There are times when I've gotten a little frustrated when what I want to say to someone isn't really related to their current post. Sometimes I just want to say something nice about them, their lives, their family, or what they do for a living.  And I've come to learn from trial and error that not everyone is keen on getting random private messages from people they don't know well. Heck, some people have turned off that feature altogether.

It's like this... sometimes I read things on someone's blog and it really strikes a chord with me... and it has more to do with the evidence of their personality, than necessarily what they posted. And it's those times that I wish there was a place on that person's blog to just share comments about the author... and the "chatboard" section just doesn't seem fitting to me. It's like Xanga's no-man's-land. I can't even remember the last time I checked or received a not on my chatboard. Ideally, I think it would be cool (and better) to actually chat with some of these people on Google, Yahoo, or ICQ maybe.

Maybe.

WORD TAG GAME

Got tagged by @olwd for this little challenge. Took me a little while to finally get around to completing it, but here it is.

BACKGROUND: There are certain words that we use and waste. The loosest and most prominent one is literally, which we say when we don't actually literally mean something. The word awesome has stepped down from being something great and terrible and powerfully and poignantly shocking to being synonymous with the word cool. And we are wasting the best words in the language so when we do mean awesome we cannot express it and say "speechless" which has lost it's meaning too.
In an effort to keep our small talk interesting and our anecdotes captivating, we have taken to using hyperbole. This is innocent enough in the execution but sometimes, to exaggerate, we do no exaggerate the events themselves but the adjectives around it, to make it seem more heartbreakingly tragic or brilliantly witting and exciting.)

CHALLENGE: So I have been challenged to find six words that I am destroying by trivialising their true meaning and then tag three people to do the challenge as well.

Here are mine:

1. ABSOLUTELY: Sure, I'll use this to express agreement. But most of the time it's simply a substitute for the word "Yes", which is not the way the word is to be used. For example, HER: "Would you like some candy covered kisses?" ME: "Absolutely!"
2. CLASSIC: I'm not sure how I managed to get this word's definition modified to include "a humorous retort or example". I'll shout, "Classic!" if someone gives what I might consider the best comeback line to an attempted insult, or if they call out a funny rebuttal to someone's bad attitude. Also, if I see someone getting out of a small car wearing a rainbow wig, I might chuckle and say, "Oh man, that's classic!"
3. NOTHING: I don't think I'm the only one guilty of using this word when I really should be saying "Nevermind." I think it just comes out when I'd rather not continue with a particular topic or conversation.

Okay, I won't tag anyone. But feel free to do this if you so desire!

I should have a post with more depth tomorrow... hopefully. I've been spending a lot of time completing the white picket fence for my wife. So, maybe I'll post an update and photos.

Before I Die...

Has anyone ever heard of a global art project called "Before I Die..."? What started off as an experiment in New Orleans, has now grown global! Apparently, over 200 Before I Die walls have now been created in over 15 languages and in over 40 countries, including Kazakhstan, Portugal, Japan, Denmark, Australia, Argentina, and South Africa.

I admit that I didn't know anything about the project until I happened to drive past a wall on my way home from church on Sunday. My wife actually spotted it and said, "Hey! That's one of the Before I Die walls!" I said, "What?" and looked to see where she was pointing. And that's when I saw it... I was so moved by it that I turned the car around and parked so that I could get some photos of it.

If you are interested on the back story, check out the website HERE.

What do you want to do before you die?

For Mother's Day, the children made personalized Mother's Day Photo Booklets! <--- that link is to the website from where we sto... borrowed the idea.

Here's what the inside looks like...

PHOTOBLOG: The Fence and the Evening Rainbow

For the past week, I've been working on building a white picket fence around my front yard as a Mother's Day gift to my wife. Some of you may have seen a few of the photos from last Saturday on my FB page. But for those who haven't, I'd like to share with you my progress!

Friday, May 3rd

So I went to Home Depot and rented an auger the night before we were to begin, so I wouldn't kill myself trying to dig post holes in the clay that Los Angeles substitutes for regular dirt.

Saturday, May 4th

Got up early on Saturday morning and hauled out said auger.

My good friend Jonathan was helping me cut the lumber. These boards were being cut in half to be used as fence posts.

My son Chris using the auger to dig a post hole.

Aaron was lending a hand doing something constructive (destructive?) with this shovel.

Jonathan wanted a turn with the auger and wound up with a small burn on his arm when the auger kicked back and tagged him with the exhaust.

