on everything that we are voting on in committee this morning.
8:30 - We started committee and since I am the clerk I get to call the roll, take minutes, etc. I also get to explain all the changes that were made to the bills before the committee members voted on them. Today's topics were mandating 55% of all loans made by the broadband authority be given to projects in rural counties. This is part of a rural job package of bills which I helped write. The bill passed pretty easily. The other topic was a little messier. There were two bills to create state loans and tax breaks for methane digesters which turn manure into gas energy. The Sierra Club was opposed to the bills because they think all big farms pollute and this bill could help them. After contentious debate, the bills passed 3-1.
10:00 - I got to sit on the senate floor for the annual Memorial Day Service. Several veterans came to the Senate floor. As they came in, the bag pipes were playing which sounded really cool. At the end each Senator who had a soldier die in his or her district read their name aloud and laid a folded flag in the center aisle. This was followed by the playing of Taps. It was a very moving ceremony and gave flesh to the real cost of war.
11:15- After the ceremony I go back to my office to sit in on a meeting to select what survey questions we want to ask in our literature that we plan to hand out this summer. Should we ask controversial questions or simple questions? What happens if the answers we receive from our constituents don't match up with my boss's views? We end up with 6 pretty vanilla questions.
12:15 I fill out my bill reports and walk the bills we passed out of committee over the Secretary of the Senate so they can placed on next week's calendar to be voted on.
1:30 I led about 25 mentally challenged constituents on a tour of the Capitol building. They were here lobbying for mental health care reform and decided they wanted a tour. They were great. We had fun and they asked a lot of good questions but they were a little hard to keep focused. One woman wanted to know if I had seen the angels that lived in the capitol building. No, but I have seen a lot of demons around the state capitol.
2:30- I was late for education committee which was okay because it was a rather dry presentation on a recent audit of the department of education. I won't go into details but the state needs some improvement on how we count the number of children in each school.
3:30 - I finally get to sit down at my desk only to get a call that two bills that I thought were going to run on the house floor today didn't move because a couple of republicans want more changes. These bills were part of the above mentioned rural jobs package. Hopefully we can work out the problems and have them move next week.
4:15 I spoke to the nursery and landscape association about a bill that we are sponsoring to prohibit invasive plant species. I want their support for the bills. I don't want to harm their industry but we do want to stop these harmful plants from ruining our environment. After a few minutes, we agree on some penalty language for selling the plants and things are looking good for the bill. We plan to vote on our bill next week Tuesday afternoon.
4:30 - I put in a request with the legislative service bureau to draft a bill to repeal a provision in the law that prevents a company from holding two race track licenses in Michigan. We have the only thoroughbred track in the state in our district and the same company is planning to build a new track in Romulus. The bill will allow them to stay in business in Muskegon. I also put another request in to change the dog bite law to make it a misdemeanor to flee the scene if your dog attacks someone. This is in regards to an attack that happened to my friend heidi's mother. You can read about it on her blog.
That brings me to 4:45 this afternoon. I have several phone calls and emails to return on topics ranging from the right to food processing law to the make up of the potato commission. And since the Governor vetoed the bills last year, I also still have to call the adminstration to try and find some consensus on the methane digester bills that were voted out of committee.
Sorry if this was a little detailed but I thought it might give you a glimpse into what a legislative assistant does on a daily basis.
Monday, May 23, 2005
A prayer for Laurie
(Note: My good friend Laurie is moving this Wednesday to New Zealand to work for a Wesleyan church in Auckland. The following is my prayer for her.)
Dear God:
Thank you Lord for bringing Laurie into my life many years ago. I have always appreciated her friendship. Thank you even more that you have shaped her and molded her into the woman she has become. A woman whose heart truly follows after yours. A woman who is willing to sacrifice the comforts and familiarities of this country in exchange for sharing your love to kids in New Zealand. She said it best the other night when she said it would be harder for her to stay than to go. Please give me that same sense of purpose and conviction when it comes to following your direction in my life.
Thank you Lord that you have given her the past couple years to learn and work with kids at Kentwood Community Church. I know she would have liked to have left sooner but all along you were preparing her to be more effective by sharpening her skills. May you bless her for her willingness to wait and use the skills she has learned to further your work. Give me the same patience as I wait upon you.
