I have no idea what to post about, but it's been 10 days, so I'll just post some quick thoughts and call it a day.
* I'm somewhat embarassed to say that I am hooked on American Idol this season and actually look forward to vegging on the couch 2 nights a week watching it! For those of you who follow it, I would like to post my prediction - from day one, Katherine McPhee and Chris Daughtry made my top 4 and I predict they will make it to the top 2...followed by Paris. And wouldn't it be cool to see Taylor Hicks at the end?!
* Work has been killing me lately - too much going on.
* I'm still on a Casting Crowns "high" and am trying to process the changes their concert and music have inspired in me. I emailed Mark, the lead singer, and he replied! How cool is that?!
* Had a great time visiting Grandpa Bill and Grandma Sue! Grandpa is doing better now than he has been in years!
* I'm going with some friends to the Mavericks game Saturday. Our tickets are in a suite! I've never been to a Mavs game, and I'm not big into basketball, but it will be fun. Basketball is just weird to watch. I'm so used to watching hockey that I anticipate moves but the basketball players don't skate around and it's illegal for a guy to stand in front of the net and wait for a pass to one-time it in for a goal. It's just weird and I can never get into it because the momentum always stops. Anyway, it will still be fun to be there I think.
* I missed the Daytona 500 because we were driving back from Georgetown and I forgot to record it on the DVR. However, I have some thoughts. Carl Edwards finishing dead last because of a crash really stinks. Jamie McMurray apparently had a good race until the end. Terry Labonte, the debut racer for the Aikman/Staubach Hall of Fame team had a decent finish. However, due to an illegal carburater, which nobody realized was illegal, they got fined $25,000 and have been penalized points that knocks them down from 17th to 27th! It was an innocent mistake!! What irks me so much about that is the fact that Jimmie Johnson's crew chief intentionally modified his car to be more aerodynamic, knowing it was illegal and would give Johnson an unfair advantage...and Johnson was not penalized at all, even after winning the race. Neither was Tony Stewart for forcing Kenseth off the track after crying all week about how unsafe all the drivers are. Tony Stewart is a punk.
* I have found that the so-called sport of "curling" is actually quite addictive! To me, it's just human-sized shuffleboard on ice. It's intriguing though, and easy to watch. Those athletes must be in top physical condition! Just kidding. Canada beat USA in the men's semifinals today, so the USA plays Great Britain on Friday for Bronze.
* The men's USA olympic hockey team only won 1 out of 6 games. Quite humiliating. However, 4 of the Dallas Stars are on the unbeaten Finland team, who will play Russia Friday night in the semifinals. Be sure to catch the finals on Sunday at 1pm I think.
2.22.2006
2.11.2006
Casting Crowns & Nichole Nordeman
Several days ago, we got an invite to a Nichole Nordeman/Casting Crowns concert from some friends in our small group whom we have been wanting to get to know better. Jim & Misty have followed Nichole Nordeman since she first started out, and they were excited about the concert. Neither Jennifer or I had even heard of her, but we thought it would be a good opportunity to spend some "kidless" time with our friends and get to know them better. Also, I've heard Casting Crowns and liked them a lot, so I figured we would enjoy the concert too. At first, it looked like it wasn't going to work out, but at the last minute, all the stars lined up and plans were made. Misty was going to meet Jenn and I at the downtown train station and take it to Dallas where Jim would pick us up since he works in Dallas, and we'd have dinner before the concert. However, due to some "directional uncertainties" and unexpected construction, we arrived at the train station in time to rush towards the train as it was pulling away. ARGH! Misty had gotten on the train thinking maybe we were waiting for her on the train. We got in the van and started driving to Dallas and phoned Misty and told her we'd just meet her in Dallas. So, we got directions from Jim to the restaurant and met them at Ninfa's, which had some pretty good Mexican food! We had a great dinner - good food, great conversation, and then piled in to their vehicle and went to Reunion Arena.