Arielle, not one to be left out, was assisting with clay/dirt scattering. Because scattering is a big part of building... apparently.

I wanted to make sure that each of the posts were not only the same height, but level as well. My dad was supervising.

We decided on an 18 inch inset for the posts near our neighbors driveway so they wouldn't have trouble getting into/our of their cars.

Jonathan and I discussing the finer points of cement pouring. This is important as I didn't realize cement pouring had fine points.

My dad mixing the cement for us to, well... pour. Now that we'd agreed on all the finer points.

Fence building is a family project.

Another check of the post height. With all of the posts in and the cement poured, that was all we were able to do on the first day. We had to let the cement set before we could proceed any further.

Thursday, May 9th

My wife wanted to paint the posts before we started adding the rails.

So she went around to all 15 posts and did just that.

My wife's beautiful handiwork.

Avery decided to show up and demonstrate how easy it is to apply fence paint to clothing.

Rail progress!

We had a beautiful evening rainbow that bloomed out of nowhere.

We were trying to figure out what caused such an unusual glow and found out that there was an eclipse taking place. The residual light reflected off the moisture in the air, causing an ambient glow that lit up the entire neighborhood.

Friday, May 10th

By the time we were done, it was too dark to get a good picture. So I took a few this morning before I headed in to work.

We worked well into the night and managed to get all of the rails up. Now on Saturday we'll start adding the pickets.

Burning Answers

@Thatslifekid: I would like to know... as a god loving Xangan, how much of your church's doctrine do you agree with?

To answer this question, I have to preface it by telling you that I attend a non-denominational Christian Protestant church. Our cardinal doctrine (core beliefs), with which I completely agree, are as follows:

• The Trinity (one God in three persons)
• The deity of Jesus (Jesus IS God, not A god)
• The sinless life of Jesus
• Jesus' bodily resurrection
• The atonement as a result of the life, and particularly the death, of Jesus
• Personal salvation by grace
• The total depravity of man
• The inerrancy of the Bible
• The inspiration of the Bible's authors by the Holy Spirit
• The virgin birth
• The anticipated second coming of Jesus

@PrincessPowers: What is your opinion on the right to die, Dr assisted suicide?

This is a hard question to answer. I can only imagine the suffering that some go through who are afflicted with non-terminal, but excruciatingly painful illness or physical conditions. I know that it is widely acceptable to euthanize animals to put an end to their suffering, but I think are so many different variables when it comes to people. So I'll just say this... due to my personal convictions,  I cannot support or condone suicide. But ultimately, that is up to the individual to decide. Meaning, I wouldn't support legislation to outlaw the practice.

Strawberry or grape jelly?

I prefer strawberry jelly. But I'll eat grape jelly if that's the only one available.

Also, fried, scrambled, or over-easy?

I grew up having scrambled eggs. But once I discovered the delicious goodness that is over-easy, I rarely want it any other way.

@Levanna: Thoughts on adding another German Shepard to your family?

We've actually talked about this. As much as we mourned the loss of our beloved Sheena and Thor, we don't feel like now would be the best time to bring another pet into the fold. With 4 small children in the house, having a German Shepard is basically having another child. And we wouldn't want our pet to be unintentionally neglected because our attention is focused on the children. So maybe when they're a little older, we'll reconsider.

@hombre_de_la_mancha: What were your dreams when you were 7?

I don't remember much before the age of nine because of my epilepsy.

What were your dreams when you were 17?

I wanted to be a rap superstar! lol

What are your dreams now and how do they compare?

My perspective has changed significantly over the years and I'm much more sober about what I want and what that means for not only my future, but the future of my family. So sm dream now is to win the lottery so that I can be home with my kids and go into full-time ministry with my wife as worship leaders.

@olwd: Your thoughts about the current state of this world?

Briefly, I am sad for this world and the evil, greed and violence that is so prevalent within its societies. I am especially sad for those who live in this world and don't have the promise of Christ or the gift of salvation in which to rest. At face value, you could easily lose hope in this world. But as a Christian, I see this world as a means to an end that goes beyond the chaos that may exist around me.

@alterEGGO: Who living would you like to have a meal with and chat? And why?

Stevie Wonder. I'd love to pick his brain about the creative process he uses to write his songs. And I'd love to hear first-hand the stories behind some of his greatest hits!

How many kids would you have if money, space, and health [were not an issue]?

I'm pretty content with the 6 I have. I'm not sure I'd want any more than that, even without considering money, space or health (which we didn't anyway ).

