bullyt-proof

Losses

2010-12-30T01:05:00.000-08:00

I've always been competitive. Those who know me best might suggest that it is my most defining characteristic (top 5 for sure), though the negative aspects of a competitive spirit have been dramatically lessened in me over the last decade; a number of choice tales refuting this claim may yet exist but I will make it nonetheless.

Those who are hyper-competitive (and their loved ones) will easily acknowledge that losing is perhaps one of the hardest things to accept in life. Card games, sports, mental tests, whatever it might be, losing is always the worst possible outcome...

Before I'd even moved out to Mission years ago, I had heard the stories of another man's competitive streak and laughed at how seriously he would take on anything athletic. These stories received unequivocal confirmation when I saw him lacing up soccer cleats for the mens' 40-yard dash at the church picnic! This man knew how to compete!!

This past calendar year, I've encountered some dramatic changes, one of those being a return to Mission for work. I have been expecting the opportunity to re-ignite some friendships that had been left smoldering while life (and I) moved on, one of those being with the man mentioned above. In a year marked by significant losses (two grandparents and an uncle), one more was added to the record on Tuesday afternoon when Myron Berg perished in a car accident.

I hate to lose. And for reasons I'm finding difficult to pin down, this one hurts more than any of the others from these past months. There have been exceptional wins this season and I'm way above .500, but the losses have been painful and this one has been hard to let go. It's still fresh and the wound is far from closed... I hate to lose.

Nothing can change what has already occurred. It's done and the loss has been permanently etched in the books. The season is almost over, a new one is just around the corner and yet, even a successful season can't remove the taste of ending with such a bitter defeat. It sucks. And I can't really say much more.

R.I.P. Myron and keep those cleats dusted off, cause when I get Home someday, it's on.

See it LIVE

2009-03-28T13:12:00.000-07:00

Why do we humans have such short memories when it comes to the positive, enriching moments/experiences and LOOOOOOONG memories when it comes to things that have hurt us or given birth to negativity? We're weird creatures...

I, far too easily, neglect to remember how pure live music is. Participating in a performance as it happens reveals the truth about the artist... flaws, gifts, timing, passions, skill... and lays them bare before the world. Great artists rarely fail to make the experience memorable with honest, natural efforts that seem to stroke fans right where they want it, while poor artists disappoint consistently, exposing weak motivations and dismissive disdain for their followers as long as cash rolls in.

Ahhhh, I'm no qualified critic! I simply want to remember to do more things that I love: time with my wife, visiting friends and family, snow-shoeing in the mountains, playing/watching/listening to live music, games.......sigh...... life.

Thanks Lance et al for a wonderful time last night in Vancity.

Collectibility

2009-03-26T23:25:00.000-07:00

Are you a collector? I sure am. I honestly can't think of a time in my life where I haven't been collecting something, even if sporadically... and I am convinced it's all my Grandma Thompson's fault! I don't want that to sound negative, so I'll elaborate:

When my brothers and I were really young, my Grandma started a collection for each of us. Wow, I don't remember what they were though... I know one of my bros was bottle openers and I definitely was the pen guy. Every visit, Christmas, birthday, whatever brought with it a bag of pens, all of them different, almost always different from the ones before (not too many dupes) which meant that she kept track of them at least to some degree. Interesting....

Well, being a boy growing up in the 80s, it meant that I had to play with either Transformers or GI Joe. If you look at my blog, I'll give you a guess as to which one it was!! ;) Thus was born another collection, though admittedly, not so unique from other boys my age. Well, in comes Grandma T again too! Because I liked the toys, she figured I might as well enjoy the comic book also. So she'd buy me an issue here or there, no big deal. Once I got to the 5th grade, I decided I had to have it every month! Luckily, in Thunder Bay there was a comic shop and I visited often enough to buy my little book. Nice.

When we moved to Calgary (grade six), we lived a block or two from a neighbourhood comic shop with video games. I was there something like 5 days a week! Did I mention it was in the same plaza as the Mac's and candy dreams?? Slushies, yeah! And the owner of the shop was my soccer coach!! WOAH! Needless to say, GI Joe alone could not hold all my growing interests... I now needed to read Spiderman, the X-Men and the Hulk... which grew and grew and grew until at the end of the 10th grade, I finally quit.

And started buying basketball and baseball cards!

Then it was CDs.

Then it was DVDs.

After 15 years in remission, back to comic books (sucked in by GI Joe again!! bastards! did you know there's a movie coming out this summer?).

Add in Heroclix.

Still getting CDs and DVDs.

So how do I stop? Do I really want to? Hmmmmmmmmm........

I wonder

2009-03-17T00:49:00.000-07:00

who's still out there?

I haven't posted anything for over a year! Maybe time for some introspective meandering... hmmmm.....

Anyone still out there?

How big's your back seat?

2008-01-31T15:11:00.000-08:00

No no no no no no no, I am NOT asking about the size of your butt. This is a legitimate question relating to priorities (again). Things that take less priority get "put in the back seat", "on the back burner", "hidden in the back of the closet", etc... though a couple of those phrases could also refer to inappropriate teenage hijinks! Ha.

Anyhow, it seems to me like I'm driving a mini-bus these days (i.e. - lots of back seats) and I just keep chucking everything back there and now there's a pile of stuff all over the seats. Mind you, I've completed some important things and been working steadily....I'm being picky but in a healthy, evaluative way I hope!

One month into 2008 and I'm cleaning out the back seat (which is far too full).

So what about the size of your butt?? ;P

Yeeeee hah, family for the first time!

2007-12-19T19:46:00.000-08:00

Well, I am about to meet my wife's sister for the first time. Being a Polander (is that right?), she has never made it across the pond to visit, nor have we made it there. Alex was in Poland the year before we got married, so that's the last time she's even seen her!!

For ten days, we'll be family in our home! AND, to top it all off, because Becca has finally come over to N.America, Alex's mom and other sister will be coming for the weekend too! That makes it Brent (1) and Morataya Delgado girls (4). Ouch :P

It's going to be great to have this group together for the first time EVER!!!

Missing in Action

2007-11-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

My wife has left me. She has her reasons...good ones even:

Needs to travel.

Wants to help others.

I didn't clean the toilet in time (no, I still haven't cleaned it thanks).

Ok, so she didn't leave because of the dirty toilet, nor any other negative reason; she is away on a missions trip to the Philippines! She left on Sunday night (Monday morning) at 2am and I haven't seen her face since 1:15am. That's just over 40 hours. Not so long, and not our longest time apart, but the kicker is that there are 264+ more hours to come on top of that! I miss her terribly and hate being without her.

The thing I realized last night is that everything really does change when you get married. I was 30 on the day of my wedding and had experienced a whole bunch of singleness in the years prior to that blessed day. But in all my days of being single, while I may have had lonely moments, nothing matches the loneliness I felt last night. It is the proven reality that you can only really miss something when it's gone (i.e.- you had it before and now you don't)...

When I was lonely as a single person, it hurt. It was sad. It was depressing. But I didn't know what I was missing. I was never really aware of any void.

Now, there is a VOID. It's big, it's bad, it's ugly. Something dramatic and significant (all-encompassing) has gone missing and left a hole where it once sat. Crazy kind of lonely.

I don't bring this up to drum up sympathy or tell a sad tale. I bring this up because today, for the first time in my 32 years of life, I can at least begin to understand what it might be like to lose someone. I will see Alex in 264+ hours (God willing) and the void will go away for me. But there are many without that great fortune. So today, think about someone in your life who may be staring at that void and pray for God to love them like He's loved no other, that they may be touched by the richness of HIS mercy and the comfort of His peace.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

What did I miss?

2007-11-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

November 17th.

Becoming less of a last-minute guy has real consequences. There was a time in my life when I could do anything anytime...a real free spirit! Not only that, but I could improvise at the drop of a hat. Last-minute, no problem!

The first problems with 'last-minuteness' came up within personality conflicts with people at work. "What?!? You want me to plan HOW far ahead? You're insane! Why would you do such a thing?" Well, needless to say, some give and take resulted from these mature conversations and I learned to plan further ahead while others learned to 'go with it' a little more... ahhh the beauty of balance.

Now, it makes sense to me to plan some things months in advance. Set dates, do legwork, prepare for changes, etc. It works. This past Saturday, however, I paid the price...

Lance in concert at House of James. Out.
Pre-release Mutations and Monsters Heroclix Tournament in Richmond (exclusive to only 30 people...I was signed up 3rd and had to cancel once I realized the date!!). Out.
UFC 78: Bisping vs. Evans. Out.

All because at a youth pastors' lunch in Cloverdale in September, we decided to plan a suburb-city event for our youth. Cloverdale Younite. We set a relatively random date of Saturday, November 17th and rolled out of the meeting. Sounded great at the time.

In fact, it wasn't until Sunday evening, November 11, that I realized all of these events were converging upon each other....a huge mess of social impossibility. And all because of a random date set months before at a lunch. Oh, to have Last-Minute Man back again... sigh.

Of course, that would've put me into awkward territory, having to decide between Lance and Heroclix (remember, my first ever exclusive pre-release). Glad I didn't have to choose :)
The Younite went well also, so I'd say it was a win all around. Though Last-Minute Man would've had some greater flexibility, PLAN-IT-AHEADER (a lame super hero name to be sure) made some early choices that saved later turmoil (having to choose between Lance and HC). Go dude!

In other news, my LT Panthers were knocked out of the playoffs last Thursday, getting thoroughly beaten by the unbeaten John Barsby Jr. Dawgs (from Nanaimo). Quarter-finals of the provincials. Not bad, but this team could have done more had they worked together better. Always next year ;)

Games

2007-11-07T18:30:00.001-08:00

Day 2 of the Basketball Renewal Sessions begins in less than an hour. Awesome.

Football playoffs begin for my team tomorrow as we travel 3 hours to face our #2 seeded opponent. Should be fun. Nothing quite like a bus trip with a bunch of stinky 14/15 year olds ;P

I almost purchased Settlers of Catan (plus Seafarers and Cities & Knights) yesterday but I didn't pull the trigger. I love that game and my wife and I are hosting games with a friendly couple on Sunday (haven't seen them for awhile) so it made sense to play that then. But I didn't get it. I still think I'm saving up for the next Heroclix set instead...we'll see.

Games are very enjoyable for me. I am competitive like crazy, so sports are good, board games are good, group games are good, pretty much anything. Sudoku and Solitaire are even fun for me! The only games I don't like are emotional games, like between people who are deceiving each other. Those games suck. Yup.

That is a weird note to end on, but there it is. Game-playing: good all the time unless you're hurting someone! HAHAHAHAHA!

O how I missed thee

2007-10-31T23:13:00.000-07:00

Sweet sport. I've been playing floor hockey for near two years now. I'm not a lifelong ballhockeyer... I grew up on other sports like soccer and football, and later, basketball. These were my staples and I threw in some volleyball and wrestling. No hockey of any kind. Weird for a Canadian, prairie-raised, outdoor rink having boy. But true.

When Zion's Mens' Ministry decided to start a "Mens' Night" floor hockey became the game. It started out with a mixture: volleyball, followed by floor hockey, with table games and xbox outside the gym for those not playing sports. It was a nice enough mix. But hockey began to dominate as others dropped out... leaving only hockey players. So mens' night was now floor hockey night. It's been that way for close to two years now...

As mentioned above, I was a floor hockey novice. I had much to learn and I worked hard to do so! I did learn the game and I'm at least average now I'd say. Yeah, average. And that's not so bad. Lately though, I've been having lower back trouble and floor hockey is a tough game with a bad back or so I've found. I've thus been sidelined and even when able to play, had some other commitments these last weeks. Obviously, ball hockey has been on the back burner.

Well, some chiropractic and massage therapy have helped out my back, but I figured out that what would really help as well would be stretching combined with good activity. Basketball. Ever since I began working at Zion, I've wanted a bball night. I've played on the church softball team, been a regular at floor hockey, coach football every fall and spring, but I've been missing bball. My true love. It can't be beat as a playing sport for me. Don't get me wrong, I'm competitive enough that I enjoy any sport, hence two years hacking away at floor hockey, becoming average. But I'm actually good at football and basketball, and we all know what playing football does to guys as they get older (can we say unrecuperatable injury folks?)... so bball has been my thing.

