How 'bout them Ducks!

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Yesterday's civil war game between Oregon State and University of Oregon was one for the record books! Although the defensive strategies dominated the game, there was plenty of.......oh, who am I kidding. I didn't watch a second of it.

Actually, I don't watch football at all, or basketball, or any other team sport. I don't follow any teams, and I literally cannot name (I tried) a single football player for any college or professional team.

I keep expecting the guy police to show up at the door, kick me in the crotch, and take away my guy card.

The whole following of sports teams with anything other than a passing interest just seems so tedious. I realize I am in the smallest of minorities with this opinion. Clearly allegiance and excitement for your local team is a passion world-wide (soccer, rugby etc...), so I'm sure the "problem" is more mine than anything. I also realize that probably the more you follow, the more fun it gets.

This is a huge (relatively) problem on those occasions where I am left alone to make conversation with a bunch of guys (especially in social circles where I maybe don't know them as well). It is simply expected that I can speak with some degree of knowledge on the week's sporting events. I cannot. I mean, this is what guys do! They talk about sports. It's not the kind of thing that is too easy to fake, either. If the conversation gets far enough for me to be obliged to point out that I really don't follow, AT ALL, what's happening, I kind of get these looks of incredulity - Dude, seriously?

I'd like to point out here (protests too much?) that this does not make me a wuss. It's not like I don't know anything about, or cannot play these sports, I just do not choose to follow them. I played high school and Division III college football, I know plenty about the game . Sometimes I think it's because I spent so many hours in college on the practice field, in the drafty clubhouse watching hours of scouting films, in the bus on Saturdays driving to and from games, that I wore out all my tolerance for the sport. Maybe.

I know Kate doesn't mind. I'm not taking hours every week to watch football on TV (like I have that kind of time or concentration anyway). I like the fact that my mood for the week isn't set by how my team did that weekend, and that I can get out and do things during times when instead I would in front of a TV or at a game. And (I'll probably get in trouble for this), the whole die-hard team allegiance - with flags waving on your car or dressing head to toe in team colors, seems kind of , how shall I put this, conformingly misdirected anyway.

Ok, this is plenty on the subject. I need to wrap up this blog so I can go spend hours on the tree-climbing discussion boards, read my triathlon magazines, and re-vamp my training schedule.
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Major Robert D. Lindenau

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Every now and then in the incredibly large stream of information that passes by these days, something hits a bit too close to home and causes me to pause and reflect a little deeper.

On October 20th, Major Robert D. Lindenau was killed in Afganistan by a rocket propelled grenade. He was 39. He lived in the Northwest, and was an amateur triathlete who tried to keep up his training in the harsh environment where he was stationed. He left behind a wife and four children, ages 12, 10, 8, and 6.

In a situation like this: a guy my age, from the Northwest, who shared the same interests as me and had a family with four kids the same age as mine, it's impossible to just pass this by as another loss of a brave soldier. I can imagine a little too closely what it might be like for his kids to grow up without a dad, for his wife to loose a husband that young, how hard and tragic and lonely this must all be. And while we all value the sacrifice of the men and women in our military, I'm not sure that we really CAN fully appreciate the sacrifice when it is someone else's child, dad, husband (mother, sister, daughter) who pays the price.

Major Lindenau came to my attention today in an article in the most recent Triathlon Magazine, detailing his extensive work with Project Active. Project Active is an organization whose mission statement is:

A global mission with a commitment to diffuse world tensions through sport-related education, equipment, mentoring and encouragement. Project Active is dedicated to planting the peace-inspring seed of ahtletics in the heart of the Human Spirit, in areas of the world where it is needed most.

There is a link on Project Active's web site (upper right) where one can contribute to help his family. The donation amounts that follow are all dollar amounts containing only "8". I do not know of the significance of that, and had not actually gone to the donation page until just now. I mention this only because in my own life, the number 8 has always been "my" number, my favorite. It just seemed a little too coincidental to not mention it.

May Peace find its way to the Lindenau family.
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Thanksgiving 2008

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I know it's cliche, but that doesn't make it any less sincere. I am thankful for:

• A faith which has at its core the message that we are all precious, loved, and accepted by our Creator.
  
• A mother and father in-law who did such an amazing job bringing up three girls, and who continue to gift us through their faith, love of teaching and music, service to their community, and e-mail updates and kind words regularly sent from Ohio.
• My own parents and the extraordinary devotion and support they give to our family, and every life they touch.
• A wife and best friend beyond compare
• My brother and his incredible family
• Extended family across the country and their unique situations
  