If you had the oppertunity to tell a group of nonbelievers about your faith what would you say?

I'd say... "Let me start by telling you that I am completely conviced that there is an omniscient, all powerful God who, in His love, sent His only begotten son Jesus to take upon himself the sins of the world, that through Him we might have salvation. Why do I believe this? Because I believe the evidence of His existence is not only all around us, but by virtue of the fact that my existence testifies of His existence. Meaning, to me, mankind's ability to wrestle with the existence of God actually lends credence to the argument in favor of our creation by a being greater than ourselves. We are not simply a random combination of atoms, molecules or DNA strands. We are, in the words of scripture, wonderfully and fearfully made.

The irony is that the arrogance of man is such that he can't imagine a world, a universe or even an existence where he is not the center of it. This world, this life, this time in which we live... it's merely a small excerpt in a far greater story which has never been about us. Never about man. But rather, it's been about God and His earnest desire for us who are called to know Him intimately. So how do we accomplish this? We can discover and become acquainted with the nature of our God, our Father, through the reading of His word and experiencing His creation in fellowship.

Now... who has questions?"

@AutumnStrength: What is the absolute worst, most shameful thing you've ever done in your life?

I can't say that I've ever done anything shameful. I'm a rather straight and narrow kind of guy. No drugs. No violence. No promiscuity. No wild partying. The worst thing I've ever done is probably disrespecting my father by talking to him in an angry, raised voice in his house because I didn't agree with something he'd said to me (granted, I was an adult at the time, but still).

@BohemianLotus: What are the main reasons from your past that have made you the man you are today?

Honestly, I don't think I would be the man I am today if it weren't for the fact that I was raised by two amazing, loving, Godly parents who will be celebrating their 49th wedding anniversary this year. What they poured into my life has been the catalyst for everything that came later.

@Crystalinne: If you were to live your life as a character from a book, which book would you choose, and which character would you be? Are you choosing by whom you closest relate to, or which you would Prefer to be like?

Hmm... I don't know if I'd want to choose the life of any character from books I've read. I'm into Sci-Fi, Fantasy and many of the protagonists go through hellish circumstances. lol But if I had to choose, I wouldn't mind being Roland Deschain from Stephen King's Dark Tower series or maybe even Harry Potter. Not because I relate to either of them, but because I enjoy the characters.

@saintvi: Think back to the biggest mistake or regret of your life. Now imagine you could go back in time and change that one thing. How do you think your life would be different today?

Again, this is another hard question to answer. The one thing that has caused me the most pain has also been the source of most joy. Namely, marrying my first wife. She has been the cause of many sleepless nights, court appearances, stress, anxiety and anger. But if I'd never married her, I wouldn't have my two oldest sons whom I love more than life itself. So... I wouldn't change a thing. In the end, it was worth it.

Okay, now the first five need to tell me which of these three prizes you'd like to receive.

1. A short 10-15 second original jingle about you or a topic of your choice, written, performed and recorded by me (and any drafted family members I have lying around).
2. A set of 10 really great questions for your blog (because everyone likes answering questions about themselves).
3. An original, badly-crafted poem dedicated to you.

Burning Questions

For reasons I can't fully divulge, I need to redirect my attention for a while. So I'm asking for the help of my friends (and even any of my not-so-friendly readers). It's simple. I want to blog about something different than the thoughts which have been coursing through my mind the last few weeks. You can help me with this and get something you would like to read about anyway. WE ALL WIN, YAYYYY!

Right, so please ask me about something. Anything. As anyone who knows me would tell you, I am a pretty open book, so just ask. And I would love it if some of you could ask me a somewhat challenging questions. I don't mean like a mathematical word problem or a trivia question whose answer I could just Google. I want a question to which I would have to give a well-thought-out answer. Just a couple really good questions would absolutely make my day.

As an added incentive, the first five (5) Xangans to ask me a real question (you can't just say something like "do you like strawberries"--EVERYONE likes strawberries, right?!), will get to choose one of these prizes:

1. A short 10-15 original jingle about you or a topic of your choice, written, performed and recorded by me (and any drafted family members I have lying around).
2. A set of 10 really great questions for your blog (because everyone likes answering questions about themselves).
3. An original, badly-crafted poem dedicated to you.

But of course, I welcome all the fluffy, cotton-candy-for-the-brain questions as well.

I MAY TIMESTAMP UNTIL I GET AT LEAST 10 (20? ) QUESTIONS. You have been warned.

