Stairs

Son: I want nilk (milk)

Dad: Go downstairs and get it

Son: I do’ wan to go down

Dad: I know how you feel

Son: continues to stare at the TV….

 

Ending World Hunger, One Hour at a Time

Today I’ve started my “Add All of My Friend’s Friends” Facebook campaign. Nothing new there, most people new to Facebook, especially when Facebook was the new buzz word, have already done that, and subsequently deleted all of their “friends”.

So why am I doing it? David Platt, author of Radical and pastor of mega church Brook Hills in Birmingham Alabama, along with my daughter have inspired me. My daughter said to me a couple weeks ago, “dad, I don’t want any presents. I want to end world hunger”. I was shocked, and thrilled, and challenged. How can I let that Christmas wish go unheard, or unanswered?

I mulled over that sentence for a few days and thought about the current food truck craze. I thought maybe I could get a few trucks to donate food or gather around a shelter or homeless camp, something. I spoke with a bunch of food trucks and it turns out giving away food isn’t possible unless it’s a licensed, organized event; the health department is forced to ensure people don’t get sick, no matter how hungry they may be.

So my family is just going to go downtown L.A. on Thanksgiving morning and buy a few servings of something and give it away to the first people that we find who look hungry. We may not be ending world hunger, but we’ll be ending hunger for one person for an hour or more. The world doesn’t change overnight, but it changes nevertheless.

Multiply one serving by how many friends you have, how many hours of hunger do you think we can end?

For more about Radical and David Platt, I’ll leave that up to your Google skills.

No matter your beliefs, whether you love God or reject the very idea, the least we can all do is help a single person not go hungry for a single hour, can’t we?

 

Fallen Leaves

Winter is blowing in, the mountains have their first snow today. Time for a change, that’s what I do, a man of many hats.

Do you spend your life deciding what you’re going to do next for yourself, or do you spend your life for others? How many people do you put in front of yourself?

Why do we spend our lives pursuing money and the comforts that it brings? Do you ever pause to think of who, with your help, wouldn’t go to sleep hungry tonight, if you only knew you could help them?

Does it matter?

If you could change the world, what would you change?

If you knew you could change the world, would you want to?

 

Coffin Creek Haunted Village

I went to Coffin Creek for the first time last night. Coffin Creek is a haunted attraction in Southern California, housing five separate attractions, spread across about a mile wide area. I’d give it 2 out of 5 stars, mainly because I bought the 5 attraction option, and 2 out of 5 were a joke. Why not 3 out of 5, if 3 were good? Because there’s a penalty for making me pay for anything that sucks. :)

You’ll need to park and then walk to each one. If you’ve ever been to the renaissance fair there, you’ll know what to expect. If you go close to opening time, you’ll be waiting for the cast members to get in place. They’re all volunteers and are mostly kids, so they pretty much show up whenever they want, if at all. We saw cast members standing outside of the attractions as we approached two of them. It pretty much kills the anticipation of being scared when you see some monster tell his monster friend, “oh, we have customers. Let’s go inside.”

We wandered inside one attraction, not seeing anyone outside. We wandered around and around, thinking, um, this is pretty stupid! We eventually found a group of people, and we thought, oh good, something must be going on up here. Then a “monster” came up behind us, and in a very un-monsterly way, asked, “are you lost?” I don’t know, are we? “Are you customers?” Yes “Oh, then you’re lost! Follow me”. The pleasant monster escorted us out and suggested we go to a different attraction while they readied this one.

This wasn’t opening night, I expected a little bit more, since it was about half an hour after “opening” time. If you go later in the evening, the bigger crowds will keep the monsters inside, doing what you’ve paid them to do, scare you! It will also be more fun as crowds of people screaming in terror can be half the fun of going, despite having to wait longer in lines to enter the attraction. Personally, if I’m going to wait to be scared, I’d rather wait to be next, then to wait for some monster standing around to go hide.

At their current prices (they had early bird specials earlier in the year), I would recommend buying a ticket for just one attraction and go to the “Chambers of the Mausoleum”. This is definitely the star of the show, as some of the rooms shake and shimmy, and there are two pretty extraordinary monsters near the end. Alone, I’d give it 4 stars. Too bad there isn’t a 3 attraction option, because the Lone Hill Manor and Shady Hollow Hayride are also worthwhile. You can, however, get the 5 attraction ticket and go to one or more multiple times. The Lone Hill Manor is about 50 yards away from the mausoleum, unspectacular, but a fair experience, none-the-less. I’d give it 3 stars. The hayride is actually pretty fun. You’ll sit on a hay filled flatbed with about 10 other people, pulled behind an exhaust spewing tractor. The best part is sitting down for 10-15 minutes after walking up a 1/4 mile hill while people try to scare you, while watching any kids that are with you scream their heads off :) I’d give it a 3.5. If you get the two ticket option, I’d do this and the Mausoleum. The “Fear Tonight” maze is pretty lame, and the “Scare Crow Trail” is 100% crap, stay away!! :)

 

A Boy and His Dad

Son: Me eat
Dad: What do you want to eat?
Son: I’nt know
Dad: hot dog?
Son: yesss
….
Son:mmmmm!
Dad: Is that good?
Son: yesss
Son: nummm!
Dad: :)
Son: :)

 

Oh No, Weez!