I haven't played a solid game of adult ball for years. I used to play twice a week until both places got shut down cause the leaders with keys couldn't make it anymore. That happens. So I've been missing out. I tried community centres (in Vancouver, it's called small ball-so many asian people and I'm too big and tall - it's really not that fun). I tried outdoor courts (dirty ball, dirty shoes, dirty players). I looked into mens' league (not many out there really, but I have too many evening commitments to make that fly). Every once and awhile, I'd remember that I work at a church with a great gym and I should start my own night each week. Why has it taken so long?

Tonight we played for the first time. Ten guys (with more to come next week), full court, competitive basketball. Heaven in my backyard. I'm happy about having my game back :)

Nerdiness

2007-10-30T22:51:00.000-07:00

What is your source of nerdiness? I believe firmly that each one of us, no matter how cool we might be, has an underlying nerdiness (geekiness, whatever)... so what is yours?

I've always loved GI Joe. And because of my love for GI Joe, I expanded from the toys to the comic book world, which led to other comic books too... so, officially, I'm a comic book geek. That's the truth and I'm sticking to it.

The weird thing is when you embrace your nerdiness and begin to allow it to intertwine with other areas of your life. For example, I've always been hyper-competitive. That showed itself in sports, games, school, sibling rivalry...pretty much everywhere. Well, that competitive nature has driven me to love complex games requiring strategy, the more complex generally, the better. Lately, my geeky love for comic books has been influencing my competitive streak through the game Heroclix.

Imagine that this game's rulebook, including various errata (for mistakes/clarifications) and information is over 125 pages. They have more than three dedicated websites running forums where the rules/gameplay is discussed ad nauseum and not only is it complex, it's enhanced by a love for the comic characters you're using to play! Awesome!

So I'm a geek. I've accepted that. Good thing I'm also a ninja (another geek thing to deal with later). What's your geek love?

You're a youth what?

2007-10-23T22:20:00.000-07:00

Youth L-E-A-D-E-R. I take punks and lead them. It's what I do.

Tonight, I was even so bold as to say that I am a good youth leader. I said it to them, and I meant it. Arrogance? Perhaps. Pride? Maybe. Yet I know I said it because if it is true, I know why I would be a good youth leader: love. It's not goofiness (see ->), intelligence, knowledge, or anything else. Just love.

God told me long ago that I was to love people. If I did nothing else on this earth each day besides loving others, He would be pleased with that. Of course He didn't tell me this in person, like a father/son conversation, but I know He told me. I picked up on that early. Now, I've wasted some of my days trying to be angry, trying to be correct, trying to be funny, trying to be popular, trying to be authoritative, etc... and unfortunately, I still do. I'd like to say I love all the time, but I don't. I want to (most of the time) but I still don't.

If I am a good youth leader, it's because of love. My Father has groomed me and equipped me to love, even in difficult situations. He gave me that gift and He keeps bringing more of it up and out everyday. Some days I'm simply not a great vessel, but He continues to fill me up more and pour it out. It's a great thing, love. I like it.

Change of scenery

2007-10-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

A very popular question asked (possibly throughout all time):
What is your favorite season?

For me, it's tough. Winter has Christmas and snowshoeing...much fun, you should try it! Spring has my birthday, my anniversary, and the greening of the countryside after the "death" of fall/winter. Summer has heat, which I like, and great weather to do things outside. Autumn has the coolest spelling by far, the multicolored panorama of beauty caused by leaf-changing, and football. Hmmmmm....

Anyhow, this post really has nothing to do with that, except for one thing about the seasons that is painfully obvious to all: they mean change. Most people hate change. Loathe it. Despise it! It breaks routine and forces thought; shatters the ease of pattern for stuttered baby steps; removes continuity and momentum, bringing about the need for additional effort. Change sucks.

I generally like change. I enjoy thinking on the spot and being forced to derive solutions quickly but effectively. I like the quickening of the pulse it brings to organizations as attention perks up when people realize something is different..."What is it?" In my life, change has almost always been a catalyst to improvement and "the next step." Change rocks.

So what's changed, Brent? What inspired you to write about this today?

I altered my office. New desk. New chaise-lounge chair (well, it's really old, but new to my office-thanks youth room!). New shelving. And overall, an improvement. More modern, more effective use of space, more me. I've finally moved in (that's what Karl said). I like it.

As I write this, I'm looking at things differently than I have for a long while. Sure, some of that is simply because my computer screen is facing a different wall, but some of it is a breath of fresh air. A welcome change.

Absent minded

2007-10-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Wow, I hadn't read any of my posts in context at all (one after the other)... I suppose that reading them thusly could give the impression that it has been a very difficult time for me lately. I have been going through a lot, but I would say that I'm flying in a very positive sky these days (and no, I'm not high on anything).

The therapy I mentioned last post was/is massage therapy and before you think less of me for getting a massage and complaining about it, you should try a massage therapist. I have back/hip/shoulder issues and I've waited far too long to deal with them. Screwed up muscles get very angry with you and they scream A LOT. So massage therapy hurts. BAD. Take my word for it. I literally lost my breath a couple times last session and truly believe I was as close to crying from physical pain as I've ever been in my adult life. Ouch!

Times of realization are pretty cool and seeing as we just blasted through Canadian Thanksgiving, I would like to give thanks to God for His grace to me these last months and His blessing me with a loving wife, great friends/family, and a meaningful vocation in which to invest my days. Be blessed!

I'm in Therapy

2007-09-26T16:43:00.000-07:00

If you read the title, you might be thinking:
1) FINALLY!
2) What kind of therapy, Brent?
3) Dude is getting weird...

And it doesn't really matter what you're thinking I suppose...it just matters what kind of pain I'm in. And boy, is therapy tough. I don't really think I like it even, but it is supposed to make me healthier and I want that.

Us ninjas have it rough.

Big Pillow

2007-09-20T18:07:00.000-07:00

Are you a Scrubs fan?

I've been watching this show (from Season one through the middle of season 4 now) on DVD and have been surprised with the bold qualities given to the characters, even their relationships with one another. They are so often stark contrasts to one another, reminding me that this is indeed a TV show (and these personalities would never "work" in real life), yet at the same time, alluding to the quirkiness and unbelievable nature of our realities. I really enjoy the balance of comedy and drama on the show.

Well, I bring this up because there are alot of obstinate personalities on Scrubs and it seems that the best way to have those personalities interact on a TV show is to provide them with "pillows" that they can pound on episode to episode. JD is a pillow and so is Elliot. Ted is the ultimate pillow. These softies get punched and poked and kicked and generally mistreated and then go on. They may complain a little and every once and awhile receive some genuine compassion, but mostly, they just take it. I've been shocked lately to realize I am mostly pillow too.

I've always been a "strong" personality. I still am for the most part, but dealing with teens on a regular basis has pillowized me I believe. I don't like to get mad, or especially yell. I can be firm, but repetitious scolding is more annoying to me than to the scolded I've observed. So, eventually I pillow out and just take it.

Pillows cannot discipline. They can't really lead. They can't motivate others. They're just soft; easy to push and prod. I know that teens don't need pillows as leaders, they need rocks. Firm, solid, consistent. So why is being a pillow easier? Cause it allows you to put the blame on everyone else and their misbehavior, not on your inability to lead. So if I know that, where's the rock I used to be?

Madness

2007-09-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

As Ashley so subtly points out (comments here) I have let another month slip away. Ahh the bravado of youth, moved to motion by the stream of loss yet never making progress against the current of dispair. Sigh. I will miss you 08.07.

Ok, so I figure that stream of posting has certainly run its course (if it ever had a course to begin with). Sorry about that :)

Now, life this last year has been different from what I was expecting. I've ended up with a couple of internet habits that have drained the online time resevoir that I own (eBay and Heroclix, not porn, thank you). You see, I believe that everyone of us has a storage of allowable internet reading/surfing time and that amount varies significantly for each of us. Just as a world-class marathon runner can dip into his willpower and keep going for much longer than any of us could imagine, some people have that willpower accessible to prolong their internet time. I do not have this gift. My time is finite and when it gets used up, I can't do anymore (away from me foul computer!!). So my blogging has been the casualty of other interests. As much as I attempt to remedy this, it is an inevitable battle, destined for defeat...

Which brings up the concept of priorities.
pri·or·i·ty /praɪˈɔrɪti, -ˈɒr-/[prahy-awr-i-tee]
1. the state or quality of being earlier in time, occurrence, etc.
2. the right to precede others in order, rank, privilege, etc.; precedence.
3. the right to take precedence in obtaining certain supplies, services, facilities, etc., esp. during a shortage.
4. something given special attention. –adjective
5. highest or higher in importance, rank, privilege, etc.: a priority task.

You know, I don't think that many people in this world understand the concept and how it makes bold statements about their lives (mine included). You see, I'm a youth pastor and I'm proposing a change of date for the youth night (from a Friday to a Tuesday) and have been riddled with opinion about why Tuesdays are bad. Now, some of the reasons are legitimate and important while other reasons are mere excuses or poor assumptions, but all of them reflect priorities. For example, if you can't make it to youth because you have dance, that's a perfectly justified reason and it reflects that dance is more important to you than youth group on Tuesdays, because that's what you would choose. You can make the choice to be involved in all kinds of additional youth things (special events, small groups, Friday service, etc) in the absence of Tuesdays. You would still be involved and maybe would grow to prioritze Tuesday youth over dance in the future, but maybe not. Either way, there are choices to be made and each and every one of us reveals our priorities in these choices.

I really believe that I understand the concept of priority...and then I think about my life and realize what I reveal about what is important to me....
I never call my friends. I seem content to hermit myself and do my own thing most of the time. Is that a quality priority?
I rarely talk to my family. I do make sure to see them when I can (getting to family weddings, home for Christmas, etc), but their day to day lives are a mystery to me. Is that a quality priority?
I have read hundreds of comic books this month and barely read my Bible. Is that a quality priority?
I see myself as an equipper and trainer of leaders and haven't recruited a solid group of leaders to train since the DOC days. Is that a quality priority?

I could go on, and I think if you take the time to look at your life, so could you.

This isn't about judgement and sad feelings and making decisions to change the world because I now know these areas in my life are weaknesses and reflect poor choices...lack of priority. It IS about accountability: something that is lacking in many of our lives. Being accountable to people who have permission to challenge you about your priorities and what you're choosing will make a world of difference! Bringing up these choices on a regular basis and shooting light into areas of darkness (where you're blind to see what's really going on)...that could help alot.

What do you think?

In Memorium

2007-07-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I missed the chance to score again (get your mind out of the gutter!). Sigh.
Another flame out instead of a fireball.
It's really a shame.
And as long as this blog exists, I'll have the reminder of this futility staring back at me from the right-hand column...
I've missed another month.
June has come and gone with nary a posting from yours truly.
"06.07" will never reside in my archives list and I am saddened by this injustice.
The only way to overcome this loss is to move on and honor my fallen comrade by ensuring that I never let this happen again!! NEVER!! Never.
I'll never understand why it seems to take a tragedy of such proportions to stir us to movement.
Lift your glasses people! TO 06.07! May he rest in peace.

This is why I'm hot...

2007-05-24T15:25:00.000-07:00

I'm genuinely excited about this!!

Ok, ok, this is why I'm not. But I still can't wait to read it!

Priorities

2007-05-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Wow. I mentioned last time that I've purchased a home and that my wife and I are embarking on the great, steep learning curve that is ownership! Well, we've yet to make a mortgage payment (first one due in a week) and are wondering how this is going to change our lives...

There are some requisites when you buy a home that didn't seem so important as renters. For example, furniture. Our furniture is ugly. It looks even more ugly in a nice looking place! Now, don't get me wrong, our last home was great, but it was a basement suite. Though it had good natural light for a basement suite, it simply doesn't compare to a fourth floor apartment... so we're upgrading the furniture to this lovely couch and loveseat. Now we're just waiting (they don't arrive until July!):

Ok, then there are less frivilous things like TVs (we must get a plasma or LCD screen soon - we'll see) - oh yeah, that's really frivolous... wait.... like a vacuum cleaner! That's not frivolous at all! In fact, our carpet is crying out to us, even now! Now, I know what you're thinking... Brent's been living on his own for more than 10 years, why doesn't he have a vacuum cleaner? Well, the answer to that is that I've always lived somewhere where there already was one in place, or it was unnecesary, like our tile-floored basement suite. So there. And now Alex and I have been searching for this tool and wondering what we should get. I ordered this yesterday:

If you'd like to learn more about our fabulous Dyson DC18 bagless upright vacuum cleaner, including a wonderful 360 degree picture of it and some "movies" of its fine features, click here.