Please protect Laurie from the enemy. He is willing to do anything he can to protect his territory. May you surround Laurie with your angels as she moves to the front lines of the battle. Give her a safe trip this week. Help her to be ready to work when she gets there even though she might be tired from jet lag and in culture shock. Prepare a place for her to live. Provide for her enough resources to complete her work there. Move in my heart and the hearts of others to give and sacrifice our conveniences to support her ministry.
Lord, please help Laurie to make meaningful, lasting relationships with people of New Zealand. Help her understand their language and culture. Give her and the people at the church a united purpose. Give them patience and grace to work together in achieving that common purpose. Give her compassion for the kids she will come in contact with. Help her to communicate clearly and effectively. Do not let her get discouraged or disheartened.
Prepare the people of Auckland to receive your gospel Lord. May your word of comfort and hope and redemption seep deep into their hearts. You have broken into other countries with the good news of the gospel and I expect the same thing to happen in New Zealand through the work of Laurie and others like her.
Thank you again for Laurie and how special she has become to me. Go with her Lord. Bless her work. Use her as an example to the people of New Zealand and to those she has chosen to leave behind.
In the Name of Jesus Christ,
Jeff
Dear God:
Thank you Lord for bringing Laurie into my life many years ago. I have always appreciated her friendship. Thank you even more that you have shaped her and molded her into the woman she has become. A woman whose heart truly follows after yours. A woman who is willing to sacrifice the comforts and familiarities of this country in exchange for sharing your love to kids in New Zealand. She said it best the other night when she said it would be harder for her to stay than to go. Please give me that same sense of purpose and conviction when it comes to following your direction in my life.
Thank you Lord that you have given her the past couple years to learn and work with kids at Kentwood Community Church. I know she would have liked to have left sooner but all along you were preparing her to be more effective by sharpening her skills. May you bless her for her willingness to wait and use the skills she has learned to further your work. Give me the same patience as I wait upon you.
Please protect Laurie from the enemy. He is willing to do anything he can to protect his territory. May you surround Laurie with your angels as she moves to the front lines of the battle. Give her a safe trip this week. Help her to be ready to work when she gets there even though she might be tired from jet lag and in culture shock. Prepare a place for her to live. Provide for her enough resources to complete her work there. Move in my heart and the hearts of others to give and sacrifice our conveniences to support her ministry.
Lord, please help Laurie to make meaningful, lasting relationships with people of New Zealand. Help her understand their language and culture. Give her and the people at the church a united purpose. Give them patience and grace to work together in achieving that common purpose. Give her compassion for the kids she will come in contact with. Help her to communicate clearly and effectively. Do not let her get discouraged or disheartened.
Prepare the people of Auckland to receive your gospel Lord. May your word of comfort and hope and redemption seep deep into their hearts. You have broken into other countries with the good news of the gospel and I expect the same thing to happen in New Zealand through the work of Laurie and others like her.
Thank you again for Laurie and how special she has become to me. Go with her Lord. Bless her work. Use her as an example to the people of New Zealand and to those she has chosen to leave behind.
In the Name of Jesus Christ,
Jeff
Friday, May 20, 2005
Church Growth
This weekend our church is scheduled to vote on whether or not to pursue a new building project. Over the past few years we are growing at a rapid pace and our current facility is not big enough for all the people coming. This is a great challenge to face and I am praying that we have wisdom in our response. I was speaking to a friend at the church about it and he said that God is bringing us new people and we have to have a place for them. He said we didn't ask to be a big church. He's absolutely right but we need to examine all our options and I am not completely sold on the idea that building a new church or even expanding our current place is the answer.
Before we build, I want our church to have vision for what kind of church we want to be. Simply because people are coming to our church, does that mean we want to be a big church? Is that our only response? I fear that by opposing a new building project I will be seen as being anti church growth. That is not my position. When we think of church growth we most often think of increasing the number of people in the church. What if we think of it in terms of increasing the number of churches in the area?
I recently spoke to another good friend of mine whose church is on the cutting edge of the church planting movement and I really think they are on to something. As they grow to a certain size, they take lay people from their congregation and plant new churches. Their church is growing but they are not faced with where to build but rather where to start a new church. Building new and bigger churches is a model which has worked in the past but today's church should consider a new paradigm of planting churches instead.
Now there are benefits to bigger churches. They typically have better facilities, more professional presentation and bigger budgets. However, most people in my generation, myself included, are looking for community and relationships and authenticity rather than presentation. Bigger churches have a more difficult time providing this sense of intimacy. Since we live in a corporate world and many church leaders like to apply corporate principles to the church, I'd like to use starbucks as an analogy. When you go to starbucks you go for the coffee, but more than that your go for atmosphere. Starbucks knows this and that is why they don't build huge coffee shops. Instead they build multiple smaller stores to meet the demand and maintain their identity. In fact in some cities you will see a starbucks on every corner. It would be cheaper and more efficient for them to build a super starbucks but that is not their mission. I propose the church should adopt the starbucks model.
