eternal sunshine

just saw "eternal sunshine..." and thoroughly enjoyed it. the memory-loss plot device was very well done, and the editing and such did a good job of leaving me just somewhat confused for a while. I really liked the somewhat subtle yet wacky sense of humor throughout, and the flourish of love left me very satisfied. unless you're offended by the f-word (which must be the primary reason it earned an R rating), I highly reccommend it.

blackwatch

blackwatch is the name of the hall I lived on my first 3 years at covenant. it's a scottish thing. and it was a great place to live in community with some great guys. I will forever be grateful for my friendships with roommates Andy, Greg and Dave, and many others too. and the folks I live near and work with these days happen to have lived there before we did, so it's kinda like a fraternity, but without so much greek letters and beer.

thanks to crabby, you can now get a glimpse into the world of blackwatch on a vintage turn-of-the-century website. so check it out. there are some, er, interesting pics of me and others there, so enjoy. and thanks to crabby.

new compy

our new computers just came in at work. I'm installing the myriad of ms patches even now.

it's been a while since we upgraded, so we got 4 matching small form factor aluminum little cute compys. althlon 2800, dvd-rw, radeon 9200, 512 RAM, 80 gb drives. I'm not one to get all excited about snazzy new hardware, but it's pretty cool stuff. now the joys of installing all the software I need.

three things

Hopefully the battle with the rats should be coming to an end. I boarded up their main entry point and put some poison under the house. We shall see.

---

Jeannette came by for a visit this weekend. It was very good to hang out a bit with her and Sarah, as they always make us laugh. We're very thankful that she's an old friend who keeps in touch. Though it was a little weird, since we read eachother's blogs, all the usual "so, how is this going?" kinda chit-chat was unnecessary.

---

I'm already weary of baby magazines. I think I've learned some useful stuff, but the consumerism and the level at which they keep my thoughts is troubling. I like to think that I'm immune to all the ads, but after reading a bunch of the articles, I find myself focused on trying to be the perfect parent. And I tell myself that I CAN be the perfect parent, and these 5 tips on how to soothe a screaming child WILL make me perfecter.

Which of course is a load of crap. All the articles focus on the "taking care of business" level of things, which of course is a necessary level, but I'm realizing I need to remember there's more to it than that. Am I being idealistic? Sure. That's what this time is for, right?

mourning

my sister Lori has had another miscarriage. please pray for her and Joe and for our family.

down with awkwardness

I love the word 'awkward' because it looks, well, awkward.

anyway, on to our story. Kara Griffith stopped by this weekend. this usually would be quite an awkward time, but since she was with her fiance, it was quite a fun time chatting and whatnot. she and Chris (Patterson -- even if you knew Kara, you wouldn't know him: they met at IU) are great together. they're getting married in May and will likely settle somewhere around in the Delaware/Maryland area. he's finishing up his law degree (tho he'll be working for the govt, not as a lawyer), and she's done with her doctorate except for the dissertation.

as you may guess or may know, Kara and I have something of a strange history. we were pretty good friends freshman year, as I hung out with a bunch of the girls on 4th South (one of which ensnared me for a typical 1st semester "relationship", but that's a story for another day). we took lots of classes together. she even talked me into co-editing the school newspaper for a semester. she left for oxford for a semester, leaving me the newspaper and some wild emotions. just as she was leaving, I nearly fell in love with her, or at least something like that. I got myself in a world of confusion in a short period of time. it's a story longer than even this, but I ended up with Michelle in the end.

so of course it was awkward amung us for a while. but now we're glad not only for the end of awkwardness, but especially for Kara and Chris.

bagel recipe

this is mostly for jeannette. we got it of the web somewhere and it makes GREAT bagels. or at least Michelle makes great bagels with this recipe.

Bread Machine Whole Wheat Bagels - Regular Size Batch

Recipe By : More Electric Bread
Serving Size : 5 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Abm Breakfast
Electric Bread Bread

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3/4 cup water -- lukewarm
1 1/4 cups white bread flour
3/4 cup wheat flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/3 tablespoons gluten
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast


1. Insert ingredients in bread machine according to manufacturer's instruction
s. Remove the dough from the machine after the first knead - approximately 20
to 30 minutes.