Anyhow, then there are the "hidden" costs. Things that you'd never really think about if you've never bought a house before... like the GST (on a house! think about it!!!), though this only applies to new homes. Like the property transfer tax (a ridiculous tax instituted by our provincial government - 2% on the first $100K and 1% thereafter - do the math, it adds up), though we were able to get out of this one as 1st time buyers. Like the legal fees (probably over $1000 for almost anyone), the home insurance ($100s of dollars each year), your assumed portion of the hydro/water/etc bills, and some more. My favorite is that you pay property taxes in the middle of the year for the whole year. So we moved in May 1st and the taxes are billed mid-May for 2007. Lucky us! Either way you shake it, you're paying for the property taxes, so it'd come up anyhow, but yeah, good times (another $1000+)!

Needless to say, there are still more costs rolling in and Alex and I keep wondering what the end result of all this will be...we're glad to own finally and willing to take on this responsibility but wow. Just wow. I don't want to think about kids just yet :)

Be blessed!

Missing months

2007-05-12T01:01:00.000-07:00

So sad that another month will be missing in my archives list...sigh. Oh well!

Some big news on the Snitchy-Switchy front: my wife and I purchased a condominium dwelling unit for our very selves. That's been keeping me pretty busy, along with work and all. Moving is harsh man...

But now I am an official Langlian, or Langley-ite, or Langleyer I guess. Whatever I am, my address has changed and that's that. The drive to work is blissful and kind. The view from the balcony is serene. The drug addict in the bushes across the street shooting up heroin is dropping my property values... (sad but true). Though I don't really care, about the property values I mean... mostly.

Much change in life right now. It's good. It's good.

Be blessed!

Canadian Youth Workers Conference 2007 promo

2007-03-28T15:45:00.001-07:00

This tugged at my heart strings...I'm going: how about you?

So easy to get lost

2007-03-11T03:10:00.000-07:00

One of the great stories that gets told at family gatherings involved yours truly and the much-heralded tourist trap known as the Vancouver Aquarium. I really can't recall how old I was, though I must have been quite young since I don't actively remember it...only by its retelling do I even know it happened. Although the possibility of memory blockage is there too, considering that 64% of the time I involuntarily wet my pants when my dad gets to the part with the Beluga whales....

I have always been a brash, confident male (I had to say male, because I'm no longer a boy and I haven't always been a man...and no, Andrew, I wouldn't say that some would argue that I'm still not a man, thank you) and though my mouth has always been big and my stride long, getting lost was (and is) scary to me.

That day at the aquarium, I lost my parents. They tell the story in such a way that insists that they never lost sight of me, but I have always questioned that claim. Oh sure, it's fun to laugh now, probably twenty years later, but they never stop to wonder why 64% of the time, when everyone's laughing, I excuse myself to go to the bathroom (I've learned to slow the pants-peeing to a mere trickle over the years, barely noticable and alieviated by a visit to the WC)! The mental anguish is excrutiating!

I cried and cried that day until they finally "found" me. No damage done (they think...excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom....

....ok, I'm back).

As an adult, I'm not scared of getting lost physically. I've got a great sense of direction and enough knowledge (wilderness and/or driving, depending on the type of lost) to get myself out of anywhere I've ever been. No, getting lost is much more about emotions and personality now. Losing who I am and who I need to be...that's scary to me.

Over the years, I know I've lost pieces of myself and I would venture to guess that some of them have never been found (that could be good, could be bad). But I also know that when I finally realize I'm lost, I still cry and cry, just like I did that day long ago in Vancouver Aquarium...waiting....hoping...for daddy to find me and tell me I'm safe...

When kids get lost, the best advice is always to tell them to stay put, don't move and wait. I've been lost for awhile now, staying put and waiting...hoping...

I think I've only just been found. Hallelujah

...and knowing is half the battle!

2007-03-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

Well, some have asked about the 12 toes...no comment. (It hurts to think about all the childhood torture...kids can be so cruel!)

Also, I mentioned a new blog. I have not received clearance to reveal its location: it is available on a need-to-know basis only. If you find it, DO NOT TELL ANYONE. To do so is to put yourself, your family, your pets and all you hold sacred at risk. This comes down from on high people! WAAAAY up the food chain. Don't mess with them, beeeeelieeeve me.

Love you all much. Be blessed!

Anniversary

2007-02-22T18:07:00.000-08:00

They tell me that this is my official 50th post! It took me one year, five months, eight days, four hours and eighteen minutes to get that over with! Whew!

Though I'm obviously a blogging veteran (50 posts!), I have only recently started a second, much more geeky blog and am realizing that changes to one blog affect the other substantially. For proof, check out my profile to the right. Doesn't fit this blog. Sucky. Somehow, I think I'll figure it out :)

With my blogging absence of the past few months, I'd forgotten how fun it is to have comments file into the inbox...good times! It's great to be alive!

To all you faithful addicts (who still check my blog for changes, even after all this time), I salute you! Hurrah!

Wowsers

2007-02-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

Not that I'm trying, but I think I lag behind only GK for blog delinquency. Yikes!

Well, now that I've read a couple of blogs once again I have an obligation to fulfill my "IT"-edness, especially since I've been tagged twice and have the red handprints on my back to prove it. I am genuine proof that the hocus-pocus of promised doom should you not divulge weird or random things is a bunch of hooey. So there. I am alive and well! Though not followed in the blogging world any longer:)

Six weird things about me:
#1
I have always thought it is funny when men refer to themselves as raging, hardcore lesbians (cause they like women). I can't think of a time that I've heard that and not laughed. Lame, but true.
#1a
I'm a raging, hardcore lesbian confined within the warm embrace of a lifelong partnership, which has been endorsed by the government and the church as a marriage.
#1b
I'm still laughing. Lame, but true.
#2
As a child, I collected GI Joe toys. Nothing unusual. That spread into watching the cartoons and collecting the comic books. Geeky, but not necessarily weird. In the last year, I have had at least two conversations with other adults in which I began talking of ninjas and ninja moves as though they are real (perhaps the concept of ninja is real, but I'm talking about the ninjas from GI Joe, since they're the entirety of everything I know about ninjas). One of those conversations included me acting out the moves. Weird-o.
#3
I have twelve toes.
#4
I am allergic to apples (pears, peaches - fruit that you eat the skin). Though this allergy exists only when the fruit is raw. If it is cooked, I'm good to go!
#5
Phones are scary to me. I've never considered therapy or anything, but I definitely have some kind of prohibitive anxiety when it comes to contacting people by phone. I rarely call anyone, except my wife. I'm immune when she's involved. Go figure.
#6
I wish I could be a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. This is weird because I can't stand getting hit in the head. Other than that, I think I could be good at it once I was in half decent shape! I've thought about joining an MMA gym to get into shape, since I know I could be interested in working hard at wrestling and submissions. That's the first step to the UFC for "Snitchy Switchy" Brent Thompson!! Of course, maybe it's all just related to being a ninja?

I tag no one. IT ENDS HERE!

Shalom.

Quick and dirty

2006-11-28T17:08:00.000-08:00

Here it comes, fast and simple:

The football team has gone on a tear and will be playing at BC Place stadium on December 2nd at 10:30am for the BC High School Football AA JV provincial title!! Important note: they are the defending champions, so getting back to the title game is a big deal... Coach P (head coach - 73 years old) said today that if you told him back in spring camp that we'd be getting ready this week for the championship game, he'd have told you you were dreaming! He then proceeded to tell us that he had declared to his wife that it'd be a short season this year and he'd have tons of extra time in November for her...well, we're still playing and don't finish til December 2!! Sorry Mrs. Coach P.. ; )

I have been incredibly blog averse these last couple months because I have adopted (or more accurately, renewed) a different internet habit that has taken up tremendous amounts of my browsing time. Now, I don't know if you're like me (maybe yes, maybe no), but I'm not a big internet guy for the most part. I think it's like talking on the phone: it has its good purposes, but I don't want to spend more time on it than I have to. So, I love reading others' blogs and enjoy the creative acts of writing and trying to make the blog look better...yet I found myself unable to sustain the creative efforts and maintain my desired standards (oooooooo so high :P ), leaving me no choice but to withdraw. A blogrecluse. A bloghermit. [cool looking word: bloghermit... could be pronounced so many ways... bah-log-her-mitt...bah-logger-mitt...bah-loffer-mitt...so fun]

The renewed habit is eBay. AAAAAARRRRGGGHGHHHH. I really don't like garage sales, but I think it's not because of the high ratio of crap to treasure... after two months of eBay, I realize I can wade through tons of crap and come out happy... it's because of the travel time associated with it. The internet (and eBay) have created a massive, worldwide garage sale that is on constantly and all you have to do is find your treasure! Awesome! So I'm out there searching for my treasure when I should be faithfully updating my blog. Sorry about that.

Now, I want to be clear that I'm not randomly searching for great deals of any kind out there in the e-world...I have goals. Nerdy goals. Geeky goals. But goals nonetheless! Not the goals of a football coach or a "cool" youth worker, just a dork. I'm looking for G.I. Joe comics. 'Nuff said.

If you want to see what kind of a task I'm up against, check this out.

End Result

2006-11-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

To make a long story short, Snitchy Switchy is now a part of a coaching team one member to the lesser. After said event (see last post) and an in-game explosion, my fellow coach was essentially asked to cease coaching the team this season. It's more developed than that, but it is what it is.

We lost the "explosion" game by the score of 21-20. Since then (with more staff unity and peace), our team has gone 3-0 with decisive wins over every team we've played. It's been pretty incredible (two 40+ point shutout victories)....

I don't want to belabor this event in my life, but I thought you might like to hear a little bit of resolution. :)

Snitchy Switchy

2006-10-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

I was thinking today, "Okay Brent, your nickname is Switch right? If you ratted out someone, you could be Switch the Snitch...not a bad 30s gangster name for a ratfink. If we followed a futuristic, sci-fi kinda theme, you could go with Swytch the Snych...oooooohhhhh, except 'snych' looks too much like sync(with an 'h') and people would get that wrong all the time..."
"Hey Brent, why they call you Switch the Synch(sink)?"
I sigh.....

Okay, so I thought about this cause I think I became a snitch! Sort of innocently, telling a story I thought was silly, I ratted out someone who will pay the price for my story! The story is true, mind you, and the price paid is due to an assortment of infractions of which my story is merely the last straw...but that would still make me a snitch! A rat! NO WAY!!!!!

I've been coaching a high school football team this year. It's a grade 9/10 team and it is really fun! The head coach is an older fellow (73/74 - somewhere in there) and has coached longer than I've been alive so there is lots to learn! One of my fellow coaches was a former player of the older fellow and thus respects him a ton. Nevertheless, he was what we might call 'an independent type.' Despite his respect for the head coach, he tended to do his own thing and perhaps sent some mixed messages to the players, thoroughly confusing these newbies (many first timers to organized football). That had him on the hotseat.

Said coach also has a bit of a temper and flared up many times during our half a season so far. Occasionally, his ire would fall on the right culprit at the right time yet too often it fell upon unwitting, innocent victims. This also had him in the hotseat (with parents and other coaches).

My story, you ask? What was this yellow fiber that caused the C4 and C5 vertebrae of the desert mammal to finally fracture? Well, following practice, said coach gathered the players around him to speak. Looking straight at me, he said, "Do you mind going?" To which I responded "ME?" I was surprised that a fellow coach would request such a thing in front of the players...unless he was going to come out of that huddle with a birthday cake and a song for me...

"Yeah, coach, could you go?" he repeated - which prompted a Nelson-esque "HA HA" from the starting quarterback as I walked away.

Curious as to why I would be asked to leave, I asked said coach why he chose such a course of action. His response: "I knew I was going to be off-color, so I didn't think you'd appreciate it."

He knew I work in the church and am a Christian, so he was merely being polite. Nice guy I suppose....