The seats were relatively close, on the risers at the bottom, and we arrived just in time for Nichole Nordeman's first song. She was at the piano and had a drummer, stand-up bass player, and guitarist/back-up vocalist. She talked in between each song, and I really enjoyed her honesty and message. I thought she had a very "relevant" sound with regard to the contemporary pop-ballad style. Music was great, lyrics were very deep and powerful, and the back-up vocalist had an incredible voice and talent. Some heavy songs and some good uplifting songs as well. I enjoyed her music and wanted to hear some more and take some time to pore over her lyrics....we bought her "Brave" CD today.
It was so fun to watch these professional musicians performing up there on stage in front of 20,000+ people. I haven't been to a concert in quite a few years, so when it comes to live bands, I'm still accustomed to the sound of the worship band I played/sang in at Grace Church in Wichita Falls. There are some very talented musicians in that band, who perform regularly with other cover bands every weekend, but really, they're probably still on an amateur level. Because of this, I was just in awe, listening to this concert with such high quality, professional musicians. I could easily pick apart each instrument and was impressed with their talent level. I knew very quickly I was going to enjoy the evening. After several songs, the stage lights go out and they start changing sets, getting ready for the main band, Casting Crowns.
Knowing that Casting Crowns had just won a grammy a few nights before, I was anticipating quite a treat! From the very first song, I just didn't think it could get any better.
They can really rock! As the night went on, song after song, the lead singer, Mark Hill, talked a lot about the band and how they are the youth worship band at their church FIRST and then a touring band SECOND. Every single Wednesday night, even while on tour, they lead worship for the youth group at their church in Atlanta. How cool is that?! He is actually the youth pastor there. Minute by minute, I loved them more and more! After the intermission, I wondered how they were going to top the first set. They started out with a very powerful song - "Set Me Free" - that was so moving; musically, spiritually, and visually. They had 3 large video screens behind them that always had graphics/video playing that was very fitting to the songs they were singing. They also had all sorts of colored spotlights all over the place that they used to put on a cool and very effective light show during the songs. I was so "in" to it after "Set Me Free", and then Mark Hill starts talking about this little girl the band met a few years ago whom they stayed in touch with. She came down with cancer and ended up losing the battle. Through the ordeal, the band had grown close to the parents of the little girl and saw how faithful they had been through the "storm" of their precious little girl's illness. 
The band wrote a song for this girl and her parents titled "Praise You In This Storm". This song was so touching and heartfelt...very powerful. Especially since I've had some big struggles in the past, and still to some extent, of having a circumstantial faith...when the storms come, I don't always praise or remain faithful to God, and in light of this little girl and her parents, my storms have been nothing in comparison. After this song, I was literally beside myself, hardly believing I could be experiencing something as incredible as this. I've been to quite a few concerts and conferences with live music similar to this, but I have never experienced anything like this concert. I highly recommend them to everyone! The music is rockin' and fun and powerful and moving and uplifting and their message is very real and relevant to today's culture, regardless of age, gender, or religious affiliation. Mark Hill believes as a youth leader you have to earn the trust of the youth by letting them know that you have struggles everyday just like them. He has dyslexia and ADD...which he said means 2 things: he can't read good....and he doesn't care. HA! Anyway, it was a very "real" and worshipful experience.
At the end of the concert, he was introducing the band, and we got a little treat from the drummer.
He was so fun to watch because he was so energetic with his playing style - slinging his arms all over the place while bouncing his head up and down enthusiastically with the rhythm. After being introduced, he proceeded to give us about a 5 minute drum solo - one of the coolest things I have ever seen!! After he finally ended his solo, Mark Hill says "Some people take pills, this guy plays the drums." HA! It was pretty funny. Anyway, they played one last song and then left the stage. Of course the crowd was going nuts, so they came back for an encore. What an awesome concert! Here's something funny - at the beginning of one song, he asked us all, sort of tongue-in-cheek, to hold up our lighters if anyone had one. After chuckling for a few seconds, what followed literally made my jaw drop. Thousands and thousands of people opened their cell phones and held them up with the backlight display lit up!! I mean, I know most people own a cell phone, but this was truly a remarkable sight. Mostly because of how many young teenagers I saw holding up cell phones. It was really something cool to see!