By writing this, I do not mean to impugn or disparage big churches or the people in my church who support a new building project. There is room to disagree on how we proceed. I just want to point out that there is an alternate answer and share my vision for how we meet the challenges we are facing.
Before we build, I want our church to have vision for what kind of church we want to be. Simply because people are coming to our church, does that mean we want to be a big church? Is that our only response? I fear that by opposing a new building project I will be seen as being anti church growth. That is not my position. When we think of church growth we most often think of increasing the number of people in the church. What if we think of it in terms of increasing the number of churches in the area?
I recently spoke to another good friend of mine whose church is on the cutting edge of the church planting movement and I really think they are on to something. As they grow to a certain size, they take lay people from their congregation and plant new churches. Their church is growing but they are not faced with where to build but rather where to start a new church. Building new and bigger churches is a model which has worked in the past but today's church should consider a new paradigm of planting churches instead.
Now there are benefits to bigger churches. They typically have better facilities, more professional presentation and bigger budgets. However, most people in my generation, myself included, are looking for community and relationships and authenticity rather than presentation. Bigger churches have a more difficult time providing this sense of intimacy. Since we live in a corporate world and many church leaders like to apply corporate principles to the church, I'd like to use starbucks as an analogy. When you go to starbucks you go for the coffee, but more than that your go for atmosphere. Starbucks knows this and that is why they don't build huge coffee shops. Instead they build multiple smaller stores to meet the demand and maintain their identity. In fact in some cities you will see a starbucks on every corner. It would be cheaper and more efficient for them to build a super starbucks but that is not their mission. I propose the church should adopt the starbucks model.
By writing this, I do not mean to impugn or disparage big churches or the people in my church who support a new building project. There is room to disagree on how we proceed. I just want to point out that there is an alternate answer and share my vision for how we meet the challenges we are facing.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Freckles update
Freckles came home Thursday night. She is not eating much but is in good spirits. If she doesn't start to eat and drink more I may have to take her back to the Vet this week. I have enjoyed having her home this weekend and am hopeful she can continue to get better. The Vet thinks she has a 50/50 chance of recovering full use of her kidneys and she is not out of the woods yet. Thank you to all who prayed for her recovery.
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
Freckles
It has been a scary week. Monday morning I took my cat Freckles to the vet because she had been throwing up and not eating for a couple days. The week before I took her to MSU animal hospital and she was diagnosed with arthritis and they gave her some anti-inflammatory medicine to take. I found out on Monday that the medicine had caused her kidneys to stop working. My Vet was very good and immediately gave her treatment and Freckles has been in the hospital the past two days flushing her kidneys. At first I was concerned she might not make it but she is making progress and I may get to take her home as early as tomorrow.
The thought of losing her really got to me yesterday. I discovered through her illness how emotionally involved I have become with her. I know that sounds weird but she is who I come home to everyday. Before I met Freckles, I was never a cat person but my good friends the Blairs had to get rid of her and so they asked me to take her. Freckles and I hit it off right away and she has lived with me for over 2 years now. She is the sweetest cat I know. She and I have a lot of common interests including laying around and napping. Last night it was hard to sleep without her because I was so used to having her around.
I look forward to having Freckles back home soon.
The thought of losing her really got to me yesterday. I discovered through her illness how emotionally involved I have become with her. I know that sounds weird but she is who I come home to everyday. Before I met Freckles, I was never a cat person but my good friends the Blairs had to get rid of her and so they asked me to take her. Freckles and I hit it off right away and she has lived with me for over 2 years now. She is the sweetest cat I know. She and I have a lot of common interests including laying around and napping. Last night it was hard to sleep without her because I was so used to having her around.
I look forward to having Freckles back home soon.
Friday, May 06, 2005
Very Bad Movies
Derek's blog has a recent post on the best movies of the past 30 years. This got me to thinking about my favorite movies and I thought I would come up with my own list. But instead of my favorites, I decided to write about the 10 worst movies. The only criteria I gave myself was that I had to actually suffer through at least a portion of the movie. This excludes such classics as Ishtar, Waterworld, Leonard Part 6 and Kazaam from the list. The hardest part about this list was limiting it to only 10 movies. Without further ado, here is my list:
1. Pulp Fiction I have no idea why this appears on many people's list of favorites. It was nothing but pointless violence. Unfortunately, a whole genre was created out of it.
