Tuesday, January 18, 2011

iPhone...

Got one of those fancy little machines that all the kids are talking about these days. You know, the iPhone. In what can only be described as one of the greatest Christmas conspiracies ever, I unwrapped a box filled with old boxers to find the familiar looking box buried within. (So that's where all my old boxers go?!?!)

I've been tooling around lately and trying to figure the machine out. It appears to have no end to useless, trivial and even mind numbing possibilities. And I must admit that it's been a pile of fun.

Most interesting discoveries so far:
  1. FaceTime chats, whether within the office with Jamie (who is two doors away) or with Brad (who has now had a first-class FaceTime tour of the castle that is my office), is completely impractical but joy giving.
  2. Angry Birds. I must fight Erin and the kids to keep them away from my phone, lest they complete levels that I have not yet completed.
  3. Movie/TV trivia is important in our house, kind of like food is important in other houses. I can't tell you how often we've had to start up the computer to find out what other movie "that" person was in, so that one of us could be declared trivia champion yet again. Now I grab the phone and hit up IMDb. I still lose the game, I just lose faster now.
As for practicality...I installed a calendar which is so far keeping me organized. I was able to opt out of purchasing a new Moleskine Weekly Notebook for the year as I attempt to go without a paper trail. So far, so good.

Anyway...all this was a lead up to ask what apps I should be installing. If you've got some recommendations please let me know as I also received a few iTunes gift cards that I should spend before my wife does.

You aren't in the iPhone loop? No worries! I'll still accept you. And I won't even judge you. But maybe you can make a music/album suggestion?

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Snow Day...

It's so rare to get much snow around here, but the last week has made life interesting.

On Saturday we all headed out to the church to here some friends talk about their past (& upcoming) missions experiences. It was just starting to snow when we left and Becca remarked about how great it would be to walk up the hill later that night. (Side note: living on a mountain means that we usually have 1 or 2 times a year that we can't get up the road due to slick roads.)

We hea
d out from the church around 9:30pm and it's not looking good. Sure enough, we can't get the car up the hill so we make the 40 minute hike. Good memories, but it's a little tiring.

Then it starts snowing again last night. The phone rings just after 6:00am to inform us that the schools are closed. I hang up midway through the automated call, which means I get another one 15 minutes later. And then another one. ( Like I can't figure out the school will be closed when I won't be able to make it down the hill.) I check Erin's classes on the phone. Cancelled. Time for an old fashioned snow day!

So now, no youth tonight (we cancel when the schools cancel) and I figured I should dust off the blog. And then I realize I'm falling further and further behind on my blog reading. Then I realize I didn't even evaluate my 2010 goals. Then I realize I don't write much anymore. Then I realize there's a hockey game on...

Saturday, January 01, 2011

Unwrapped...

Christmas was good...no, lets' say great. And not just because I got some cool gifts under the tree. (And by cool I actually mean "re-freaking-diculously awesome".) I've had two weeks of nothing but hanging out with family and friends. I should do this more often.

The last 9 years have seen me having some sort of Christmas responsibility at Church. Not that I begrudge it, but you start to realize pretty quickly that needing to preach or lead worship 2 days after Christmas will quickly eat up some of that other "vacation" time.

So this year I was a little selfish and took it all off. And I am glad that I did.

Can I be honest? I don't really want to think about going back to work on Tuesday.