Except this is a high school football team, so if you think I wouldn't like to hear it, why would you tell it to the team (of 14-15 year old boys)? I was a little concerned, so I told my story to the other coaches (who weren't there at the time) and that was it... I became a snitch.

I wasn't telling on the guy. But isn't that always what snitches say?

Yeah, well, I'm a big boy and I suppose I can handle an expanded nickname...sigh.

Digital...

2006-09-07T17:08:00.000-07:00

So I'm a musician with an album to sell...
I'm a worship song writer with songs to share with the church...
I'm a guy who's made an investment and wants to see a return...
I'm an unknown that needs exposure...

I feel as though the issues created by the digital movement will never be fully resolved, but they're not new! People have always been able to copy music they've never paid for (as long as there has been music to purchase, with the exception of phonograph records I suppose -which means they've been able to copy music since the invention of tape recording with 8-tracks...I digress) and that's only been escalated with the onset of the digital revolution.

I remember seeing Lars Ulrich (drummer from Metallica), Dr. Dre (you know who he is, admit it) and a host of suit guys debating on CNN about the availability of music (free music) created by Napster. Was it ethical? Was it fair to the artists? What about the record companies? What about the distributors, the record stores, the workers at the music stores? It just keeps flowing along, affecting people across the board. And this was 5 years ago...

Do you remember Napster? This was the first famous virtual network designed to share files worldwide on the internet. Created by Northeastern University student Shawn Fanning in the 90's as a way to promote a music community, he was taken to court by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) who claimed that this type of file sharing (music files) was illegal and circumvented copyright laws. Well, as expected, those with the $$ won the legal battle. This was not the end for Mr. Fanning however... he sold the rights to Napster to Roxio (a legally established file sharing company with no musical dealings) and they adopted the Napster name (how often does the purchased company become the namesake?) and in cooperation with Fanning, developed relationships with the RIAA so that mp3s could be sold efficiently and legally. Problem solved!

No. Of course, after Napster's demise as a free source of music to millions, other variations arose and still exist (Limewire, anyone?) and though there are many ways to legally download music through the internet, establishing markets for artists where once there were none (really, how could I sell a CD to someone in Japan...through the internet, it can now happen! Hallelujah!), there are still many ways to "illegally" share music files with your friends, family, neighbors, countrymen, and across borders!

I guess what I'm getting at is that calling filesharing illegal is not going to stop it. As an artist, I love the possibility of exposure and the opportunity to share with people I'll never meet. As a businessman, it's not that appealing. But what am I, an artist or a businessman? I'd rather be an artist...

"Confession" and "Invitation to the Thirsty" are yours: have at 'er friends! Be blessed

http://www.myspace.com/switch21music

Once and awhile

2006-08-27T00:37:00.000-07:00

I'm not one for getting all emotional on my blog. Generally, I like to keep it at a distance, make strikes at being witty or thoughtful, occasionally dabbling in the auto-biographical. I don't know, it's not a set-in-stone-philosophy or anything, just the way it's worked out.

Last night, I got the opportunity to head out to Camp Luther with some youth. I brought 5 teens who had never been out to camp (not totally true, some had been campers way long ago) and my wife was there with me too (the first time she'd been to Camp Luther while in summer mode). It was really great! I love that place and the people I've known because of it. It is truly a special, God-blessed sanctuary that is a home for so many incredible young men and women....it's awesome (not in the watered-down version of awesome, but the intended, passionate, drop-to-your-knees and shudder awesome). Yeah.

These youth seemed to like it. They were thankful for the chance to experience it and see what their friends find so amazing (three other youth from Zion were at camp there). I was glad to hear that :)

I am poor at keeping my eyes-ears-heart-mind open to God encouraging me and yet, I managed to see-hear-feel-sense Him this time...so often, the knowledge of the impact any one of our lives can have on another (peer-parent-camper-youth-whatever) is hidden from us to keep us humble (I think so)...when we can see it, even for a moment, the potential blows us away. I am blown away and I am blessed to have served.

Yeah.

P.S. - I unintentionally started chaining words-thoughts-ideas together with hyphens tonight...weird.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...

2006-08-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

Everybody chooses an order for their stuff: CDs, books, names, phone numbers, etc. Lists and piles require organization of some sort. Now for you smart-aleks (also read: dumbasses) out there who are going to tell me they don't organize at all, "I just live in extraordinary, unadulterated filth and mess"...you still choose an order for your stuff...it's just a 'less-work' version on the scale of organizationality (I know you like that made up word).

The movie "High Fidelity" made the Top-5 Lists famous (or at least famous to those who've seen the movie - YOU SHOULD SEE THE MOVIE). As well, the concept of arranging one's things by genre came into effect in the film. For example, one collector sorted his records in order of when he heard them; not when they were made, not alphabetically, but essentially autobiographically. Pretty cool. Again, you should see the movie. Smile:)

Anyhow, it's not uncommon in Blogdom to find crazy lists of links on the sidebar of any particular blog. Names, titles, codewords, phrases...whatever suits the fancy of the blogger and his/her readers. Well, my challenge to you is to find out how I've sorted my link-list....first sleuth to correctly meet the challenge wins a prize!!

Good luck and Godspeed.

What are they going to call it?

2006-08-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

There is a new behaviour to study. Pyschologists and behavioural scientists all across the world are fascinated with this breed rising up within popular culture. Fortunately, variations of this conduct have been around for millenia and this latest strain will be analyzed starting from existing research, giving scientists an imporant head start in combatting this vicious malady.

It is contagious and spreading, much like a mob grows in the midst of rebellion. As the crowd advances, more and more catch on, no longer watching from the fringe, but joining in as the madness swells! Arrogance balloons and a sudden, proud swagger appears even amongst those once considered the most meek and mild in society. Were this pattern of growth to continue, surely it will bring about the destruction of all we hold sacred, shattering the precious psyches of many fragile friends, disrupting the proliferation of creative thought, inhibiting fertile minds, assimilating all but the strongest of wills.

The existence of this behaviour should not be surprising. As mentioned above, earlier variants have thrived throughout the course of human history; this new blip on the radar, though compelling, was not unexpected. What has caught researchers offguard is how quickly these mannerisms have been adopted by society-at-large, threatening to overpower a burgeoning industry. In reality, it is merely following the pattern of everything else associated with its source: the internet.

What is this virulent manner, you ask? What is this plague poised on the precipice of disaster? What is threatening to plunge each one of us into the abyss of despair?

Blog bullies.

You know who you are: you who demand updates only to scratch your junkie itch, to satiate your unceasing need to read more and more AND MORE! You know who you are: You who feign interest in personal lives in order to hide your informant's addicition to know all! You know who you are: daring to dispirit the private world of creative genius by demanding production according to your timetables! Yes, you know who you are.

BACK OFF!!! I'll blog when I wanna!! SO THERE!!!
(author sticks out his tongue, makes a silly face and runs away as fast as his little feet can carry him)

Dibid yibou hibear thibat?

2006-06-21T15:47:00.000-07:00

...fond memories of the past...

Back in high school, my friend Eric and I spent tons of time together. Most days, I'd drive him home from school (yes, I was the chauffeur) and we'd chill for a couple hours at his home, drinking coke, eating crap food and talking like guys do.

During many a late-afternoon visit, E's brother David and sister Lauren would hang around like younger siblings do, like units of "cool" could be absorbed by osmosis... we were so cool....
Though he didn't like these familial units hanging around most of the time, there were times where Eric engaged with his family in pestering the best friend, namely: me. They had their own language it seems...

The three of them (or the two of them, and occasionally, the mother would join in too) would jabber along in what seemed to me to be gibberish. Then they would laugh hysterically, making it very clear that it was at my expense. Needless to say, I put my language skills to work and, along with a couple hints, figured out what they were saying. They called it "Double Dutch" though the name doesn't matter. It was coded english, like the more well-known Pig Latin and it worked famously!

Those initial torture sessions led to the use of this code more often, and it was great. Imagine high school while being able to say anything at anytime about anyone and only the people you trust could understand. It was like we spoke Japanese or Swahili or Xhosa only even Japanese, Swahili, or Xhosas couldn't decipher it either!!! AMAZING!!!

Until Colleen quietly came up to me one day and rattled off a flawless sentence in Double Dutch. She knew.
She Knew?
She KNEW!?!
Yup. She knew.
You see, Colleen was another good friend and a smart one at that. She heard Eric and I (not that we were bashful about it or worried about being discovered) and put her brain to work, discovering the secrets on her own that I needed clues to find. She beat us. Bravo!

Death to Double Dutch.

Please stay seated

2006-06-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

I must be honest. One solid reason I am writing this post is to avoid losing my coveted space on the bloglist of Neal. I simply do not want to give up my perch and thus, I write. You know, it's not that there's been nothing happening over the last month. Not so at all! In fact, much has been going on. Unfortunately for me, not so much of it is blogworthy, either being uninteresting, unfunny, too personal or some combination of the three. Sigh.

On one amazing note, my wife and I celebrated our first anniversary this week. We were driving back from E-town on this wonderful day and thus, did not celebrate as we would like. Plans are in the works to take the proper time to do it up! Lack-of-grand-celebration aside, I was (and still am) awestruck by the gift of my wife; that we have had this incredible time of growth together leaves me speechless, with tears of joy on my face. I am blessed to have such an encouraging partner with whom to learn about love...

Pastor Andrew wrote of transition and I heartily agree... so much of "growing up" is realizing that life is never settled, never fair, never finished. It is always at you, picking and prodding, until final peace is found in death. Fin.

Procrastinating

2006-05-05T18:59:00.000-07:00

I think I couldn't have thought of a better name for my blog. I procrastinate to avoid procrastinating! I'm terrible.

The previous posts have the date of April 23 on them, though they were truly posted today. I had some thoughts and wanted to improve upon them, though the mirror post remained unchanged. Good intentions, though ultimately unnecessary. This "save a draft, post it later" thing is a strange feature of this bloggy world. A prior thought, if drafted, can be shared later and credited on the day upon which it was drafted, not shared. That is a feature worth paying for in other areas of life....

Imagine if you thought of something, wrote it down, and left it there (intentionally or not) until the context to which the thought (or behaviour) belonged had expired, yet you were able to retrieve the written thought and apply it now (out of context) in a meaningful way as though you had done so at the time of the thinking and writing! Forgetful men could save their anniversaries! Visa bills could be paid before the due date! Absent minded professors could get papers marked on time! Youth pastors could pass on wonderful encouragements to those they work with and get budgets finished! The whole world could be filled with the idealist behaviour we all wished we could exhibit...though it would be accepted a month late!!! It would be AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Or maybe it just means the wrong date is stuck on your post in Blogger. Yikes.

Reflections

2006-04-23T02:53:00.000-07:00

Everyone needs a mirror.

Alliteration

2006-04-23T02:50:00.000-07:00

I like alliteration.

Singing songs softly while wooing women.

In fact, finding friends is fun at Fridays!

Monday's musings made me mostly mellow... metaphorical meanderings mainly.

See how fun it can be!!!!!

Take a crack at clogging my comments with your alliterative communications...

Out there

2006-04-12T16:15:00.000-07:00

I neglected to post about my concert way back on March 18...

I had a lot of fun that night! There ended up being 55 people turn out and it was a supportive crowd, to say the least. Lots of friends and a few new people, with music and silliness and heart all at once!

The band played really well, especially since this was the first time they had ever played together at all! Due to the realities of work schedules and adult life, we were never able to assemble the whole group at once until the actual concert! The first two practices involved Maria, Anthony, Mark, Brian and I (everyone but Toby) while the third was missing Maria and the last, Maria and Mark. Ahhhh the joys of the real world! Regardless, we were able to hang together and trust that God himself was present to unite us...He was. It was a real blessing to me!

