I was going to cheat today… Today marks the 3 year anniversary that our Midwest adventure began. So, I thought I would just copy and paste my notes from one of my family history files… Except I couldn’t find any! Anywhere! So, back to work… Three years ago today, after 30 hours in our F150 Super Crew [...]
It wasn’t quite a tornado, but…
August 14th, 2010Category: Masculinity, Providence
Help from an unlikely source
June 7th, 2010I love it when I am proven right. Well, not always… When I give my children advice and they don’t take it, I REALLY do not like being proven right. But I have to confess that it feels pretty good when a disinterested third party confirms something that I have been saying for quite awhile, [...]
Category: Masculinity
Stepping into a parallel universe
December 18th, 2009I had my latest “humility sandwich” handed to me today. After work, I hustled over to the police supply store. As I waited for them to look at my flashlight, I perused the store. It was like entering a parallel universe! About 50 different handguns at the counter… fully automatic weapons behind it… displays of various [...]
Category: Masculinity
See, it’s not just me!
December 16th, 2009Since I can’t figure out what is wrong with my two police style flashlights, I decided to expose my ignorance and ask for help. I took them to work and asked a friend to look at it. He couldn’t figure it out. The bulb was good… He put it in his own new batteries…still nothing. [...]
Category: Masculinity
From man to wimp in 10 minutes
December 10th, 2009We went from VERY cold to WOW cold today! When I woke up at 5:00 A.M., the temperature was 6º! When I went out to warm up my car for the morning drive to work at 6:00, it was 2º! As I was walking out the door, I decided that I should do the manly [...]
Category: Cars, Masculinity
Call 911
November 30th, 2009I was listening to a radio show today and heard Marcus Lutrell, a Navy seal, say this: “When you look in the mirror, bottom line is you are one of two people. You either call 911 or you are 911.” I have never heard that view of life but it’s a good one. I want [...]
Category: Masculinity
Captain Jack Sparrow, meet the Lord of the Castle
November 17th, 2009You would think that a mirror is a mirror. They reflect the image in front of them. You would think by their construction (a piece of glass placed on top of a shiny reflective surface) that they should be the same. But, people don’t always think so. Women are constantly complaining that some mirrors make [...]
Category: Masculinity
And you thought you were finished with word problems
July 28th, 2009Every so often, our family runs into logistical challenges that strongly resemble the word problems we had in high school algebra… We have three vehicles here at the Castle: a 1998 Honda Accord, a 2001 Ford F-150 Super Crew and a 1979 F150 that gets 13 MPG! The Lord’s wife had to catch a plane this morning in [...]
Category: Masculinity, Money, Travel
I wonder if I scared him off
July 13th, 2009(I originally wrote this on June 18th. A certain unnamed party persuaded a permanently biased judge to issue a temporary injunction against its publication. The legal wrangling has finally ended and the banned post can now be made public) I don’t have the greatest set of social skills. I tend to be too honest. I [...]
Category: Masculinity, Parenting
Sorry, son, but that is reality
July 10th, 2009Time continues to move swiftly. Fargo is now just two weeks away. This week, my son had a change in his training schedule so he has been taking me to work and heading directly to the morning practice. He comes back and we eat lunch together. This morning, my wife gave each of us a [...]
Category: Masculinity, Parenting
Maybe I am a feminist?
June 21st, 2009Feminism has convinced many women that they could live their best life if they lived it like a man… You think so… Saturday night, I asked my wife if she had planned anything to celebrate. A look of mild horror swept across her face followed by loud, slightly nervous laughter… “We’re going out to eat…we have [...]
Category: Masculinity
Thanks for a life well lived
January 8th, 2009A great man died on Wednesday. His funeral will be tomorrow night. You can read the obituary here. I came to know him through the kindness of God. Gene Burgin was the father of Sandy Burgin. Sandy Burgin married David Houston. David and Sandy moved from Florida to Los Angeles in 1981 with a team of eight [...]
Category: Friends, Masculinity, Parenting
A manly decision
October 8th, 2008This morning, my wife told me my son got home at 3 IN THE MORNING!!! He was pretty frustrated when he learned that he had to work last night. He was looking forward to a very busy and productive night of homework. (he studies/worships at The Prayer Room) Well, when work was over at 8:00, [...]
Category: Children, Masculinity
Man, I’m glad that I did that!
October 5th, 2008As I reflected on yesterday’s post, I grew very encouraged. While it is true that my wife and I are entering a VERY different season and it is true that I feel a bit unsteady because of the change, it is also true that I have been preparing for this season for past 20 years! Throughout [...]
Category: Masculinity
I’m feeling a little off balance
October 4th, 2008As my wife and drove to the Farmer’s Market, we were talking about all of the changes unfolding in our lives. Our marriage started with a whirlwind. I was a full-time student at UCLA, working 24 hours per week and was the director of the campus outreach. She was working as a waitress. We had our [...]
Category: Masculinity
Too much estrogen…
September 1st, 2008You’ve heard of chick flicks… Well, from time to time, I get trapped into living a chick’s life. Take the latest event as an example… I told my wife earlier this morning that I started crying while running this morning. I remembered a very touching video that my wife’s friend e-mailed her awhile back. I [...]
Category: Children, Marriage, Masculinity
Gotta tell my wife about this!
July 14th, 2008My day got off to a great start. My second daughter and I went to register her “new” car with the Williamson County Clerk. I told the woman behind the counter that I wanted to give the car to her. She asked “Are you boyfriend and girlfriend, husband and wife, brother or sister…?” I didn’t [...]
Category: Masculinity
A Different 4th
July 4th, 2008This is quite a different 4th of July. We haven’t really made a bunch of new friends yet so a BBQ picnic is out. And three of our children are in other states! We are down to three this weekend! It is times like these that lead me to question my decision to move. I know [...]
Category: Masculinity, Parenting