2. Place dough on a floured surface. Divide into 5 parts. Form balls, gently
press thumb through center of ball and slowly stretch into bagel shape.

3. While bagels rise, bring three quarts of water and one tablespoon of sugar
to a rapid boil in a large saucepan. Drop test dough (see hints below).

4. Using a slotted spoon, drop 2-3 bagels into rapidly boiling water. Boil on
each side for 1/2 minutes. Remove and cool on rack 1 minute, brush with egg
and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, if desired.

5. Bake at 400 on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal, until golden - appro
ximately 15 minutes.


** Bagel Success Hints

** When forming the bagels, set aside two 1/4" balls of dough. When the bagels
have doubled in size, drop the test dough into boiling water. The dough shoul
d pop to the top right away. When this happens, it is time to boil the bagels.

** A quick spray of non-stick vegetable coating on the top of the bagel may be
substituted for the egg wash.

** To make bagel sticks, cut bagel before rising and lay out in a straight line
. Roll sticks in a combination of sesame and poppy seeds with a pinch of garl
ic powder. Let sticks rise, boil, and bake as described in the above direction
s.

** To make bagel chips, slice leftover bagels horizontally into thin slices. B
ruish with butter or margarine on one side. Lay (butter side up) on an ungreas
ed cookie sheet and bake at 325 for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and crisp.

my trip to egypt

pardon the really bad pun. we sometimes call going to the chiropractor (aka chiro) a trip to egypt. *groan*

anyway, I woke up with a sharp twinge in my back yesterday morning. and it didnt go away last nite. probably due to various stresses (rats, kid, changing health plan) and the fact I'm not getting any younger and do no excercise whatsoever.

so I ended up at the chiro and apparently I adjusted well. I might have been scared a bit, but I've witnessed Michelle's adjustments in the past, so I knew what I was getting into. I fully trust Dr. Travers, as he's saved our life in many ways (he pointed us to the treatment that is healing Michelle's fibromyalgia), but it wasnt the quick fix I hoped for. nor was it cheap (adding to stress, unfortunately).

I've realized the delicate balance that is our life depends on my nearly perfect health (for the past 4+ years at least). just when we get settled into a new budget and routine, this kind of thing comes up. I guess it's God's way of keeping us on our toes, or rather knees, where we belong.

Bob 1, Rats 0

To celebrate the arrival of spring, we killed a rat last night.

It turns out the mystery creature I referenced earlier was indeed a rat, and hopefully there was only one. He was apparently living in the wall behind the fridge, which doesn't have a baseboard for some reason (I'll remedy that very soon). We had noticed that the dog was eating her food much faster than usual this past week. Since she never overeats, I always fill her dish whenever she empties it, but the other night I decided to let her wait til morning for more food. This also coincided with a newly cleaned kitchen, which hadn't happened in a while.

The container in which we keep the dog food has a cracked corner, which I sealed with a piece of duct tape a while ago. Incidentially, this is the same container from which I ate many many pretzles as I grew up. So in the morning I noticed that the tape on the corner of the container was all chewed off. Immediately I knew there were rodents afoot.

After a bit of investigation, I discovered droppings and dog food behind the fridge, and I knew this was no small mouse. Thankfully Dave had brought over some rat traps the other day (I was planning on using them in the attic for the squirrel), so after cleaning out the nest of grocery bags and leaves, I set the trap with some peanut butter (hydrogenated, just in case he licked it all off, then hopefully he'd die of a coronary in a few years) and bits of dog food. I even thought to wall off the trap with some boxes so we wouldn't break the dog's face or paws.

At about 11:30 we heard a THWACK and a bit of thrashing around. And I knew I'd won at least the first round. There he was, the vermin from the pit of the sewer, freshly dead with its head pinned to the board. I was a bit disgusted at his size, as his body was a good 6 inches and he was quite plump. I don't mind the thought of a little mouse in the house, but something that big, creeping around my kitchen, carrying who-knows-what diseases and whatnot, nearly able to take down my dog in a fight (she's about 7 pounds) -- that's just gross.