After the concert, Jim & Misty took us to our van at the restaurant and we stayed and chatted for a good 30 minutes before leaving. Jim and I have a lot of similarities and so do Misty and Jennifer, so we're excited about the budding friendship and we look forward to hanging out with them again soon! I will close this long post now, but not without urging you strongly to check out Casting Crowns! You can go to the following website to download 30-second samples of their songs - http://www.castingcrowns.com/. Just click on Music, choose either album, and then click on "Audio" by a song title and you can hear a little bit of Casting Crowns.
The seats were relatively close, on the risers at the bottom, and we arrived just in time for Nichole Nordeman's first song. She was at the piano and had a drummer, stand-up bass player, and guitarist/back-up vocalist. She talked in between each song, and I really enjoyed her honesty and message. I thought she had a very "relevant" sound with regard to the contemporary pop-ballad style. Music was great, lyrics were very deep and powerful, and the back-up vocalist had an incredible voice and talent. Some heavy songs and some good uplifting songs as well. I enjoyed her music and wanted to hear some more and take some time to pore over her lyrics....we bought her "Brave" CD today.It was so fun to watch these professional musicians performing up there on stage in front of 20,000+ people. I haven't been to a concert in quite a few years, so when it comes to live bands, I'm still accustomed to the sound of the worship band I played/sang in at Grace Church in Wichita Falls. There are some very talented musicians in that band, who perform regularly with other cover bands every weekend, but really, they're probably still on an amateur level. Because of this, I was just in awe, listening to this concert with such high quality, professional musicians. I could easily pick apart each instrument and was impressed with their talent level. I knew very quickly I was going to enjoy the evening. After several songs, the stage lights go out and they start changing sets, getting ready for the main band, Casting Crowns.
Knowing that Casting Crowns had just won a grammy a few nights before, I was anticipating quite a treat! From the very first song, I just didn't think it could get any better.
They can really rock! As the night went on, song after song, the lead singer, Mark Hill, talked a lot about the band and how they are the youth worship band at their church FIRST and then a touring band SECOND. Every single Wednesday night, even while on tour, they lead worship for the youth group at their church in Atlanta. How cool is that?! He is actually the youth pastor there. Minute by minute, I loved them more and more! After the intermission, I wondered how they were going to top the first set. They started out with a very powerful song - "Set Me Free" - that was so moving; musically, spiritually, and visually. They had 3 large video screens behind them that always had graphics/video playing that was very fitting to the songs they were singing. They also had all sorts of colored spotlights all over the place that they used to put on a cool and very effective light show during the songs. I was so "in" to it after "Set Me Free", and then Mark Hill starts talking about this little girl the band met a few years ago whom they stayed in touch with. She came down with cancer and ended up losing the battle. Through the ordeal, the band had grown close to the parents of the little girl and saw how faithful they had been through the "storm" of their precious little girl's illness. 
The band wrote a song for this girl and her parents titled "Praise You In This Storm". This song was so touching and heartfelt...very powerful. Especially since I've had some big struggles in the past, and still to some extent, of having a circumstantial faith...when the storms come, I don't always praise or remain faithful to God, and in light of this little girl and her parents, my storms have been nothing in comparison. After this song, I was literally beside myself, hardly believing I could be experiencing something as incredible as this. I've been to quite a few concerts and conferences with live music similar to this, but I have never experienced anything like this concert. I highly recommend them to everyone! The music is rockin' and fun and powerful and moving and uplifting and their message is very real and relevant to today's culture, regardless of age, gender, or religious affiliation. Mark Hill believes as a youth leader you have to earn the trust of the youth by letting them know that you have struggles everyday just like them. He has dyslexia and ADD...which he said means 2 things: he can't read good....and he doesn't care. HA! Anyway, it was a very "real" and worshipful experience.At the end of the concert, he was introducing the band, and we got a little treat from the drummer.