One element of silliness that invaded the evening came in the form of a vote. I began the concert extolling the virtues of democracy and its far-reaching consequences, encouraging all to make use of this valuable right.... over the style of my facial hair. Now, this was no small task, considering that I had grown out my beard to provide options for the people. It takes me roughly nine years to do this, but I love my fans and was willing to make the sacrifice! There were six options, ranging from a scary little moustache (no, not Hitler tiny) to leaving it as it was, a full beard. Everyone could vote during the intermission and following the intermission, plus a couple more songs (to give time to tally the votes and prepare the shaving equipment), I would shave on stage. Yes, on stage. Alex and I planned ahead for this, but neglected to bring a mirror. This meant that I would have to rely on someone else to perform the shave (YIKES). Peter Kim, a long time friend and ally would help (I'm scared!). The winner was "wolverine" style, which meshed a long, handlebar moustache with bushy sideburns that extended down my jaw. Not Alex's favorite, but the people had spoken!! Wolverine it was, and still is. I've actually maintained this look right through to the present day!

If you are a back blog reader (previous posts), you may remember that I posted about concerts back on March 14th, making mention of the concert of mine to come. Well, one major concern I have with performance, be it acting or reading or music or mime or whatever, is that it is worth it. I've paid $100 for a ticket to a concert (guess which band?) and considered it completely worthwhile yet in the same vein, paid nothing for some concerts that I wished only for my time back (not worthwhile)! This was a desire for me in my performance...make it worthwhile. I believe that we did that. It was a fun night and the music was good. The commentary was long-winded and self-inflated, but effective. Heartfelt moments balanced out times of outlandish hubris and one could be left with a sense of satisfaction. Hoo-wah.

And despite the favorable results, I still have not scheduled the next one...sigh. I need a manager :)

Not Totally a Liar

2006-04-05T15:34:00.000-07:00

So I told a fib. Steve K had a "competition" on his blog with regards to a particular Tuesday and it's extragant blessing...whoever could beat his Tuesday story won an iPod. Well, suffice it to say that I won, but had no evidence of such a blessed Tuesday. Thus, the previous blog entry. Sigh.

Now, part of that tale held truth...Alex is an immigrant!! I've talked about these matters only a couple of times on this space, so I'll summarize. Summer 2002, Claudia Alejandra Morataya Delgado made application to become a permanant resident (or landed immigrant) in Canada, filing an application as a "Skilled Worker" (childcare was her area of training and an area of need in Canada). After multiple medicals and record checks (cause it was taking so long, not because there was anything wrong), working visas and student visas (so she could stay in Canada legally), trips to Guatemala, United States & Europe, marriage to a Canadian, and nearly FOUR years, C. Alejandra Thompson is a permanent resident in Canada!! This is GREAT news for her, for us!

This was an extremely long and trying journey for Alex and it is amazing that it is finally over! This is a time to praise God for His faithfulness...

Now some of you might be wondering what was the purpose behind this arduous journey. I know that I didn't know about the rigours of immigration until it involved me...another blessing of being born a Canadian. As a Guatemalan, Alex could not live, work or go to school in Canada without a visa allowing it. These visas require money, paperwork and reasonable motivation to be approved. If Alex wanted to change jobs, it would take no less than 3 months for it to be approved, IF it was approved (uncertainty is a hope-stealer). The job had to be in the field of childcare or religious work and full time for it to even be considered. If Alex wanted to go to school, she had to apply for a student visa (pretty easy to get) and then attend school full time, paying international tuition (about $10 000 per year) and would not be permitted to work a job, unless it was provided to her by the school. Good times. As a landed immigrant, Alex can now work wherever she wants, as much as she wants. She can work and go to school, paying regular tuition costs, going full time, part time, whatever. She is finally free...

Needless to say, I am pretty happy about this. I was really shocked to learn of the difficult path some foreigners must walk in order to gain access to the wonders of Canadian life. It was a tough lesson to learn, but I'm glad I know now. It's going to open doors to ministry in the future, having this epiphany of the need that exists for poor souls trapped on this journey.

NOTE: be aware that I have divulged Alex's full name in "print"... do not talk of this. You are under penalty of death and/or dismemberment should you do so... :)

I'm not kidding. :P

Really, I am not joking.

Seriously.

For Steve.

2006-03-22T17:34:00.000-08:00

I am a bold faced liar. So there. Keep your iPod.

I AM COKE!!

2006-03-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

You Are Coke

A true original and classic, you represent the best of everything you can offer.
Just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of energy... you're the life of the party.

Your best soda match: Mountain Dew

Stay away from:Dr Pepper

What Kind of Soda Are You?

Concerts

2006-03-14T13:39:00.000-08:00

I love going to conccerts! I've been to two in the last month and both were quite established performers with long careers, and you can tell why.

The first one was Phil Keaggy. Awesome guitarist. One of the best in the world (and has been for 30+ years!) and a true delight to take in! This was my third Keaggy concert but it was the first for my two guests (Anthony and Alex) and that makes the moment even better. I really wouldn't be able to do justice with words describing his ability, so I'll sum it up to say: money well spent.

The second concert was put on by the Arrogant Worms. I was reminded of the healing power of laughter....it feels so good! These guys have been together for over 10 years and they've built their career on great harmony and humor. They are witty and adept at using the humor of the moment. I was really impressed at their ability to involve the crowd and "use" the partcipants against them, as though they made their jobs easier by getting us all doing the work. If that doesn't really make sense to you, that's ok. I know what I mean! The most impressive thing about these three guys is that they perform with three mics and a guitar, sometimes adding in a bass guitar. That's it. And yet, musically, they are diverse and strong, giving no sign of lacking anything. I like that. The Worms can flat out sing together. Awesome.

That brings up a point I'd like to make. Going to a concert like the one put on by the A.W.'s, it proves how important vocals are to lyrical music. If you're going to have vocals, they should be good vocals, tightly sung, and accentuating each other. There are so many bands out there that have great musicians who play extremely well and because they like to write and perform their music, they recruit some lead singer wannabe to toss out some words. AND IT KILLS THE WHOLE ACT. Done. The only way to overcome this weakness is to remain instrumental and impress the crowd with what you're best at... it's kinda sad to hear solid bands with terrible vocals. Maybe that's the driving force behind screaming music? I can't sing, but I can scream reallllll good. Yup. Not my cup of tea.

Regardless, I enjoy concerts. I like 'em, I like 'em alot.

And not unlike John Cuzack's character in High Fidelity, I'm doing something new this week: I'm putting myself out there...doing my own stuff. Scary. Saturday night (18th), I'll be on stage with some friends, hoping that everyone leaves that night having spent their money well. Fin.

Skydiving...

2006-03-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

Have you ever jumped out of a plane?

You should. It's fun!!
Alex and I were preparing a picture wheel (<----see left:a neat gift from our wedding...put photos in frames that spin around like a ferris wheel...not on its own power though, just when you move it...aaarrrrgh) and I was deciding which pics I wanted in the wheel, cause it was going to my office at work. Well, lo and behold, I came across a picture of the group I went skydiving with in California in 2004. That one had to go in there...

I've declared that skydiving is fun, but I feel its important to tell the full story of my first (and only so far) experience with the sport. It is completely true (in my opinion) that jumping out of a plane is fun. In fact, I often wondered if I knew I was going to die, like in three hours or something, and it was certain death, not just probable, and I had to choose how to go out, I always thought that freefalling from super high up would be an energized way to finish life...just falling faster and faster and faster until you hit and it's done. Finito. Wouldn't be so bad. That's why I have always thought that invulnerability (physically) would be an awesome super power, cause you could just jump off of buildings and cliffs and out of planes without getting injured. Though that leads me to wonder if it would still hurt. Like, your bones didn't shatter, but man, it still stings... you know? Anyhow, if being invulnerable means not getting injured AND it doesn't hurt, I'm all in. Sounds good to me. Now, this incredible series of tangents ends with the point. Though falling out of a plane is fun and I would recommend it to anyone, the day of this great fun was less than enjoyable to me. I'll explain why:

The day started with a staff meeting, the final one of the summer at Camp Del Oro in northern California. My fiancee, Alex, is the Program Director at said camp and led us all through a great summer and meaningful ministry. The final meeting is sad, but exciting (to get back to "real" life and freedom) and it ends with a special gift to my lady. She is told by the boss, Bob, that she's getting a bonus for the summer (she was told this in private) and she tells me that she's so excited because it was just enough to cover going skydiving!! This is something she's wanted to do for three years and it was finally going to happen...

ASIDE: Now, those of you out there who are skeptical may think that I decided to jump cause Alex really wanted me to, but the truth is, I had wanted to skydive for many many years. In fact, Brent Shardlow and I planned a jump once but it fell through. Any of you who have met Brent Shardlow know that he hasn't been in Western Canada nor in my contact for years, even before I met Alex, so my decision to jump was based on me. So there. :)

Back to the story:
This had been planned for a week and a half by the members of the camp staff who were going to jump and the whole group was pumped. In fact, I was the only bummed out member. My reason: the Fat Tax. If you are not familiar with skydiving, the only way you can show up somewhere and jump out of the plane that same day is to jump tandem, with a professional strapped to your back like a spooning friend. Well, pros jumping tandem don't like to have really heavy people jump with them cause it hurts more. The heavier the person, the harder the drag when you open the chute and the more your little gear stresses on your legs and groin. Not as much fun. So, to discourage fat people from jumping (fat meaning heavy, even if its all muscle of course) there is a Fat Tax. The Fat Tax is applied to all individuals over 200 lbs in weight. One dollar per pound is assessed to this poor individual causing the perceived value of his* jump to plummet. At a weight of 240 lbs, for example, Mr. X will pay $140 to jump out of the same plane as Mr. T who weighs in at 198 lbs and paid $100. Thus, for the same experience, the perceived value (financially) is reduced by 40% right off the top. Now, if this were not enough, the Fat Tax is accompanied by the Fat Penalty, which further reduces Mr. X (or my...if you haven't caught on to that) satisfaction. The Fat Penalty is the real kicker. This Fat Penalty states that anyone over 200 lbs in weight will only be permitted to jump from an altitude of 6000 feet. Still pretty high up there and still jumping out of a plane, yes, but oh, the unfairness of it all!!! Everyone else jumps at 13,000 feet and gets over one full minute of freefall. I would have only 3000 feet of freefall (about 30 sec)...ahem, pardon me....Mr. X would only have 30 seconds of freefall!! So to wrap this up, Mr. X will pay 40% more for 55% less...arrrraarrrrrggaaagrrragggagghhhahhh!

I had firmly decided that I would not jump, not under those conditions. I could not, in good conscience, pay so much for so little. I would find another way to do this some other day. Unfortunately, I got sucked in by the moment.

Of course, though I had decided not to jump, I accompanied the group to Lodi and the jump center. My fiancee was jumping and I wanted to support her for sure. I was still grumpy though. When we got there, Tim came running up to me, exclaiming:
"They didn't even ask about the weight man! Go for it! You'll get through!!"
He was excited about this because Tim, like myself, weighed in at over 200 lbs. Tim, however, tipped the scales at 210 versus my 240....
I decided to try.
I filled out the forms, paid the money, got through the training, even got called in to get suited up with the group...everything was going smoothly. Until I met Brian (or Bruce, or John... I don't remember his name), the man I would be jumping with. Brian (or Bruce, or John...whatever) was all smiles and giggles. He was a grey haired man, probably about 50 years old, and quite short. In fact, it became obvious that he was the smallest of the pros. Paired up with the biggest of the jumpers...makes sense. After introducing himself and explaining how amazing my experience would be, Brian (or Bruce, or John...I don't like the guy, who cares?) sizes me up and asks, "How much you weigh Brent? It's important we have it right for safety." To which I answer, halfheartedly, "about 240..." "Yeah, why don't you step up here" (he motions to a scale, conveniently placed beside the door to the tarmac) "and we'll check it out."

Sure enough, I weighed 240 lbs, so Brian (or Bruce, or John...maybe Satan) says casually, "Well, that'll be forty bucks and we'll get going, jumping from 6000 feet of course!" I was shocked. To wait so long to ask for this Fat Tax and assesment of the Fat Penalty! I was right at the door!!! I was 100 feet from the plane!!! Ooooo the cruelty of it all!!!

Needless to say, before I paid the money, I had a conversation with Brian (or Bruce, or John...definitely Satan) during which he guaranteed that this would still blow my mind. I should have said, "or what...my money back?" but I didn't. I got stuck in the moment and paid the Fat Tax and accepted the Fat Penalty....