2. Pokemon2 The artwork was terrible and the plot was incomprehensible. Whoever marketed this crap was a genius.
3. The Crying Game The climax of the story (no pun intended) is when the main character realizes that the girl he is dating is not really a girl. If that's your thing, you might enjoy the movie but it made me want to throw up.
4. October Sky I saw this movie on a date and it was the longest, most boring movie ever made. It has something to do with a kid, a rocket and a mining town or something. I think we turned it off half way through but it seemed like it took a lifetime.
5. Bowling for Columbine I had no idea what the movie was about and got dragged to it by my friend Andrea. I still haven't forgiven her. Nothing but lies and clever editing. I made her leave early.
6. 8 Heads in a Duffel Bag I saw this movie for free. Thank God because I would hate to think I wasted money on it. It had Joe Pesci in it but even he couldn't save this debacle.
7. Transylvania 65000 This movie was supposed to be funny. I never laughed. Not even a chuckle. It was one of Michael Richard's (Kramer) earliest movies but even he wasn't funny.
8. Ready to Wear Wow this movie was bad. I saw it with my friend CJ and still wonder why we picked it. It had Lots of stars and plots lines and even a naked pregnant woman but there no point to the movie whatsoever.
9. American Beauty It is hard to believe that this movie won best picture. It was nothing but propaganda for drug use and pedophilia.
10. Rocky V How do you ruin the Rocky series? Have Tommy Morrison star in this film. I love Rocky but I think the makers of this movie took a few too many shots to the head filming the earlier Rockies.
Thursday, May 05, 2005
David Stern Can Bite Me
I am sick and tired of NBA commissioner David Stern and his bullying antics. Last week, Jeff Van Gundy who coaches the Houston Rockets, complained about how the referees were calling falls on his player Yao Ming. It appears that after the first two games in the playoffs, the opposing team suggested to the league that Yao was committing illegal screens. The very next game he got called for these fouls. Van Gundy received an anonymous call from a referee who told him that they were instructed to give special attention to Yao and to call more fouls on him. When Van Gundy publicly complained about this mistreatment David Stern fined him $100,000. He also demanded that he reveal the name of the referee and threatened to kick him out of the league altogether if he did not provide the name.
Much has been said that the reason Stern is upset with Van Gundy is because he feels that his complaints give the NBA a bad name and make it look like games can be influenced by the referees. To which I say, yes the games are fixed and its about time somebody had the guts to say so. The real reason Stern is upset is because he is fearful of somebody exposing the leagues unfair approach to calling fouls on certain players and not calling fouls on other players.
The NBA is notorious for giving special treatment to their star players and for calling games so that teams from big cities do well. They are more concerned about TV ratings, Jersey sales and marketing their star players than they are about the fair treatment of teams and players. This is why Michael Jordan never fouled out of a game and why Shaq never gets called for charging even though he throws his shoulder into his opponent at every opportunity.
The NBA wants the Jordans and the Shaqs to do well. They also want LA, Chicago, and NY to win and will do whatever they can to manipulate the system to give them an advantage. Players who are not stars and who play for a small market team never get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to calling fouls. This is what makes it even more shocking that the Pistons were able to overcome this bias and beat the Lakers last year. To see this bias, one only needs to compare how the Pistons were treated by the NBA and the TV schedulers to how the Lakers were treated. If you didn't know better you would think the Lakers won last year because they were showcased and hyped by the league instead of the Pistons.
I hope Van Gundy sticks to his guns and tells David Stern what he can do with his $100,000 fine. Better yet, I hope he refuses to pay it. It would send a signal that the time has come for a change and help keep the spotlight on the NBA and their bias towards the teams they choose. The NBA would be much better off if they just called games evenly and treated each player the same. It would allow the best team to win and restore confidence to a lot of fans. David Stern's treatment of Jeff Van Gundy for daring to speak out on this chicanery does nothing more than fuel an already existing concern that the sport is corrupt.
Much has been said that the reason Stern is upset with Van Gundy is because he feels that his complaints give the NBA a bad name and make it look like games can be influenced by the referees. To which I say, yes the games are fixed and its about time somebody had the guts to say so. The real reason Stern is upset is because he is fearful of somebody exposing the leagues unfair approach to calling fouls on certain players and not calling fouls on other players.