He was so fun to watch because he was so energetic with his playing style - slinging his arms all over the place while bouncing his head up and down enthusiastically with the rhythm. After being introduced, he proceeded to give us about a 5 minute drum solo - one of the coolest things I have ever seen!! After he finally ended his solo, Mark Hill says "Some people take pills, this guy plays the drums." HA! It was pretty funny. Anyway, they played one last song and then left the stage. Of course the crowd was going nuts, so they came back for an encore. What an awesome concert! Here's something funny - at the beginning of one song, he asked us all, sort of tongue-in-cheek, to hold up our lighters if anyone had one. After chuckling for a few seconds, what followed literally made my jaw drop. Thousands and thousands of people opened their cell phones and held them up with the backlight display lit up!! I mean, I know most people own a cell phone, but this was truly a remarkable sight. Mostly because of how many young teenagers I saw holding up cell phones. It was really something cool to see!After the concert, Jim & Misty took us to our van at the restaurant and we stayed and chatted for a good 30 minutes before leaving. Jim and I have a lot of similarities and so do Misty and Jennifer, so we're excited about the budding friendship and we look forward to hanging out with them again soon! I will close this long post now, but not without urging you strongly to check out Casting Crowns! You can go to the following website to download 30-second samples of their songs - http://www.castingcrowns.com/. Just click on Music, choose either album, and then click on "Audio" by a song title and you can hear a little bit of Casting Crowns.
2.07.2006
IRS QB Challenge
One of the many beautiful things about having four children is the $4,000 Child Tax Credit we get to enjoy! Without getting into too much personal detail, because of the house and some other things, we are able to itemize this year and take advantage of some of the tax breaks that our wonderful IRS code so generously offers. I have just about finished our taxes, but I'm hesitant to file it because I'm still scrounging around for ANY deduction I can come up with! I know I can just amend if I come up with something else meaningful later, but it would be nice to be thorough now and not mess with that later. A few things I need to research are - where to deduct job hunting expenses, house hunting expenses (if possible), commuting in the early job transition, and utility deposits at our new house. I think I can deduct all of those, but maybe not...and I'm not sure where. My guess would be schedule A, but I haven't researched it very thoroughly yet. Maybe one of you fellow blog readers know?
I heard about an upcoming sports event that will be cool. April 20th is the very first Quarterback Challenge at Reunion Arena. It will be put on by the Ticket sports radio station and will be a flag football game with some DJs and listeners playing against each other...but here's the cool part - Troy Aikman will be quarterback of one team and Roger Staubach will be QB of the other team. Also, Drew Pearson, Tony Dorsett, Jay Novacek, and Moose Johnston will be playing in the game! How cool is that! As I heard the announcement this morning on my way to work, I began daydreaming about how incredible it would be to catch a TD pass from Troy Aikman, and then running around like crazy and jumping up to Troy Aikman for him to catch me on his shoulder and celebrate. This is when a subconscious dose of reality began to seap into my daydream, and I envisioned Aikman dodging my crazy jump like I was some kind of weirdo and then me crashing into the ground. Then I suddenly "snapped to" about 2 miles down the road...wandering how I got there. Ever get that feeling when you're driving somewhere? You have absolutely no recollection of the past 5 minutes or so...weird. Anyway, I'll continue to listen and find out how they will be selecting the lucky listeners who actually get to play...and of course try to be selected, but at a bare minimum, I'll just buy a ticket and go watch it!
I heard about an upcoming sports event that will be cool. April 20th is the very first Quarterback Challenge at Reunion Arena. It will be put on by the Ticket sports radio station and will be a flag football game with some DJs and listeners playing against each other...but here's the cool part - Troy Aikman will be quarterback of one team and Roger Staubach will be QB of the other team. Also, Drew Pearson, Tony Dorsett, Jay Novacek, and Moose Johnston will be playing in the game! How cool is that! As I heard the announcement this morning on my way to work, I began daydreaming about how incredible it would be to catch a TD pass from Troy Aikman, and then running around like crazy and jumping up to Troy Aikman for him to catch me on his shoulder and celebrate. This is when a subconscious dose of reality began to seap into my daydream, and I envisioned Aikman dodging my crazy jump like I was some kind of weirdo and then me crashing into the ground. Then I suddenly "snapped to" about 2 miles down the road...wandering how I got there. Ever get that feeling when you're driving somewhere? You have absolutely no recollection of the past 5 minutes or so...weird. Anyway, I'll continue to listen and find out how they will be selecting the lucky listeners who actually get to play...and of course try to be selected, but at a bare minimum, I'll just buy a ticket and go watch it!
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