Oh, and I'll post the answers at the end of the day. The prizes will probably be handed out over the weekend.

I always feel better...

...after a good survey or two. So, here's one to close out my day. The rules are as follows: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 16 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 10 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you.  Sounds quick & painless enough, right?  Good, so here we go!

1.  I had Idiopathic (a medical term meaning “We Don’t Know Why”) Epilepsy until I was 9 years old.

2.  I used to dance on “The Party Machine With Nia Peeples” that came on directly after "The Arsenio Hall Show". (Oh wow, I am NOT that old, am I??)

3.  I've already told a few people about this, but I released a rap album when I was 16 years old under then name “Morris The Kat”
4.  I’ve dance on stage with Debbie Allen at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood.
5.  While I was still in High School, I watched someone get shot twice as we stood outside a club for the After Prom party.
6.  There are 6 different gangs within a 12 block radius around the house where I grew up.

7.  No one in my family has ever been in a gang.
8.  I’ve had my life threatened twice: Once in High School, and once in College.
9.  I love the sound of thunder.
10.  I’m hot most of the time, regardless of the temperature.
11.  I sang for a Coca-Cola Christmas commercial.
12.  I was in a VH1 movie called “PLAY’D” with Merlin Santana who was murdered 6 months after filming was completed.

13.  I wrote a birthday song for Shaquille O’Neal’s mom and she called me personally to tell me how much she loved it
14.  I love red seedless grapes… I could eat them exclusively for breakfast, lunch and dinner
15.  I don’t like lima beans or liver
16.  I’m a leg man… a woman with a nice pair of legs can pretty much have her way with me.

So there you have it... snippets about Dove.  Now it's your turn... I tag @hintofblue, @Erika_Steele, @olwd, @ShamrockLover, @HexagonQuirks, @kittensquirrel, @Foodhog, @Love_in_102, @Jenny_Wren and @BandoHobbit.

Cubism

For lack of anything else to post (read: unmotivated), I decided to take a page out of @thegunslingergirl's book and show you my work space. Which is really very LITTLE space. And so goes the cube I call home for the better part of each workday.

Things you probably didn't notice (or maybe you did):

1. An unused PC tower on the floor near the rear wall.
2. There are 4 coffee mug/cups in this photo.
3. The empty USPS box tipped over on its side in the corner.
4. A desk light pointing in an obscure direction near the gigantic stapler.
5. Way too many electrical cords near my feet.
6. The weird white/gray/green color scheme of the cabinets.
7. My name plaque.
8. The cloud of utter despair hovering over the two monitors. Oh wait, I think only I can see that.

Noise Conditioning

When you live in a house with seven other people [1 other adult (the wife) 2 teenagers in high school (ages 16 & 17), 3 kids under 6, and an infant], you come to expect a certain level of noise. If we were using a noise scale from 1 to 100, my house would average about 87. This comes as simply a natural byproduct of all these people living in such close proximity. The way I've calculated it, the combined commotion increases exponentially for each person in my house under 18, and that doubles if you have a newborn in the mix.

As the days wind down, we can usually start to see a gradual decrease in the peak volume level. The teenagers are barricaded in their room either texting or frying their brains through YouTube overexposure. The small children may have their mouths full with a snack, something to drink or they're being bathed. And the milk-drunk baby's eyelids are getting heavier and heavier.

Now normally, in order to get the smaller kids (and especially the baby) to sleep, you'd think that we'd want the house to be as quiet as possible. You know, that whole "hear a pin drop" kind of quiet? But noooo. That couldn't be further from the truth. What we've found is that our children actually sleep BETTER when they've undergone some noise conditioning.

What does that mean, you ask?

It means that from the moment they come home from the hospital, we take no special pains to make the house quiet. As a matter of fact, we prefer the house to maintain its typical volume level just as it existed prior to the baby's arrival. Why? Because once the baby has grown accustomed to the noise level, it becomes a lot easier to get them to fall asleep, and we don't have to worry about a sudden crash or bang waking them from their slumber.

It's a wonderful thing.

Our children have slept through all kinds of noise... like the karoake New Year's Eve party that ran til 3am... mistakenly setting off the house alarm at 1am... dogs barking... thunder... you name it, and our children will probably sleep through it!

You know what the best part is? When the children fall asleep while we're out visiting, the hustle and bustle of life won't cut short their naps. We don't have to whisper and beg people to tip toe around the house. We just carry on living life and usual and the kids get the rest they need.