The NBA is notorious for giving special treatment to their star players and for calling games so that teams from big cities do well. They are more concerned about TV ratings, Jersey sales and marketing their star players than they are about the fair treatment of teams and players. This is why Michael Jordan never fouled out of a game and why Shaq never gets called for charging even though he throws his shoulder into his opponent at every opportunity.
The NBA wants the Jordans and the Shaqs to do well. They also want LA, Chicago, and NY to win and will do whatever they can to manipulate the system to give them an advantage. Players who are not stars and who play for a small market team never get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to calling fouls. This is what makes it even more shocking that the Pistons were able to overcome this bias and beat the Lakers last year. To see this bias, one only needs to compare how the Pistons were treated by the NBA and the TV schedulers to how the Lakers were treated. If you didn't know better you would think the Lakers won last year because they were showcased and hyped by the league instead of the Pistons.
I hope Van Gundy sticks to his guns and tells David Stern what he can do with his $100,000 fine. Better yet, I hope he refuses to pay it. It would send a signal that the time has come for a change and help keep the spotlight on the NBA and their bias towards the teams they choose. The NBA would be much better off if they just called games evenly and treated each player the same. It would allow the best team to win and restore confidence to a lot of fans. David Stern's treatment of Jeff Van Gundy for daring to speak out on this chicanery does nothing more than fuel an already existing concern that the sport is corrupt.
Sunday, May 01, 2005
Blind Dates and Boxing
It was another interesting weekend. Initially, my friend Ray's Mom was trying to set me up on a blind date with one of her friends. I have a bad history with blind dates. I am always amazed at why people would think I have anything in common with the person whom I am being set up with. But I told Ray I was open to it because at this point, I figure I have nothing to lose other than my dignity and a few hours on Saturday night.
I know it sounds sad the my dating life has become so bad that I have friend's moms trying to set me up with unsuspecting women. What's even sadder is that the women wasn't interested and decided not to do it. Now I am used to getting turned down on dates but usually it takes knowing me a few weeks. I didn't even get to use any of my boyish charm and good looks to win her over.
As it turns out, Ray and I went to the Golden Glove boxing state championship instead. We were waiting in the lobby debating whether or not to buy tickets because they were more expensive than we thought. I am trying to save money and Ray has always been thrifty with a buck. Anyways, out of the blue a guy comes up to me and asks me if I want his ticket for free. It was a very generous gesture and so we decided to stay and watch the boxing.
I had never seen boxing live and it was fun. The first match was between two women which was a little weird. I think I could probably take both of them. Of course they were only 119 pounds. Once the men started fighting the action got a lot better. I sat next to a drunk guy who kept wanting to wager a buck on each fight with me. Eventually, I took him up on it until he was all out money. At one point he was collecting all his loose change so he could continue betting with me. Some people never learn. Ray and I also were picking each fight but only for bragging rights. So I guess I can brag because I kicked his butt.
On the way home, I realized how lucky I am to have a friend like Ray. I have known him since junior high and we have gone through a lot together. He's a really good guy and we had a fun night together. It sure beat going on a blind date.
I know it sounds sad the my dating life has become so bad that I have friend's moms trying to set me up with unsuspecting women. What's even sadder is that the women wasn't interested and decided not to do it. Now I am used to getting turned down on dates but usually it takes knowing me a few weeks. I didn't even get to use any of my boyish charm and good looks to win her over.
As it turns out, Ray and I went to the Golden Glove boxing state championship instead. We were waiting in the lobby debating whether or not to buy tickets because they were more expensive than we thought. I am trying to save money and Ray has always been thrifty with a buck. Anyways, out of the blue a guy comes up to me and asks me if I want his ticket for free. It was a very generous gesture and so we decided to stay and watch the boxing.
I had never seen boxing live and it was fun. The first match was between two women which was a little weird. I think I could probably take both of them. Of course they were only 119 pounds. Once the men started fighting the action got a lot better. I sat next to a drunk guy who kept wanting to wager a buck on each fight with me. Eventually, I took him up on it until he was all out money. At one point he was collecting all his loose change so he could continue betting with me. Some people never learn. Ray and I also were picking each fight but only for bragging rights. So I guess I can brag because I kicked his butt.
On the way home, I realized how lucky I am to have a friend like Ray. I have known him since junior high and we have gone through a lot together. He's a really good guy and we had a fun night together. It sure beat going on a blind date.
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