Back in the Game

I've been away from blogging about my life for too long. So I think I'll get back in the game.

This past weekend my wife and kids were out of town for a couple of days. I found myself in a highly unusual position of having time on my hands. My life is very full and most days every minute of my time is spoken for by my various responsibilities. I often dream of having the freedom to do whatever I want and Saturday my dreams came true.

I knew that I wanted to get out of the house and since my addiction to caffeine has essentially ruined the possibility that I will ever "sleep in" for the rest of my life, I was up and about fairly early. It didn't take long before I found myself starting to get a little bored and missing my family. Strange how we always seem to want what we can't have isn't it?

Thankfully my friend McGraw (I will try to use psudonyms) and his wife, Belle, invited me to join them for lunch. We met up at the Deschutes Brewery in the Pearl district of Portland and had a great meal. I highly recommend their soft pretzel and cheeze dip... sooo good! The food was great, the conversation stimulating, and the beer was wonderful - they have an entierly new line from the Portland brewerey! Lots more to explore and enjoy!

It ended up being a good time to putz and do some laundry. It also reminded me of how grateful I am for all that I have.

A New Home

I am excited to announce that I am starting a new blog. http://livingtension.com is where you will be able to find me from now on. I have decided to stop pulling my punches and writing only about fluffy family stuff (not that that's all together bad) but those of you that know me, know that I have a lot to say, and I think its time for me to crawl out from under my rock and start saying it!

I will still return here from time to time to share some of my favorite posts, but I invite you all to follow me at my new home, where you will get, for better or for worse, the real me!

For the Journey,

Mike

Blackberry or iPhone

A few weeks ago I was notified that I was now eligible for a free upgrade by my cell phone provider. It happened to be memorial day weekend and there we significant deals to be found. For the past year and a half I have been using the Blackjack by Samsung, which has been a great phone. But the battery life had diminished significantly and it was difficult to keep it charged. I have become addicted to the full QWERTY keypad and the large screen for all of the texting that I do.

So I figure that I would simply get the new Blackjack 2, but upon further research, I learned that the Blackberry Curve was the same price as the Blackjack and had many more features. As a former crackberry addict, I was hesitant to return to my old ways, but after much contemplation (and the cost prohibitive iPhone at $499) I decided to go for it with the Blackberry Curve. I couldn't be a more satisfied customer. The past 2 weeks have been wonderful. I have used the TeleNav (GPS) to find restaurants in Vancouver, the blackberry messenger has been a dream to use whenever I want to bother 2 of my best friends and BB users. I am very happy with this phone and with all of the blackberry services. And then Apple made a little announcement...

THE NEW iPHONE is only $199!!!! Crap! This ruins everything! I have wanted and iPhone since they first came out and the only thing that has kept it from me has been the price. Now I can easily save for the iPhone. The question is... should I? I have been weighing the pros and cons between the BB Curve and the Iphone, and I am at an impass.

So, my blog reading community, I ask for help. What do you think I should do? I only have 2 weeks left to return it, so your input is desired quickly!

I can't wait to hear what you have to say....

The God's Aren't Angry

Last November I took some friends and family with me to see Rob Bell on his speaking tour: "The god's aren't angry". The show was at a the Roseland Theater and it was packed out with about 1500 people. Here is a snippet of the DVD.

Breakfast or the Gym?

I am conflicted. I am starting to get back into regular morning workouts.... starting, I said. But this morning a conflict arose that has got me frustrated.

My Dad was available for breakfast which is always a good time, but what to do about the workout? I find it very difficult to eat before the gym, because then you are dragging this meal around with you... and then there's the burps... you know... the aftertaste of partially digested, formerly delicious breakfast. Not fun.

I hope that this is a false dichotomy, that these two important activities really are not in competition with each other, but I am afraid that it is looking more and more as thought they are. Of course I could always get up "earlier" and go to the gym first, which I suppose is the most rational solution. But, with young kids that need attention in the morning it is a crap shoot as to when they will wake up.

So, by the time the gym is an option, breakfast is either out of the question or a convenient excuse. As a breakfast person (and I recognize that you are either breakfast person, or you are NOT) it is frustrating that I have to choose to start my day with either a work out or breakfast.

Don't even get me started about coffee.... some things are just too sacred!

See ya at the gym... or the diner?!?!