Score one for the good guys.

He's a BOY!

After initially thinking that we'd keep it a secret, we've now decided to let it out, and he's a BOY! So we kept the secret for about 36 hours. We're halfway there and excited all over again.

We were both pretty much equally excited about either boy or girl, so it's a little sad to let go of all the little girl daydreams for a while at least. But we couldn't be happier that we're having a little boy, and as a bonus the room is already blue (and it was staying that way no matter what, but now it's more appropriate I guess). So now we're talking to the kid using his name (which we ARE withholding...really) and it makes it that much more real.

Today we completed the task of registering for baby junk. It's quite overwhelming, especially at babies-r-us. But we had a faithful guide in Erin (Harris) Wood, who has a 6 month old boy, so she knows what she's talking about. So now we've got lists at Babies-R-Us and Target. Bring on the tidal wave of baby junk.

we have the cutest kid ever

we had the 20 week ultrasound today, and we discovered that we have the custest kid ever. here are some scans of the sonograms. we found out if it's a boy or girl, but we're withholding that information at least for a while. anyway, praise God for a very good report all around. only 20 more weeks til s/he's on the scene!

endless entertainment

for lots of flash-type games and other diversions, may I introduce you to the blog of my brother-in-law: stream of consiousness.

as well as a collector of fine random websites, steve is a philadelphia's best dj, and perhaps the biggest fan of homestarrunner that you'll meet. speaking of: happy 100th birthday strongbad!

covenant chattalum gathering

free food, hanging out with the mayor, mini-homestaying kinda thing at the chattanoogan (hotel, not website) tomorrow nite. anyone else going?

squirrels in the attic

it's man vs. pests around here. there are squirrels in the attic and something under the house too, as well as starlings in the eves of the unfinished porch.

the squirrels are the worst. not only can we hear them munching on the rafters, but if they choose to munch on the wrong wire or two, this 96 year old place could be reduced to ashes. a couple weeks ago I went up to check it out. found the nest. they apparently like old bird nests. found a dead adolescent squirrel wrapped up in an old curtain or something. I doubt it was a burial shroud; most likely it got caught in its poorly-chosen nest material. very nasty.

I tried to devise a plan for sealing up their entry ways, but since the porch ceiling remains unfinished, it's a bit overwhelming. nevertheless, I boarded up 2 of the most obvious spots today, and it went quite well, which is unusual for me when it comes to fix-it kinda stuff.

the bug guy who visits once a month at work told me that moth balls would help keep them at bay. so our dining room smelled like grandma's attic all weekend, and the squirrels didnt seem to mind. I removed a squirrel nest in the porch eves (startling the squirrel, who I think moved to the eves when he discovered a squirrel corpse in his old nest), and I dumped a bunch of moth balls up there. the starlings were grateful that I evicted the squirrel, and they promptly dumped the moth balls on the porch and sidewalks.

and I still dont know what's under the house.

bear's blog

Andy was my first roommate in college. my introduction to him involved a misdirected email, as I emailed him an initial hello and he (unintentionally) replied back with a pretty long shortstory/journal thing about his breakup with his old girlfriend and other highschool escapades (or something like that). what I would give to have that now...

anyway, I love Bear. we learned a lot together, and I kinda lament him leaving early for tech. but he hasn't looked back, still getting degrees and whatnot in some crazy smart stuff. it's quite strange all the super smart roommates I ended up with (2 actual engineers, 3 working on doctorates of various sorts, 1 working on an MD).

so here's his blog. he's got a great little family with lynn, gideon and one more on the way.

sex

as in: boy or girl? (what were you thinking?) we're finding out this friday, and (cliche as it may be) we cant wait! we're toying with the idea of not telling many folks for a while, but we'll see. we'll at least have scans of the ultrasound available for public view, and maybe even a video too.

we're not exactly sure, but Michelle thinks she can feel the baby moving these days and her tummy is definitely growing fast. she's had 3 days in row without throwing up. it's hard to believe the baby will be here in about 20 weeks!