• A loud, crazy household filled to the brim with personality, creativity, life and love.
• Healthy minds and bodies
• Living in a place abundant with natural beauty
• An occupation which, while exhausting at times, allows me to serve others
• Some measure of financial security
• Tall trees
• Caffeine
• The Simpsons
• A community pool
• The philodendron jungle hanging from my office ceiling
• Electronic toys (iPod, iPhone, Wii, GPS)
• Piano, cello, guitar, baritone, recorder and trumpet music ringing through the house
• The lack of mosquitoes in McMinnville
• Going for a run and looking upon a 10,000 foot, snow covered volcano in the distance
• Tide pools
• The smell of turkey cooking as I write this
• The skills, dedication, and personalities of my co-workers (all of them)
• Hope: that despite so much bad news and suffering by so many, we are still a nation that hopes and expects better days ahead
• The Daily Show
• Audible.com
• Hard work
• Cheerios and Splenda
• The 2 pages of comics in the Oregonian
• Netflix
• The way Kate can laugh uncontrollably for 10 minutes straight
• Digital photography
• The internet
• YCAP, Habitat for Humanity, St. Barnabas' Soup Kitchen, the Community Compassion Fund and the Cold Weather Shelter
• 11 mm rope and 30 different knots
  
• Long, detailed descriptions of Nick or Ben's Lego creations
• Despair.com, and satire in general
• The regularity that we can have six people at the table for dinner, sharing stories of our day
  
• A thousand other things.............

Happy Thanksgiving!
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Facebook

I haven't posted for some time. This has been in part because of a lack of interesting things to say (to be made abundantly clear as you read), because I've been very very busy with work and other obligations, and finally (and the point of the title) because I've been hanging out on Facebook during whatever free time I do have at the computer.

I'm the type of person that has a lot of acquaintances, but no real friends. I don't mean that nobody likes me, just that I don't have a select group of people with whom I regularly hang out, communicate, or interact. This can be much to Kate's consternation, as she has plenty of girl friends to do stuff with, but if I want to go out and do something, it's always Kate that's on the hook.

I don't view my lack of friends as a huge drawback. A lot of my free-time activities (running, tree-climbing, other outdoor stuff) are very individualistic, and don't lend themselves well to the type of friend activity like going to a sporting event or concert would. Also, my leisure activities are a little less universally appreciated, and to participate with another in any practical way requires the same level of skill (e.g. I can't keep up on a run with someone who does 3:15 marathons, and it's hard for someone who doesn't also "know the ropes" to have fun climbing with me), so that's a further hindrance. Finally, while I am overall extroverted, my job being what it is, dealing with interacting with people, usually on a somewhat intense level, for 8-10 hours a day often means that on my down time, I just want to retreat into myself for a while.

So, for all those reasons and others, I am happy to go through life with a wife who's also a best friend, loving family around me, people I enjoy both in my work and extended social circles, but with really no regular "friends" otherwise. Still, it seems that something is missing not having those closer friends to regularly share things with.

That is why (to finally get around to the point of the post), I have really enjoyed Facebook. It's friendship with parameters that are perfect for me. I have re-established communication with friends from Jr. High, High School, College, as well as other avenues. Within this little "social networking tool" we can share things, communicate, and interact in a way that shows others that I'm interested in them and enjoy sharing things with them, and visa versa. But, it can be done on all of our own time, which works really well for me.

Point is, I've done more Facebook time because I've discovered I like having friends - particularly in the manner Facebook allows: checking in anytime, sharing things via various technologies, written expressions.

I don't want to overdue the facebook thing, so I'll stop there. But I think it's part of the reason I've not updated for a while.

I'm throwing in at the end a YouTube clip I really like. Facebook "friends" will have seen this video link from my "profile", but I find it funny and actually thoughtful enough (be thankful and amazed at what's around you) that I re-posted it here.

Despair

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Ha! This is courtesy of Despair.com. I feel this way about my blog sometimes.

For more fun, read through their collection of demotivators HERE.

I've been spending a little too much time on Facebook lately, so the blog has gotten a bit sparse.

Passive Aggressive

So I was sitting in my office, typing and looking out over the parking lot when my 2:00 appointment drives up. This patient gets out of the car and stands next to it for the next 5 minutes, finishing up their cigarette. This patient then throws the butt on the ground, and comes in for their appointment. I went out to the parking lot and retrieved the butt (wearing a glove) and placed it in a clear urine container. At first I thought about discharging this patient outright (basically, we can drop anyone for any reason, it's an opt-out agreement for either party). Then I thought about confronting them with the cigarette butt while they were in the room. Finally, I placed the container in the bottom of a bag of samples I gave them with a written note: "Don't trash our parking lot, please".

So, in the end, I guess I was a bit (a lot) passive aggressive. Still, I think I got my point across.

Two political end notes:

• I thought McCain's concession speech was impressive. He was gracious, eloquent, and reasserted himself as the true hero and lifetime public servant that he is. In a different election, with a different tone and a different running mate, I'd have been proud to cast a vote for him.
• Obama is bringing some technological upgrades to the White House, including change.gov, which describes the transitional plans and solicits the advice of American citizens on what they want (and don't want) from their government. But one of the most refreshing things is a link to the Presidential Transitional Resources page, which gives the graphic of the "organizational chart" of the U.S.A. The Executive Branch is clearly shown (as are the other two branches) under the Constitution. I'm encouraged to see that they (unlike the current occupant) know their place.

Have a beer

Ok, things have been a little heavy lately...so let's all relax and have a beer. (I love this commercial)