The bonus of this whole situation was that Alex and I would share this experience together (except she would jump from higher up, much after me) and I'd be jumping with friends too! Tim did manage to sneak through under the Fat Tax and I was happy for him. The secondary bonus was discovered when we loaded up the plane and I found out that I got to sit in the doorway of the plane for the whole takeoff and ascent! That was really cool! We arrived at 6000 feet, Brian (or Bruce, or John...by now, my Angel) asked if I was ready and told me to jump whenever...so we jumped.

Freefall is beautiful. Amazing. Truly.

"Time to pull the 'chute!!"

OUUUUUUUUUCCCCCHHHH! That hurt. Brian (or Bruce, or John...back to Satan) agreed, "Yeah, that was a bad one!"

He let me control the ascent for most of the fall and I got to push some G's (measures of the effect of gravity) by doing controlled spins on the way down (I recommend that!!). Then came the landing. He blew that pretty bad in my opinion. He explained that I should keep my legs up and then catch the ground running once he touched...well, Mr. Shortypants didn't touch the ground and simply landed on me, with everyone watching....what a dummy.

I didn't ask for my money back, but I don't think he fulfilled his guarantee... though, in retrospect, no one could 've made me happy that day following the rules of safety. It's just one of those situations that is out of your hands. Sigh.

Alex came down about three people later and I was there to hug her right away. She still would claim that day as one of the best days of her life and I am happy for that! She was disappointed by my sadness, but wouldn't let Eeyore ruin her day (good for her!). I sulked and dealt with it all on my own, ignoring the joys of company for the rest of the day. Pretty lame. But I don't regret it. And I don't regret jumping either.

I'll do it again someday by myself. That way there is no Fat Tax :)

*I will use the masculine pronoun throughout this hypothetical because I am not aware of any females weighing 200+ lbs that are dying to jump out of a plane, so the male example is really the only one necessary. SO there.

Correction

2006-02-22T17:10:00.000-08:00

Okay, apparently, I'm not so good at Laser Tag. Oops. I am terrible at this game. I get shot a lot. A LOT. And I hit almost no one. At least not on my opponents' two tiny sensors with my pathetic LED light "laser" pistol... two stupid sensors on a human being's entire body. Sheesh! Yeah, cause to shoot someone in real life I'd have to make sure I shoot them right in that 2-inch hexagonal region overtop of their stomach! Yeah, that's the sweet spot for sniping fatality!!! Uh-hunh! Sure it is. And in the jungles of Viet Nam you could easily avoid death by crouching down with your back on a tree, covering up aforementioned sweet spot with your arm. Yeah. Cause a bullet can't penetrate that! It's impossible!

(Do you sense the bitterness here? I am a touch competitive. Un peu.)

I have a hard time admitting that I'm simply terrible at something. Which would include Laser Tag. Oh well. The key to the whole evening was that I had fun. Can't you tell? ;P

Shooting people

2006-02-21T17:39:00.000-08:00

So I'm off tonight to play laser tag (or is it laZer tag?) and thought about how much people like to shoot people. We like it in video games (a relatively new phenomenon - gaining in realism and popularity as each day passes). We like it in live, physical simulations (through safer forms like lasers, airsoft, or paintballs - I list these in order of progressive danger and pain). And, albeit a smaller proportion of "civilized" people, we like to really do it. With GUNS. and BULLETS. pain and death. Ouch.

As in other areas of life, like singing, or drawing portraits, or architecture, accuracy is a much heralded charactistic in the world of shooting people. Accuracy is really what it's all about.

And, for both pride and entertainment value, flair plays a big role too. Shooting a miniscule moving target while dive-rolling onto concrete from an 8-foot high ledge and strafing slightly to one's right is far more excellent than a simple execution-style blast to the back of the head. Though one could argue either way...

I've played video games and actually been pretty good at a couple of 'em. I've played paintball many times and always done well. I expect I'll be pretty good at laser tag tonight. I generally excel at shooting people while avoiding getting shot myself.

I pray I never have the chance to really try it.

Tall

2006-02-21T17:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a tall picture for y'all. I'll try to re-find the link that brought me there so I can give proper credit... browsing has its rewards. This is actually three shots stitched together.

I love Tag games

2006-02-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

Okay, in real life, I do love the game of tag. There are so many variations and ways to make it fun. I feel badly for those who are "too old" to play tag (meaning, "I'm too mature to play little kid games loser!") and wish they could have some of their childhood back...

Four Jobs I've Had:
Movie theatre Projectionist/Usher
Skate Patrol
Discipleship Coordinator
Ministry Assistant
...though these are more or less Job Titles I've had, not explaining much about the actual job...

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over Again:
Saving Private Ryan
The Passion of Jesus Christ
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
Munich
...anyone who has seen these films would understand I'm joshing wit' cha. These are heavy films for which one viewing is really enough...
The Real List:
Aliens
Anchorman
Monty Python and the Search for the Holy Grail
U-571 (for its underwater explosion scenes...awesome sound...)

Four Places I have Lived:
Bulyea, SK
Calgary, AB
Grande Prairie, AB
Vancouver, BC

Four T.V Shows I Love:
NBATV Daily
CSI (both NY and Las Vegas)
TUF (season 3 is about to start on Spike)

Four Classic TV Shows I love: (New category - added by Andrew)
Seinfeld
Airwolf
A-Team
Knight Rider

Four Places I've Vacationed:
Costa Rica
Okanagan
San Francisco
Grande Prairie (if I use holiday time off work to be there, is it a "vacation"?)

Four Places I've Travelled to on Missions: (New category - added by me)
Egypt
India
Mexico
Switzerland

Four of My Favourite Dishes:
Alfredo covered pasta with seafood
Perfectly grilled steak with mushrooms
Chicken fried rice
Calamari (especially at Lou's in Abby)

Four Sites I visit Daily:
ESPN.com
people's blogs (there's a list, and I don't get to them daily...)
...that's it...

Four Places I'd Rather Be Right Now:-
With my wife :)
Japan
In heaven
On a mountaintop somewhere sunny and clear

Four Bloggers I am Tagging:
Aimee
Kortney
Robyn
Tyson

I AM CANADIAN!

2006-02-09T16:44:00.000-08:00

Member of Parliament
Congratulations! You scored 90!

You may very well be one of the Founder's of Confederation. You're proud of the True North Strong and Free, you can drink beer with the best of 'em! You follow hockey like a religion and may actually have your name etched on Lord Stanley's grail. You can tell the difference between a moose and a caribou at 100 metres and if we looked we'd probably find a maple leaf tattooed somewhere on your body.

Link: The Canadian Test written by TwoGuyswithaHat on Ok Cupid, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

If we can't make fun of ourselves...

2006-02-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

Had to provide a link to this ad...

http://echurch.cf.huffingtonpost.com/

Check it out.

I'm a Movie!!

2006-01-22T09:57:00.000-08:00

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Cult Classic

Quirky, offbeat, and even a little campy - your life appeals to a select few.
But if someone's obsessed with you, look out! Your fans are downright freaky.

Your best movie matches: Office Space, Showgirls, The Big Lebowski

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

Exorcism of Emily Rose

2006-01-19T14:48:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this movie? I finally got a chance to watch it last night and it is powerful. I had to rent it on a night my wife couldn't be home because she can't handle the horrific visuals and to be sure, it has some pretty intense moments....

I remember wanting to see this film from the moment I first heard about it, even though I generally don't watch horror films, because of its subject matter and a curiousity to see how a north american film maker would approach it. This is a courtroom drama, not a horror film. Though if you are troubled by seeing horrible things, you'd have to be very careful watching this one. I can honestly say that it doesn't pull any punches. I also found out a few months ago that the director is a Christian who believes that horror is the best film genre to work in as a Christian... (you can check it out his interview at http://www.thesource4ym.com/interviews/ScottDerrickson.asp).

I would love to know the true story. The real details and what happened moment by moment, but of course, that would not seem to be possible. So I am taking this movie, this story, for what it is: an eye-opening glimpse into the world of darkness. The craziest part of it all is that I have seen this darkness before and that is where the personal ramifications begin...

Two days before Christmas, 2001, in Chennai, India, a pastor and I prayed for a young girl to be freed from demonic possession. It was the most intense and humbling experience I have ever had. The instant it was over, I cried because I knew how small I was...

The God I serve, the Jesus I believe in, the Spirit I walk with was present to me (and others) at that service that night and He is HUGE. We are so small...

This movie brought so many things flooding back to my mind and I found myself crying again during the scene where the demons revealed their names...the reality that I live in a time and place where darkness has ownership of so much and so many...and we fail to stand up and ask the darkness for its name that we might identify it and remove it from our midst.

I am asking the BIG GUY to show me what's next...

2006-01-18T18:15:00.000-08:00

Gnarly tree...I love it.

Unrelated

2006-01-18T15:34:00.000-08:00

I've done a couple things this week that I don't really like so much, but am trying to incorporate more into my life: cleaning the bathroom and eating soup (not both at the same time, though maybe that would be the next step in the evolution of these activities in my life...hmmmm....).

I cleaned the bathroom on Monday, and I'm glad I did. Everyone knows the situation: when you can see dirt/filth on anything, everyone knows it needs to be cleaned. In fact everyone knows it needed to be cleaned awhile ago, before anything visible appeared. Now, at this point, I want to be clear that my bathroom was not disgusting. It didn't smell, nor was there anything causing repulsion, but the bathtub needed some scrubbing. That's all really. However, I do want to emphasize that virtually everything that requires cleaning should be cleaned prior to developing visible and/or olifactory conditions. We may be able to make an exception for things that get dirty in an instant, like the inside of a blender glass or the knees on a five-year olds jeans, but back to my original point: I don't like cleaning the bathroom, specifically the bathtub. It sucks. I don't have a problem with toilets at all (maybe that's weird, but a summer cleaning bathrooms at a camp will change that quick :P) and sinks are pretty easy, but I hate floors and tubs. I don't have a rational reason for this. I just can't stand them. So Monday, I did it anyway. Now they are clean and I probably won't touch them with cleaners again until they are beyond dirty (and back to visibly gross). Sad but true.

I've also been eating a lot of soup. I've never been a big soup fan. I think it relates to my lifelong avoidance of hot drinks. I mean, that's what soup is: a big, hot drink with chunkies in it. You can't call it a drink because of the chunks of meat or potato or veggies, which would cause any drinker to gag viciously! I believe that's why the whole cup-o-soup concept never really stuck (or became a staple of society)... because of the chunks. No one wants to chew a drink. It's a universal truth. Now soup is an easy food to prepare. It's easy to store and reheat. It's convenient and simple, incredible advantages for my current lifestyle! It's also extraordinarily versatile, available in a vast amount of flavors and textures, across virtually every culture in the world (every one I've experienced). It was time for me to stop denying soup its place in my culinary vocabulary. So I've been eating a lot of soup, finding it mostly enjoyable, experimenting and keeping an open mind. I've discovered that I like meat in soups. Beef and seafood more than chicken, but all are acceptable. Sausage can be great in in a cajun soup (more like a stew I suppose)! The more meat the better the soup. Now, the reason for this increasing gratification becomes obvious when I realize that this is because the soup is becoming less and less soup and more and more what I'd rather be eating: a big plate of meat. Once again, I digress. Soup is gaining on me and I suppose I'll let it hang around for some time. Perhaps I'll learn to love it.

One last sidenote: I have always loved mushroom soup for some reason. ?!? What's your favorite?

The New Guy

2006-01-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

Most of us will have experienced being the "new guy" (or "new girl") somewhere, sometime in our lives, at school, a club, a social group, a workplace, etc. Throughout my life, I've been the new guy alot and I think that the residual memory of all those new guy experiences pummells me every now and again.

For example, I have encountered a mirage "new guy" experience twice in the last half a year. Maybe it's important to note at this point that I have had at least three legitimate "new guy" periods in the last year. I have had two different new jobs (one started in February 05, then I changed again in August 05) and I got married...not a "new guy" moment in the strictest of senses, but I was certainly the new guy in the home, imposing my fresh presence on the new girl in my life (being married fundamentally changes the relationship, so no matter how long you've known your spouse before you marry, you instantly become new guy and new girl. THat's my opinion). Now back to the mirage encounters:

Both followed holiday time, which lends itself to "new guy" feelings upon re-entry to the real world, so maybe I shouldn't be shocked at my reaction, but dude, it was strong. Coming back from the honeymoon (I'd been gone for three weeks) in June, I'd have sworn I had never given a tour or driven a bus for Landsea Tours before, though I'd been doing it for many months. Upon returning from Christmastime in Grande Prairie, I feel like an alien at ZLC. It is so weird. I wonder what waking up from an 18-month coma would be like...?