“Oh No, Weez!”

Translation:
Oh no, all my food is gone. Can I have more please!

 

A Conversation Between a Boy and His Dad

what dat?

pie

dat pie?

yes

dat pie in dare?

yes

you eat pie?

yes

you eat dat pie?

yes

dat pie?

yes

you eat pie?

yes

you dat pie in dare?

yes

…………….

you done that pie?

yes

you down now?

yes

you da da da down now?

yes

you eat dat pie?

yes

 

Precocious

There was a time, if I’m inferring correctly from what I’ve read of past times, that precociousness was once endearing. It was once the hallmark of youth. Not conniving, not malicious, not threatening, rude, or excessively talkative.

In fact, this very application that I’m using to write this gives intelligent, bright, gifted and talented as synonyms for precociousness.

But of course, the system has always been about the lowest common denominator. Ensure all get by at the expense of a few. Don’t push anyone upwards. Indeed, hold those few back until they lose their momentum so that everyone else can catch up. Of course, when a rocket loses its momentum, it typically falters and plummets to Earth.

Perhaps I’m over reacting. But when it comes to the preciousness of one’s own blood, I think one needs to be over extending one’s bounds an enormous amount to be over reacting.

So, as expected, my precocious, bright, gifted and talented youngest daughter has spent a week and a half within the beloved system and now I have received my first “communication to inform you that I am presently experiencing some problems with your child” from her teacher. This sweet piece of information continues, “I would greatly appreciate your cooperation in working with me in trying to take corrective measures to eliminate these problems.”

In this case, excessive talking and inattentiveness is causing 30 others to miss their own education while my daughter sits bored and wishes everyone else would catch up. I can’t say that I’m surprised. In fact, I’ve been praying to be proven wrong this year and not be able to say, “I told you so.” Those prayers, I knew in my gut, would not be answered. I’m just surprised it took less than 10 days.

“They must be corrected in order for your child to develop his/her maximum potential.”

No, dear one with the official teaching credentials, you are wrong. I understand us parents are supposed to be stupid and accept what you say about our own children as if they are yours and only ours to borrow in the evenings. Homeschooling may be impossible for us majority. If this is the case for you too, don’t let the system fool you into believing you must remove the very core that makes your children yearn for learning.

 

Brynna Wants Your Help!

http://www.westcoastfundraising.com/store/brochures.php?sID=cen5100

Brynna is EXCITED about selling for her school’s fundraiser! She was "selling" bookmarks she made last week (if you call chasing down people on the sidewalk and handing them bookmarks for free selling) and she’s been wanting to set up a lemonade stand all year. To that, I’ve responded with, go outside and sit in the sun for 5 minutes. If you still want to be out there selling lemonade, I’ll get to work setting you up a lemonade stand.

Surprise, she disappears into her bedroom. A half hour later, "I want to sell lemonade!"

hmmm….

This weekend she came home with a few catalogs from her school’s first fundraiser of the year and is excited about a glow dog bone pen she can earn after selling only 6 items! "Can we go selling!", she asks. I told you Brynna, we can’t go door to door, you have to ask your friends and family members". Half hour later…can we go selling?!

hmmm…

But, great news for her, Jen and I can help her out by asking you! Yay, are you now excited too?!

hey, where’d you go??!

Well, if you’re not being bombarded by fundraisers or other things demanding your hard earned money, or if you have $10 spare to donate, or if you’re looking to add some yummy sweets to your pantry, or if you like to start Christmas shopping early, Brynna would absolutely LOVE YOU TO DEATH if you can help her out!!

(she’s asked me about 5 times while writing this…did I sell anything yet?)

One more additional benefit to you is that during the documentary that stars Brynna in 20 years with recollections of her early entrepreneurial spirit, you’ll be able to be onscreen telling the world you helped! :D

http://www.westcoastfundraising.com/store/brochures.php?sID=cen5100

 

Sageisms

Mommy:
Let’s go potty

Sage:You wee wee my wee bop

Translation:
I don’t have to go potty. YOU go potty!

Literal Translation:
You go potty! my pee pee stopped