Yes, it's true. I'm still a gigantic NASCAR fanatic. I love racing. I so appreciate the amount of work that goes into what most people dub: "driving around in circles". Yeah, that's why Ford, Chevy, Dodge, and Toyota pour millions and millions of dollars into the sport. Anywho, a few of my compadres have had a fantasy league for a few years now, and that makes it even more interesting. Again this year, I came up with the championship with a margin of 269 points. I felt kind of like Jimmy Johnson at the end, and here's my post to my competitors that donated their money to the championship purse:
I can't say enough about the crew, my sponsors-Red Bull and Belvedere Vodka, Starbucks, and the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. Without them, we would not have been able to have the season we did. Although I did feel a bit like Jimmy Johnson during the chase, it was another great year of racing with y'all. Can't say how I'll spend the winning purse yet, but I'm looking forward to it.Just want to give some shout outs-To the quitters that sucked-better luck next year.To Fishbone-what a start up season to come in second!To Nugget-way to finish last with humility.To Mattsy-Way to not suck as bad as you used to. To all my competitors-we'll be back next year, please invite your friends to participate if they can handle the pressure.Lastly, to my wife for tolerating all my racing interests and for supporting me through a tough season: moving our HQ, and new 'shop' location. I love you, schmoopy.
Only 80 days until Daytona......
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Up
It is not very often that I get to the movies, and it's only a matter of time availability, because I do enjoy the movies. But this week, the girls' school had a movie night that was put on by the PTA. They showed the movie "UP". So superstar was at an open house for a middle school-yup-we are in the process of finding a middle school for Alli next year-YIKES MORE TO COME-and so I took the girls to the movie night. If you haven't seen UP, you need to. THe amount of parallels to real life are overwhelming.
As I sat in the cafeteria with a bunch of students and parents, I couldn't help but be thankful for the school community that our girls ended up at. It was so cool to look around at the people there, say hello to the principal, and of course Liv's awesome teacher, Mr. Tantillo. It was a nice evening to say the least. But I am not sure that anyone else was crying like I was. The emotions I felt as the story line unfolded, and the connections I made emotionally to real life and the movie were really overwhelming. Good thing it was dark in there. I did find it interesting that as we were leaving, Olivia told me that she cried during the movie. Perhaps the most interesting part of the evening to me was afterwards. Superstar told me I would love the movie, and I did. When we were talking after, though, she told me that she saw the movie just as we were moving out of our house, and it was powerful for her to see the images of the old man loving his house. (Therein lies the importance of you seeing the movie) But as superstar told me that, I realized that not once during the movie did I think of our house in MI. Not once. Is that odd? I'm not sure. But I found it interesting that that real life connection never connected for me. I think that was a gift from God on moving here. I loved our house in MI, and I don't often miss it. But I think that God gave me a peace about that early on in this transition, and I am thankful for that.
So next time your kid has a movie night at their school, take a box of kleenex wtih you, and enjoy.
As I sat in the cafeteria with a bunch of students and parents, I couldn't help but be thankful for the school community that our girls ended up at. It was so cool to look around at the people there, say hello to the principal, and of course Liv's awesome teacher, Mr. Tantillo. It was a nice evening to say the least. But I am not sure that anyone else was crying like I was. The emotions I felt as the story line unfolded, and the connections I made emotionally to real life and the movie were really overwhelming. Good thing it was dark in there. I did find it interesting that as we were leaving, Olivia told me that she cried during the movie. Perhaps the most interesting part of the evening to me was afterwards. Superstar told me I would love the movie, and I did. When we were talking after, though, she told me that she saw the movie just as we were moving out of our house, and it was powerful for her to see the images of the old man loving his house. (Therein lies the importance of you seeing the movie) But as superstar told me that, I realized that not once during the movie did I think of our house in MI. Not once. Is that odd? I'm not sure. But I found it interesting that that real life connection never connected for me. I think that was a gift from God on moving here. I loved our house in MI, and I don't often miss it. But I think that God gave me a peace about that early on in this transition, and I am thankful for that.
So next time your kid has a movie night at their school, take a box of kleenex wtih you, and enjoy.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Too, Too, Too Much Fun
Alright. So you're sitting in front of your computer right now. And you're saying to yourself at about 8:00 pm: "Huh. It's been dark out for nearly three and a half hours now. What else can we do for fun?" Well, sir, we have the answer. Take a look at this.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
That's a Week Full
So many things that happened this week, it's hard when I don't take the time to blog about what is happening to keep it all straight in my head. But I can tell you that I did visit Michigan this week, and you would think that it would have been 'like going home'. But it wasn't. It was actually an odd feeling to be there, and only having officially lived in nyc since June, you would think that nyc would not feel like home already. But it does. This is my home. This is my city. This is where I live. This is where I stay. And I love it so.
But a couple of observations from my trip-first the boy is so cute, it's sick. It was nice, even if it was only for a few minutes, to bounce him on my knee, to hear him say 'ma', and to hear him giggle. Another observation is the very clear reminder that God gave me the entire time to there and fro that He has put me here for a reason. I helped a guy that shared the row with me on the plane, he was a first time flyer. He had some questions, he had to find his transfer in Detroit, and so I helped him with some things. He was on his way to Ohio to meet with his son that he had been out of touch with, and he wasn't sure how it was going to go. But I prayed for him, and I will wonder for a long time how that went for him. Another observation-benzr makes me laugh. Hard. A lot. I so miss spending time with her each day, and it was great spending some time catching up and laughing.
