A New Day

What can I say, tonight is a historical time in our country. The US has elected the first African American as President of the United States. For me, the most exciting thing is that so many people turned out to participate in this election! In my county, more than 50% of the registered voters had already voted by absentee or early voting before the polls even opened today!

For the next few weeks there will be all kinds of people saying things about this campaign far better than I ever could. I'll let them....

Tonight, I'd like to tip my hat to John McCain for giving one of the most gracious and well stated concession speeches I've ever heard.

If you didn't see his speech, it's worth taking the time to do so.

Well done Mr. McCain!

Free Falling

Ok....so the last 8 weeks have been a bit...ummmm....WEIRD!

It all started when I got on this Southwest airline flight back to Sacramento. I was holding ticket A1. If you ever fly Southwest you know how very cool that is! ;-) It means I should have been the very first person on the plane.

But....as Murphy would have it, I ended up getting a couple phone calls before I made it to security which delayed my getting to the gate.

By the time I got on, there was only middle seats left and you know that's just WRONG!

Ended up getting "stuck" next to a guy that was (of course) a pastor. I swear...I ignored him the best I could...by talking only with the guy on the other side of me and then by trying to go to sleep. Had my arms crossed, eyes closed and everything. Then...he "tricked" me into talking to him by asking me a question about photography. I'll fall for it every time ;-)

We ended up talking for hours and hours over the course of 2 legs of the journey and I guess you could say we haven't stopped talking yet.

Since that day the following is examples of what's going on in my life:

• Job changed
• My company and the client couldn't figure out how to settle on a price for me so now I'm on "vacation" until that's gone then on the "bench" until I'm on the "dole".
• I went and checked out church at my new friend's house church (shock)
• Then, the next week, I went back again. (SHOCK)
• I moved back to my hometown
• I'm dying of boredom!!!!
• The church I was hanging out with live-streamed their service and made it technically possible for me to "attend" with them. How cool is that??
• One of my blog buddies and I got into a couple good discussions about Bible verses, which turned very frustrating to me cause I just don't "get it" no matter how hard I try.
• He made a remark about getting back in and being a "student" cause it was "fun"
• No, no...it's not!!!!!
• I decided to go check out a more "contemplative" church today where I could just let my brain rest and let my soul get fed.
• There, I ran into a woman that used to be a MAJOR part of my life about 20 years ago when she and her husband pastored my church.
• We talked for 4 hours over lunch!
• We're going to dinner on Weds.
• Got to talk with her daughter for a few minutes tonight too. She's a great "kid"!! Haven't talked with her in about 9 years and I 've missed her.
• I'm going to a retreat in Sacramento with the church I've been hanging out with I think.
• Life is just WEIRD....at the moment....in a very good but completely unexpected way.

Sunday Funnies

A minister decided that a visual demonstration would add emphasis to his Sunday sermon.

Four worms were placed into four separate cans.

The first worm was put into a container of alcohol.
The second worm was put into a container of cigarette smoke.
The third worm was put into a container of chocolate syrup.
The fourth worm was put into a container of good clean soil.

At the conclusion of the sermon, the Minister reported the following results:
The first worm in alcohol - Dead.
The second worm in cigarette smoke - Dead.
Third worm in chocolate syrup - Dead.
Fourth worm in good clean soil - Alive.

So the Minister asked the congregation - What can you learn from this demonstration? A little old woman in the back quickly raised her hand and said,"As long as you drink, smoke and eat chocolate, you won't have worms!"

My new favorite TED Talk

I really like the way this guy uses both his left brain computer programming skills and his right brain photography skills in this talk.

This Is What You Shall Do

This is what you shall do:
Love the earth and sun and the animals,
Despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks,
Stand up for the stupid and crazy,
Devote your income and labors to others,
Hate tyrants, argue not concerning God,
Have patience and indulgence toward the people,
Take off your hat to nothing known or unknown,
Or to any man or number of men,
Go freely with powerful uneducated persons,
And with the young and with the mothers of families,
Read these leaves in the open air,
Every season of every year of your life,
Reexamine all you have been told,
At school at church or in any book,
Dismiss whatever insults your own soul,
And your very flesh shall be a great poem.
- Walt Whitman

So long Professor

Tony Hillerman, journalism professor, author of 29 books, and all around nice guy died today.

Professor Hillerman taught at UNM, the university I attended, before I arrived, but his name was always spoken in reverence and with high respect. People there were proud to have studied under him.

A few years ago, I was with someone at a local resturant I frequent and saw his wife and him eating at a table nearby. It had just so happened that it was near Christmas and I had bought my brother a hardback copy of Hillerman's latest Joe Leaphorn book as a gift.

I asked the guy at the resturant if he would do me a favor and ask Mr. Hillerman if he would mind signing the book for me. I didn't want to just go over and interupt his dinner and draw attention to him, but I thought it would be a great gift if it was signed.

The next time I went into the resturant, the waiter told me that he'd talked to Mr. Hillerman who said that it was so appreciative that I had been polite enough not to interupt dinner, that he'd be happy to sign the book for me. I was thrilled and had a great gift to give to my brother that year!

Professor Hillerman brought alot of positive attention to New Mexico with his writings and the movies that were made of them.

He'll definately be missed around the Land of Enchantment!

Rest in Peace Professor!

Sunday Funnies

Click to enlarge

Cause Frankly, I Need The Reminder

Thanks Roby!

Quotable Quote

If A is a success in life, then A equals x plus y plus z.

Work is x; y is play; and z is keeping your mouth shut. - Albert Einstein

Ugggggg

If you had told me 7 weeks ago that I'd be sitting in my own hometown, relaxing with nothing to do except finish up the end of engagement document for my project. But absolutely dying to get back to Sacramento so I could go to church on a FRIDAY NIGHT, I would have laughed until I wet myself....

But....here I am. Sitting in my favorite coffeeshop in town, wishing that I was back in Sac so I could go to church tonight with the people I barely know but feel completely connected with somehow. I'm missing them like crazy and it's only been one week!

How absolutely bizzare!!