This is obviously an overreaction to the situation, but it alarms me and merits introspection I figure. The worst part of it for me is the disconnect that I feel. A greater level of comfort upon returning to one's vocation would be welcome in my life... more of a "Ahhhhh, now I'm home!" kinda thing... I'd like that. Certainly a stark contrast to "Hmmmm, I get the strange feeling I've been here before..." that I've been subjected to. Sigh.

As I mentioned before, I've been the new guy alot in life. Perhaps it all catches up to you someday and that's what I'm sensing these days. Good to be the "old guy" sometime, but you gotta earn that!

Survey time: How many different places have you lived, and what's the longest you lived somewhere?

I'll kick it off: 12 different cities, longest was GP for 8 years (6+2, not all in a row)

A prayer from Ole

2005-12-14T13:32:00.000-08:00

This one isn't mine, but it really touched my heart when I heard it, so I wanted to share it with all of you...

Ole is praying to God one evening, thinking about his wife, Lena, and offers this up:

"O God, why did you make my wife the way you did? Why did you make her so kind, so beautiful, so gifted at caring for me?"

"Ole, I made her that way so that you would love her..."

"Ok God, thank you, but why did you have to make her so STUPID?"

"Well, Ole, I made her that way so that she would love you..." ;)

Community

2005-12-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

I like this. I like writing, reading what others write, being able to "hear" the opinions of people I never converse with. But blogging is like a conversation, replete with statements and comments, and comments on comments. I like it.

Enjoying the blogworld puts me smack-in-the-middle of an community I never thought I'd join:

cell-phone: never!

instant messaging: couldn't be bothered!

blogging: what's blogging?

Well, needless to say, I have grown in the last few years to really appreciate this world. I suppose it's popular because it's got some great advantages... and I like it.

A community linked through computer screens (which are much less intrusive than they once were - my flat panel display is a welcome addition) and wireless media. Many would argue that it's not a community at all, but if you're reading this, you know different, don't you?

Welcome to the real world, Neo.

Champions

2005-12-01T16:15:00.000-08:00

If you don't follow sports, or don't care about the CFL in general, you may not know that the Edmonton Eskimos won the Grey Cup on Sunday, beating the Montreal Alouettes 38-35 in overtime. This is particularly comforting for me as I have been redeemed for my recent backstab (read about it in Traitor) of this great franchise!

I attended the game here in Vancouver, making myself one of the 59, 157 fans packing BC Place for the CFL championship game. I wore my golden sweatshirt and stood up for the green and gold every chance I had. I was sitting in the close confines of bitter Lions fans who hated the "cheaters" (their nickname for the Eskimos following the Western conference finals game where Edmonton beat BC in Vancouver) and wanted to see them lose. Fortunately, these bitter fans are also my friends, so their hostility was generally directed towards the team and not its fans (i.e. - me). Well, there was the one incident when I was smacked in the back of the head with a lead pipe at halftime, but that's another story...

Needless to say, renewing my cheers for Edmonton restored some of the child in me, giving the green and gold a current in this displaced Albertan's veins once more. I will learn from this and never go back...

GREEN AND GOLD FOR LIFE !!!

so there.

Traitor?

2005-11-22T15:41:00.000-08:00

I must admit I left the Sunday afternoon football game with some mixed feelings. I attended the game with 4 Forstbauers and 3 of their family/friends, all of whom are great BC Lions fans. This playoff game was even more of an important event in their eyes and they were decked out in orange, yelling and screaming like usual but with the added effect of three drums and a trumpet! It was (it always is) fun to go to a game with fans like the Forstbauers...

This family has had 8 seasons' tickets for as many years as I've known them and that's going on ten years now. Loyal fans who enjoy the CFL (they are out there). I even bought one of their season tickets from them about three years ago and managed to get to just about half the home games. It was a lot of fun! They certainly make the BC Lions and the CFL a worthwhile experience.

The mixed feelings I mentioned didn't arise from the fact that BC ended up losing the game, securing a woeful 1-7 record for the second half of the season after starting it 11-0! They were caused by a yellow sweatshirt...

I spent the vast majority of my life in Alberta and grew up a big fan of the Edmonton Eskimos. When I was a youngster, Warren Moon led the Esks to three Grey Cup victories (I think) before going on to a hall of fame career in the NFL. I loved knowing who he was before the NFL fans really caught on to how good he was! His teams, including Gizmo Williams, drew me in and made me love the CFL. I would be green and gold for life!

Anytime Edmonton came to town (here in Vancouver) I made a greater effort to get out to the game so I could be "one of those guys" who would cheer for the visiting team. That was how it worked, remember, I was green and gold for life...

Well, this game was a big game. Huge! The winner would move on to the Grey Cup and a shot at the championship of the CFL. I stuck my yellow sweatshirt in my backpack and went to the game. Unfortunately, other than a brief appearance during the warmups (when I tied it to the railing in front of me) this symbol of faithfulness, this declaration of allegiance never saw the light of day. I watched the Forstbauers and their fervent support of the Lions and made a decision: I would not cheer for the Eskimos today. I won't cheer against them, but I won't cheer for them either. It would prove to be an interesting choice.

The Eskimos won the game 28-23 and will play in the Grey Cup on Sunday, which I could go to if I wanted to pay for it ($150.00!!). My team is in the Grey Cup in the city where I live and I have access to a field level ticket to the sold out game (sold out seven weeks ago) and I'm not going to go....green and gold for life?

The mixed feelings arose when I wondered if something fundamental in me died on Sunday: a little piece of romanticized idealism birthed in childhood, my loyalty to the Eskimos. The child in me questioned why I didn't wear the sweatshirt, scream for my team and celebrate the victory. I didn't have an answer other than to say I was honoring my friends' wishes, the loyal Forstbauers who had invited me to the game. The child in me shook his head and snorted, unimpressed.

I'm still a little mixed up by it all, though not in any significant way. I know I can always go back to bleeding green and gold for life...I just have to wait for the next game.

Poll: Should I go to the Grey Cup? Yes or no...opinions?

HAPPY!

2005-11-15T11:16:00.000-08:00

Your Inner Child Is Happy

You see life as simple, and simple is a very good thing.

You're cheerful and upbeat, taking everything as it comes.

And you decide not to worry, even when things look bad.

You figure there's just so many great things to look forward to.

How Is Your Inner Child?

Canada Immigration

2005-11-10T11:57:00.000-08:00

Hotel Max was great! I would recommend it to anyone heading to Canada Immigration in Seattle! The room was small, but nice and very clean. The hotel is brand new (renovated with name change, opened in Oct) and it shows. I liked it alot! Plus, it is next door to the office building housing the Canadian consulate. Ideal.
And no, we didn't try out any of their special packages...thanks, Drew.

The reason that Alex and I had to head down to Seattle was Canada Immigration. For those who don't know, Alex is a Guatemalan who legally lives in Canada through the everpresent grace of a Work Permit issued by immigration. Three years ago, she applied to become a Landed Immigrant in this nation of ours and on Wednesday, Nov 9, 2005, she finally had an interview!

Many of us never have to deal with long term immigration issues (I know I never had before) so the process and the depression that accompanies it is quite extraordinary. I have always thought of Canada as a laid-back, fun-loving kinda place with big hearts for people. One visit to the Canadian consulate in Seattle made it clear that this is not the image others would receive while they try to gain access to our lovely nation!

Cold, sterile and impersonal, the waiting room was filled with people bearing a strange countenance...it was the glimmer of hope, but combined with the pall of resignation, as though each one was convinced that the hope to which they held would be pulled from their grasp quite soon. It was a terrible atmosphere. And my wife, Alex, had this same countenance upon her.

After realizing this, I prayed with Alex in that room, that God would reveal Himself with warmth and joy, that smiles and conversation would pepper this waiting room rather than the gloom of impending doom. I'm glad we prayed. Alex had her interview and I waited. While waiting, I observed a palpable change in the presence of the room. People were joking with the neighbors, little kids were evoking "OOooOOOooo, isn't he cute!!!!" statements from various onlookers, and most everyone was smiling. That was nice to see, cause I was disappointed I couldn't go in with Alex. When they sent notice of the interview (a whole two weeks ahead of time - for an interview at 8:00am on a Wednesday in Seattle! - how considerate), they indicated that I would be interviewed as well and I was excited to take part. Unfortunately, I sat in my seat and waited for a call-up that would never occur :(

Alex emerged from the interview quite charged however... she was accepted! After three years of waiting, much pain and confusion (the story is very long), she was told by a Canadian official that she will recieve her Landed Immigrant papers in the new year (assuming her FBI report comes back positive, her medical status is clear, her Guatemalan passport is updated with her married name and mailed in, blah, blah, blah). The real point to the story is that Alex is finally in. A real, live person told her to her face that she is okay for Canada! Good times.

We celebrated with a wonderful Cajun meal in the food court (I know, I'm so romantic), a speeding ticket on the I-5, and a bunch of shopping at the outlet stores. We both bought a new pair of shoes. These are the ones I bought...Yay!!

Go Canada!

Hotel Max

2005-11-08T15:36:00.000-08:00

I decided to glance over my blog after that last post and realized that I've been running on a pretty negative (or at least serious) trip for the last while.

Thus, something to smile about! This evening, my wife and I will travel across the U.S. border to the bustling metropolis of Seattle to stay at the new Hotel Max...
Alex and I have an appointment with Canadian Immigration in the morning at 8:00 and made the choice to drive and sleep rather than sleep and drive (no doubt avoiding morning rush hour in the process..me happy).

Looking for hotels is boring and tedious on the internet, so I picked the one closest to the embassy that looked nice. They have their own website, so you could check it out too!
www.hotelmaxseattle.com

They have a package called the "Hubba Bubba Hanky Panky Romance Package"..ooooo. Pretty funny!! Needless to say, I get a day off to spend with my love in sunny (yeah, right) Seattle! Gonna be great!

Do not disconnect.

2005-11-08T15:27:00.000-08:00

My ipod's been acting up today and won't work properly. It's frustrating. The screen simply says "Do not disconnect." with huge red circle with a line through it. Doesn't matter if I shut down the computer it's attached to or use the "Safely remove device" icon in my system tray...aarrrgh.

So, despite the warning screen and the rather blunt instruction in the manual to the contrary, I disconnected my ipod.

The same screen shines...big red circle with a line through it...Do not disconnect. Something is wrong with my poor little ipod. Ain't technology grand? It'll run out of battery power sometime and maybe that'll help. Tune in for further updates...

A'ight

2005-11-05T00:26:00.000-08:00

I remember how confused people would get when I'd use the word "a'ight." Most could not grasp the nuance of such a tight phrase. Just like exchanging "phitty" for "fifty"; it has a tendency to confuse rather than enlighten. So sad.

But that's not what is really on my mind tonight. No, I'm actually thinking about being a'ight. I mean, am I? Alright? Am I?

I believe that each day is made up of positive things and negative things and perhaps some things which could be defined as neither positive nor negative...neutral I suppose. Overall though, each situation, word, look, touch, thought, etc. carries with it some kind of effect on your mood and even your perception of how the world is turning around you.

So am I a'ight?

Today was certainly more positive than negative. Most days are. I have a life that, if it were counted as the sum of experiences, would add up to what I would assume to be a comparitively high number! I've had a great life to this date. That's encouraging, but at the end of the day does it leave me "alright?"

My friend, the Diceman, Pastor Andrew Craig, spoke of how great it feels to look at the world more idealistically, a world filled with heroes who are also role models; inspirations to something greater than...(you can check that out on his blog, Roll o the Dice)

I want to feel that way tonight, but I can't. I find myself at the end of a good day still questioning whether I'm a'ight. I want to look at the world with light, not with darkness, but the brooding mass, a void really, stalks me and stands out against the light tonight. Philosophically, I know I go home each day to my bed a changed man. I know that I end today as a different Brent than the one that woke up this morning.

I hope that when I think back to this day, with all its changes, I remember it as being a'ight.

