Living Independant vs. Communal Living

When traveling to the Philippines last August, it really struck me how independant we are as a Americans. Mimi's 3 sisters and brother all live together in the same home. I couldn't even begin to image how difficult it would be if they all lived in their own separate households. Working and living together makes a lot of sense. Just think how well off families in American would be if they adopted a similiar lifestyle. Most rents have skyrocketed to 800-1500 per month. Let's pretend that we took Mimi's now lives in the US. The same size house here would cost them roughly $1200/month. If they all contributed to the rent they would end up paying $240 each. It's unreal as americans that we can afford to live on our own. Gas price are almost $4 a gallon, the dollar dropping in value, and house prices are way overvalued in my opinion. Living the communal lifestyle makes a lot of sense. Think of what families could achieve as a team. That $250,000 would be easy to afford.

Ouch! Raquetball Woes :)

You never can tell what a day will bring. I was having a blast playing racquetball last night when I jumped for the ball and land hard on my left ankle. I went to GroupHealth, they stated that my left ankle had developed arthritis after my last ankle surgery. They said a bone must have rub against it and aggrevated it. It's funny Mimi couldn't resist taking a picture of me outside of GroupHealth, it was freezing out there! It's starting to feel better. I'm hoping by the end of the week I'll be walking without a limp.

Day After Thanksgiving

What compels a man to get up at 6:00 in the morning in spite of freezing cold temperatures. You guessed it right, Black Friday. Here is my top 5 list of things people purchase on this day:

5. $25 for coffee and hot chocolate for you and the kids.

4. Another $30 mp3 that is every bit better than the last 3 you had to replace.

3. UltraMega $399 laptop that can do word processing...Did I mention it can do word processing! Office Suite not included. Free 20 minute spyware lecture with each purchase! YIPPE!

2. $40 in gas circling the parking lot.

1. A whole lot of nothing.....

Holiday Coding

Today I spent most of the day working on my web site called BeeBlogging.com. I'm almost ready to start advertising it on google.com . On the site I have a brief story about how the web site came about.

Thanksgiving was great. We ended up going to a restaurant across the street that served a full blown Thanksgiving dinner. We were stuffed. I think we're going to make this a family tradition.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's that time of the year again. Looking through my old photos, I found these great pictures of my dad and I helping to set up our Christmas service. Turning Point was one of the only churches open on Christmas day. This was our last Christmas together in Olympia. It's been a joy spending Christmas in Palm Springs each year. I really love it down there.

When Life Throws You a Wave Grab a Surfboard

In the Philippines I really had quite the revelation. Going from Island to island we sailed on a small canoe-like boat called a pump boat. Unlike a canoe, you sit on top of it instead of inside of it. You are so close to the water you can touch it. As we were returning from the island, the waves started to pick up as the dark clouds stood in horizon. There were times when the waves really started to shaking things up. At that time, the realization that my life could be taken at any time set in. It goes to shows how much God really is in control and we're not. At that same moment, I remember looking at the beach on the other side and having faith that God will see me through. Something I just thought of tonight is Peter had a similar experience when Jesus greeted Him on the water. It was faith that saw them through.

Music Theory

This week I have been continuing my study of music theory and bass guitar. It's really been a blast!! I've been learning so much. Some of the topics I am studying are Major and Minor scales, Chords, etc.. It's great when you learn a concept and can apply it right away. Everyday I'm learning something new. Practicing daily makes such a difference.

Holiday

I'm really excited about our upcoming vacation to Palm Springs. Last years trip was amazing. The train ride going back through the Oregon mountains was something I'll never forget. We will be taking off the day before Christmas Eve and arriving late on Christmas day.

Turn OFF The TV

It's amazing who much more fulfilling my life has been since I cancelled my cable TV 5 years ago. Time is a precious commodity, it's amazing what can be accomplished when we unplug. Lately I have been studying Music Theory and learning bass. It's amazing what can be learned when you study 5-10 minutes a day. I found a great website on the web called http://www.studybass.com/ . I am really impressed with this site.

This last year I've been working on my website http://www.beeblogging.com/ . It's been about 6 months since I last updated it. I definately want to keep moving forward with it. I have some great ideas for the site.