Another thing that hit me this week was the fact that I always have a plan for how I would like to see things play out. No matter what it is. Perhaps Alli's school for next year, perhaps my deans for my school, perhaps the evening at home, whatever it is....I always hope things will go this way or that. But I need to stop my wishes from taking over my thoughts, and have 'the mind of Christ' in all that I do. That is hard to do. That is the challenge of my modern days here in nyc-to allow His plan to lead my steps and not my own.
Finally, the superstar will have her bday tomorrow. A friend of allison took both the girls saturday, and the star and I got to spend some great time together and discover a couple of new places in Brooklyn. I so enjoyed spending time with the star and walking the Brooklyn Bridge. Tomorrow we will go to dinner to celebrate with the kkft. Happy Bday Superstar. I love you so much, it's sick. :)
But a couple of observations from my trip-first the boy is so cute, it's sick. It was nice, even if it was only for a few minutes, to bounce him on my knee, to hear him say 'ma', and to hear him giggle. Another observation is the very clear reminder that God gave me the entire time to there and fro that He has put me here for a reason. I helped a guy that shared the row with me on the plane, he was a first time flyer. He had some questions, he had to find his transfer in Detroit, and so I helped him with some things. He was on his way to Ohio to meet with his son that he had been out of touch with, and he wasn't sure how it was going to go. But I prayed for him, and I will wonder for a long time how that went for him. Another observation-benzr makes me laugh. Hard. A lot. I so miss spending time with her each day, and it was great spending some time catching up and laughing.
Another thing that hit me this week was the fact that I always have a plan for how I would like to see things play out. No matter what it is. Perhaps Alli's school for next year, perhaps my deans for my school, perhaps the evening at home, whatever it is....I always hope things will go this way or that. But I need to stop my wishes from taking over my thoughts, and have 'the mind of Christ' in all that I do. That is hard to do. That is the challenge of my modern days here in nyc-to allow His plan to lead my steps and not my own.
Finally, the superstar will have her bday tomorrow. A friend of allison took both the girls saturday, and the star and I got to spend some great time together and discover a couple of new places in Brooklyn. I so enjoyed spending time with the star and walking the Brooklyn Bridge. Tomorrow we will go to dinner to celebrate with the kkft. Happy Bday Superstar. I love you so much, it's sick. :)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Listen up - and Sign In
At our school, we provide a 'moral focus' aspect to our students' education. We teach a moral virtue each month, and provide students some guidance on what those aspects look like in our school, in our community, and in our world. As part of this learning, we have an assembly daily where the entire school community gathers to focus on this learning. This month, as would be expected, is 'GRATITUDE.' (Shout out to tmp for thanksgiving thursdays this month.) And over the last three weeks or so, our communitas planning team challenged each other, or was it pastor that challenged us? Anywho - here is the gig. Wake up each day and pray the prayer "Jesus, reveal yourself to me today." It's a simple prayer when you say it out loud, in your head, or write it in your journal. Anyway you look at it, it's simple. And why is it surprising to me that Jesus doesn't respond to my asking over the last few weeks with some gigantimous event, but putting the simplicity of who He is in front of me each day as I continue to ask the question when I wake each morning. Simple things. A beautiful thing. A smile. A sunrise. A friend encouraging someone they love. Dinner with neighbors that are struggling with cancer and keimo. Time with friends. A job that I love. Simplicity.
But back to the plot. Today in our assembly, one of our teachers took her turn to share, and below is what she shared, as she read it to the entire school community - I'm not tooting my horn. I'm sharing the simplicity of a message from Jesus with you:
Thank you, T$.
I wish we said it every time
You do the things you do.
You always lend a helping hand,
And we're filled with gratitude.
You are supportive and generous
For each and every one of us.
We are extremely grateful,
We cannot say thanks enough.
I balled. In front of everyone. Jesus said to me-what you are doing is important. Don't forget it. He stood next to me in the gymnasium and showed me His love in a very simplistic way. Thanks for that encouragement that will get me through tough days for a long time.
Now-that's the listen up. Take the challenge. When you wake up, ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you this day. You may not have the life changing event of the year.........or will you?
Here's the sign in-I have a sitemeter on my blog. I can see where people are looking at this blog from. If you're still reading at this point, that means you are actually interested in what I write. So sign in. Post a comment, and say who you are if you like. If not, just say where you are looking at this right now. Because I am curious who from Poland might be tuning in, or Wisconsin, or Panama. Listen up....and sign in.
But back to the plot. Today in our assembly, one of our teachers took her turn to share, and below is what she shared, as she read it to the entire school community - I'm not tooting my horn. I'm sharing the simplicity of a message from Jesus with you:
Thank you, T$.
I wish we said it every time
You do the things you do.
You always lend a helping hand,
And we're filled with gratitude.
You are supportive and generous
For each and every one of us.
We are extremely grateful,
We cannot say thanks enough.
I balled. In front of everyone. Jesus said to me-what you are doing is important. Don't forget it. He stood next to me in the gymnasium and showed me His love in a very simplistic way. Thanks for that encouragement that will get me through tough days for a long time.
Now-that's the listen up. Take the challenge. When you wake up, ask Jesus to reveal Himself to you this day. You may not have the life changing event of the year.........or will you?
Here's the sign in-I have a sitemeter on my blog. I can see where people are looking at this blog from. If you're still reading at this point, that means you are actually interested in what I write. So sign in. Post a comment, and say who you are if you like. If not, just say where you are looking at this right now. Because I am curious who from Poland might be tuning in, or Wisconsin, or Panama. Listen up....and sign in.
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