I want to live in a world inspired to end each day with idealism alive. I want to see light on people's faces. I want to smile. I want to cry with joy. I want to be a'ight.

Shades of Grey

2005-11-02T17:00:00.000-08:00

I suppose the title could be "Shades of Gray" but whatever. Anybody know the reason for the two different spellings of the color? Is it a simple American vs. European english thing or is one supposed to relate to something differently than the other? For example, that is a gray whale. A grey whale doesn't exist, but a gray whale does...what do you think? And if this is the case, what could the different spellings relate to? Hmmmm.

Anyhow, that has nothing to do with my post at all actually. So onwards and upwards!

My question today is: What is the difference between a story teller and a liar? I mean, I do know that they are fundamentally different things (unlike gray and grey) but why is a great storyteller applauded and encouraged to grow in his/her talent when a great liar is punished and beat down on the way to a horrible existence?

Is it the motive??

A liar tells stories to deceive and get away with something said or done that is hurtful to someone else? A liar tells stories to garner attention and bulk up a deflated self esteem?

This is in opposition to the story teller, who lies with the greater purpose of entertaining and enthusing the crowd. A story teller lies to invoke the imagination, incite emotion and lead others to feel something (and thus, sense they are truly alive) !?

I don't know if there is a fine line to draw... I think great story tellers are fantastic liars who pepper their fabrications with enough truth to draw our admiration and accept the tale laid before us. Perhaps being labelled a liar isn't such a bad thing at all? With practice, maybe the liar realizes all his/her potential and develops into a magnificent story teller, with book deals, movie scripts and a weekly PBS show. I'm sure it could happen.

Or, perhaps ultimately, he/she arrives at the highest post prepared for such talented folks and becomes a politician :)

Long story

2005-10-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, I've decided to pick a new random question to reside in my profile. Big deal.

The thing is, I really fell in love with the answer to the first one, so I want that question and answer to survive throughout the ages, for my sake at least. What better way to do this than to simply make it a post???? Brilliant!

Here it is:

Q: Why does the taste of pennies remind you of losing a tooth?

A: Well, that's easy: 'cause my teeth are made out of copper, silly! See, I had a horrible bout of encycritoginwalatosis when I was 12 1/2 years old and 17 of my teeth fell out (along with my right arm and both kneecaps). At the time, my parents went ahead with a relatively untested procedure to replace my teeth (and the kneecaps) with common metals. Copper was cheap at the time, so there you go. The arm replacement story is even crazier!!

I like that story cause it's true. My head beeps every single time I go through security at the airport... no one there ever believes me, so I just tell 'em I have a metal plate on the right side of my skull. They always buy that :)

2005-10-27T16:39:00.000-07:00

and I've always been dangerous...

2005-10-27T16:33:00.000-07:00

I've always been a thinker...

Adding it all up

2005-10-27T12:46:00.000-07:00

After talking about Comparison not so long ago, so it's come time to introduce Comparison's ugly cousin: Effort.

Now, Effort can be pretty confusing at times. It's complimented and encouraged (you know what I'm talking about) : "He gave it 110% and I couldn't ask for more!" and "I left it all on the field man, I gave everything I had to give!" It's heralded as a virtue and something to be celebrated...

You're wondering what I'm thinking, aren't you? Effort is a good thing! It's what separates the people with heart from the slackers out there! People who try the hardest are the people we need to encourage or else we'll have a culture that only celebrates talent and success! Effort is the hope we can give to those who work hard but still come in outside of first place...it's their trophy!

Effort truly is one of those things that can fool you. Effort can put on makeup, style the hair, head out to a darkened bar and masquerade as a knockout, but when exposed in the light, it's U-G-L-Y.

I want to be clear at this point that I am certainly approaching Effort from a unique perspective. I understand and applaud Effort as it appears in the daily lives of everyone from Joe Average to Sammy Superstar, but there is a time and a place when Effort is unwelcome, when its influence undermines and condemns...

That time is now and that place is in the heart of a stumbled believer. In my life, I can't count the times I've said to God (or others who represent Him here), "I'll try harder this time!" only to fall flat on my face again. You see, Effort is trying to help me out, but it doesn't know how. It's like the monkey who sees the fruit in the bottle and reaches in to grab it and pull it out. Effort pulls and tugs and tries to free me, but it can't figure out why it won't work! As long as it grips the fruit, the hand and prize together are too large to pass through the neck of the bottle... the only way I'm coming out of the bottle is if it's tipped up, so I can roll out on my own.

Effort clings on with the best intentions, unaware that it has no hope of success here. And that's not because Effort itself is evil, but because Efffort is the wrong tool for the task. Effort has a hard time giving up. It goes against its very nature. Effort is all about not giving up, not letting go, not accepting that something can't be done. That's why it becomes an obstacle in this time and this place. Now, and here, what we need is Submission, also known as Surrender.

The greatest lesson Effort can learn is when it needs to step out of the spotlight. Submission can sweep in, redeem the stumbling, remind them of their peace. They are saved. I might add, they are accepted and they are loved. More Effort wasn't and isn't going to take the stumbling any further, but in Submission, they may find release. Effort doesn't make us look any better, sound any better, smell any better or feel any better before the One. Submission is the only suit we need...

While Effort can, and should, be appreciated, my sincere hope is that when it comes to your journey towards true life and freedom, you wouldn't try so hard.

To Read or Not To Read...That is the Question

2005-09-22T16:07:00.000-07:00

Instructions are great. I almost always read instructions. For building something, using a new remote control, how to work the alarm system at work, whatever that little book instructs, I listen. I'm a good boy.

Now, don't get me started on those who do not read instructions. My wife is one of those people! Such boldness! Such reckless abandon! Imagine, you buy something, pull it out of the box and just USE IT !!!!?!?!?! How can anyone do this? I mean, sure you save yourself anywhere from 10 minutes to a couple of hours (depending on your perceptive capabilities and the complexity of the item for which you are being instructed), but three years down the road you're on a trip of Europe and a new friend (who happens to have the same digital camera you have, but read the instructions, or previously ran into someone who did) shows you a feature on your camera you could have been using the whole time!! Think about the loss of potential! It's completely immaterial that you likely would've only used that particular feature once or twice during the lifetime of the camera. The point is that you didn't know.

I want to know. Everything. I'll read the instruction manual, download the addendum from the website, read it, check out 14 forums discussing its use, which leads me to 2 other obscure read.me files I'll check out immediately. Then, I might put in the batteries and see if it works. What can I say? I'm all about the potential. I want to be prepared for every instance and scenario so that when the bright noontime sun is partially blocked by cumulonimbus cloud cover I can snap the perfect action shot of myself chasing after the pitch black tortoise hiding in the shade of dramatically red and green fufava tree branches. Just in case that ever happens, I want to know that there is no stress setting up the camera. I'm good to go. Press a couple buttons, turn a dial or two, set the timer and bingo-bango-bongo: the perfect picture. I know the route to get to the destination, no questions necessary. I'm there. I know.

See, some might suggest that I'm insecure. The knowlege of every nook and cranny of every item I've ever used is a futile effort to bolster my flagging confidence. But come on, we know the truth: this knowledge makes me better than you and you're not disciplined enough to dig deep and work at retaining this vast resevoir of requisite instruction. SO THERE.

I know it. You know it.

I feel good.

I'm going to get back to reading the help page I was searching for... I'm just dying to know how to use the Toshiba EKT-6510 to conference a local call, an internet call and two internal phones within the system together for a conversation!! I knew there had to be a way to do it but someone threw out the instruction book...

Weekends

2005-09-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Week-end is a weird word. I suppose it originated at a time when everything was closed on Saturdays and Sundays and the "week" was for working. That meant the Saturdays and Sundays signified the end of the "week"...no more working...

My how things have changed! Now, George's "weekend" starts at 8:00am on Wednesdays when he finishes his graveyard shift at the cement plant while Suzy's (his wife) kicks off more traditionally, Friday nights, with a closing beer with the co-workers. So much for weekends with the family!

And what about people who never get two days off in a row? Say, Saturdays and Mondays, or Tuesdays and Fridays. Do they have no weekend at all, or two? Are their "weeks" eternal and continuous, droning on through time and space, or do these days off signify "weeks" of a day or two broken by numerous "week"-ends? So hard to tell these days...

All I can say is that I love weekends. Even with a job I enjoy, I like weekends even better. I like sleeping in and doing my laundry while watching TV, being relaxed and not having to get anywhere by anytime. I enjoy taking my time and giving it to friends and family, laughing, playing, growing. YAY! Let's hear it for the weekend!

Never enough

2005-09-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

Why is comparison so seductive?

How is it that judging myself based on those I see around me makes so much sense, like the orbit of the earth around the sun or the ungodly nature of buying indulgences? A suggestion so strong that it cannot be denied, no matter how deep the cry against it originates...

I compare relentlessly. I like comparing so much that I compare myself to myself, both past and future. Mr. Brent Thompson the present doesn't stand a chance vs. Mr. Brent Thompson the future. Man, is he spectacular or what!!! Fortunately for Mr. Brent Thompson the present, he has Mr. Brent Thompson the past to beat up on. Sure, Mr. Brent Thompson the past can take a couple rounds from Mr. Brent Thompson the present, but if the fight goes the distance, fuhgeddaboutit. And so it goes.

And this is only myself! Imagine the 4 second knockouts I can deliver against those out there in the real world who are simply less talented than me, less intelligent, less pretty, less rich, less funny, less skilled, less educated, less well-spoken, less humble (?!)...

But wow, can I take a beating too. It's always a mystery how in one battle I can stand toe to toe with someone and feel like the fight never has to end, the punishment of their blows like that of a gnat, scant and hollow; yet in the next, my jaw turns to glass and I crumple beneath the breeze of their first swing. In the sport of comparison, looking up at the lights with your back on the mat is as death: counted out and no hope of redemption.

That brings me back to seduction...
There are things in life that you know that you know that you know you should never do, yet do them you do. Engaging myself in the sport of comparison is one of those things for me. I get out, and jump back in again. It's compulsive. It's obsessive. It's easy..... and it hurts. Everytime.

Maybe it's your soul. Perhaps I blew you away with my knowledge of the Scriptures or my crossover dribble and left you disfigured. Maybe it's my soul. Devestated because I just could not compete with his musicianship or her ability to accomplish so much in one day. Maybe it's both. Maybe it's all of us. Maybe.

Defeat or victory is immaterial with comparison. The ultimate result is always the same: the maiming of a soul.
In victory, I think of myself more highly than I ought, putting aside all sober judgement. In defeat, I rob myself of hope and neglect the presence of an unfinished work to be brought to completion on that day to come...

What a diverse tool for deception! The same instrument can find me basking in the joy of being better than while concurrently slinking away to avoid the slavery of my substandard abilities! Remarkable.

I wish I didn't do it.
I hope I can stop.
I know it's bad for me.
If only I could be more disciplined, like Billy is. I know Billy doesn't struggle with it like I do.
Yeah, that would fix everything.

Time is $$

2005-09-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

It's true. It's really true. Cliche and true.

Don't get me wrong, I like $$. $$'s good. $$ helps me buy stuff. Like food. Which is also good. $$ makes Brent's little life a little better. I like to eat. And have a place to sleep. So I do like $$.

But, time...wow. This is cool stuff! This is the kinda shiznit that makes $$ look poor. Imagine that, making $$ itself look like nothing at all! I mean $$ is what gets me food! So I can eat! I need $$. But I looooooooooooove time....

"I got my mind on my $$ and my $$ on my mind"

I got my mind on my time and my time on my mind... not the same flow to it...sad.

But true.

First time for everything

2005-09-14T13:50:00.000-07:00

I wonder how important the first time really is...

How often is the first time the best? (Experience does count for something!)

How often is the first time the hardest? (Doesn't overcoming the difficulty of initiating a "first time" overemphasize the elation/joy experienced in the actual event and underemphasize the truly horrible effort it took to get this thing started!?!?)

How often is the first time the worst? (Typically unexperienced, fumbling through a first time can be revolting...)

How can anyone put so much pressure on one moment and ever expect it to be positively memorable (as opposed to negatively memorable!?)?

I guess the real power of the "first time" is the sentimentality of the moment: the fact that you'll always remember where you were and who you were with that first time...

So, here I am, a blogvirgin no more. The first time wasn't so bad...