this whole parenting thing is starting to sink in. we've been talking about stuff like our changing budget and how to go about discipline for the kid and what the heck life will look like on the other side. I'm pretty sure the dog won't like the change of priorities. and we're dreaming about who he or she will take after as far as personality goes. I'm definitely like my mom, and Michelle is mostly like her dad but of course some mom mixed in.

we're praying for Michelle as the delivery approaches, and as the kid gets bigger. her body is still relatively weak from fibromyalgia, though she has had some better days lately. for the past couple years she simply hasn't used her arms and back for lifting and such, so even a few minutes holding a friend's newborn was quite an upsetting eye-opener. when we worry, we need to remind eachother how good and faithful God is, and that He'll always remain faithful. so please pray for health and strength.

auburn elvis

if you happen to catch the SEC basketball tournament, be on the look out for an elvis-looking character in auburn colors and tiger stripes. Damon Crumley will be wearing his hand-made getup once again, hoping for another few seconds of TV glory. the first (and likely last) Auburn game is today at 1pm on JP sports (channel 2 on comcast).

missing settlers pieces

did I loan you our copy of settlers of catan recently? because the pieces (settlements, cities, roads) are missing, and we can't figure out where the heck they are. and it makes us sad.

garden time again

we got a late start last year, so we're hoping to get a jump on it this year. and our first salvo is some snow peas. we got them to grow in the fall, but we got exactly one pea pod for the harvest (and it was quite tasty, by the way). time to try again, so we set up the trellis and planted the seeds, just in time for a bit of cooler weather, which snow peas seem to like (hence the name).

we got hammered by the slugs and other creepy-crawlies last year, so we're going to go on the offensive this time. also next up is planting some lettuce and spinach, and once it's a little warmer we'll start with the tomatoes and cukes. we'll do some herbs again, but I think we're skipping the squash and peppers, since they did so poorly last year. Michelle is especially excited about trying some cantalopes too.

she's back

I feel like I have my wife back. not that she went anywhere, but she certainly hasn't been herself for a couple years or so. she has fibromyalgia, but the treatment is finally kicking in again. back in november she was doing great. then she got pregnant (which is the best news ever, by the way), so she had to go off her meds for the first trimester, and she was throwing up everyday. now she's feeling better and she's been back on the fibro meds for about a month (don't worry, the meds are as harmless as they come: guaifenesin, if anyone cares, and you should if you know anyone else who has fibro).

anyway, she's back. she's excited about doing stuff for us like making the baby a very cool quilt. she's also doing simple stuff that we used to take for granted, like making a nice dinner to eat together, and staying awake and aware past 8pm consistantly, and going for a walk around the block in the mornings.

I'm sure the spring time is helping too. with the daffodils and the cherry tree in bloom, and the temp in the 70s, we cant help but be excited about life, especially with her tummy getting bigger each week.

with, in and through all this, God is blessing her so much. she's just so thankful for His many blessings, and that He's taught us so much about Himself and ourselves these past few difficult years. we pray that we'll trust Him in the good times as well as the crappy times. for some strange reason it seems easier for us to trust Him when things go bad, and then we wander and drift when things are good. things are definitely good now.

God is good (all the time), and all the time (God is good) -- that's for you Jeep, say hi to the bowery for us, if you're reading this.

badass coffee

there's a new coffee shop downtown, at the corner or 3rd and Market. The location is bad enough. The name is worse: Bad Ass Coffee. Apparently it's a chain of sorts. And apparently it's a Hawaii thing. They claim to serve 100% Kona coffee. I'd be interested to know if that's really true.

Apparently the franchisee has no idea what kind of place this town is. Two words: Bible Belt. About half the population will not go in to that shop simply because of the name. The cheesy Hawaiian decor is nearly as offensive as well. And if you know that corner, not only is it a 1/2 block from Greyfriar's (and Panera for that matter), it's just a bad corner for a place that depends on walk-up customers.

Bad Ass? Half Ass? Dumb Ass? Yikes.