A Maze of Maize

From Yahoo! News:
This recent but undated photo, supplied by Mike Berg, shows a corn maze that Carlene and Duane Schultz are developing on their property in Elva. Wis. The maze, which reads 'thanks' and shows quarteback Brett Favre's upper body holding a football, opens on Sept. 1. Even though Favre's desire to be released from the Green Bay Packers has created a controversy, Carlene Schultz thinks people will still be open to going through the maze.
(AP Photo/Mike Berg)

Divine Power to Demolish Strongholds

Recent news of two friends and a family member who have cancer have made me think of how I respond during times of diversity, especially when it's someone close.

I admit that I am not one to handle such news with a kingdom perspective. I let my earthly, sinful nature take over and allow me to worry, fret and forget that God is in control. I think that is why I so greatly admire Kristin whose husband was diagnosed with liver cancer. Here's one of her daily updates.

We want to ask you all to pray as Ray has his first chemo treatment tonight and over the next two days.

We have had an amazing day. God moved the earth through a few good friends and we were able to have the top GI Cancer doctor at MD Anderson review Ray's case and confer with our doctor here. What we were praying for was agreement or else a clearly superior course. The two doctors agreed that the course our doctor here has outlined is the right course.

Praise the Lord.

This cancer is a fast growing cancer. We did not want to let it grow one second longer and so we are beginning treatment tonight.

The way Ray's body responds to this chemo will determine the success of this treatment.

Here are our prayers: that the chemo would have a dramatic effect on the fast growing cancer cells, that Ray's liver will respond quickly and grow more and more healthy, potentially allowing additional therapies to be added, for Ray's strength and fortitude in fighting this cancer.

Above all this, we continue to pray that God will cure Ray.

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds."

Thank you for standing with us in this battle.

All of Kristin's subsequent daily updates conclude with a verse, and "Not afraid and not alone." I am in awe of her courage and her faith.

Retire...Reinstate...Backup...Trade...Release

Well, I'm sure you're wondering why I haven't weighed in on the Favre maelstrom. I'm sure nobody cares what my opinion is anyway, but frankly, I have really mixed feelings about the whole situation. I always said he retired a year or two too early. As always, I'm sure there's a lot more to the story than we'll ever know.

Here's an interesting timeline per Packers general manager Ted Thompson that was posted on the Journal Sentinel Inc.'s Packers Blog. As it mentions, this wasn't verified on the Favre side.

The following is a timeline provided by Packers general manager Ted Thompson of the off-season dealings with quarterback Brett Favre. All of the information comes from Thompson and several sources close to Favre did not return phone messages seeking verification of Thompson's account.

• Jan. 20, 2008 - The Packers lose in overtime to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship Game. Both Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy speak briefly to Favre before he returns home to Hattiesburg, Miss.
• Jan. 30 - McCarthy and Favre are both at the Super Bowl media center in Phoenix to collect post-season awards and spent about an hour chatting. The two talk again when McCarthy is at the Pro Bowl in Honolulu and later when McCarthy returns home.
• Feb. 22 - Sometime during the scouting combine Thompson calls Favre because he had heard reports that the quarterback was mad he hadn't called him. "I called him and he said, 'Well I don't know where you're getting that from, because that's not true.'" Thompson said he reassured Favre he was wanted back and told him McCarthy would be the one communicating with him most often.
• Feb. 25 - McCarthy calls Favre on trip back from combine and discusses how he might be able to lesson the quarterback's load and whether Favre can commit 100%.
• Feb. 29 - Favre calls McCarthy and tells him if he had to make a decision now, he would retire. McCarthy tells him to think about it over the weekend and both think Favre will play. "Mike talked to him about, ‘Well, what if we change (reduce) some reps or off-season things' and things like that and he was pretty sure that he wanted to retire."
• March 3 - Favre calls McCarthy at a function in Austin, Texas, and tells him he's retiring. McCarthy asked if he needed more time and he said no. Favre tells him he can't commit 100%. McCarthy flies back to Green Bay.
• March 4 - Thompson, McCarthy and public relations director Jeff Blumb are in Thompson's office and Blumb reaches Favre on his cell phone. "Jeff spoke for a few minutes and then I talked to Brett for I don't know, 20 minutes, 15 minutes, something like that. We got to the point where he wanted to go ahead and make the announcement here and then I think Jeff got back on the phone and then they worked it out that he would come up here and do the press conference."
• March 6 - Favre conducts retirement press conference.
• Week of March 24 - Offensive line coach James Campen, who is visiting Louisiana, stops in to see Favre at his Mississippi home and is asked by Favre whether he thinks the Packers would take him back. Campen reports the conversation to McCarthy and Thompson. McCarthy calls Favre and hears the same things Campen did.
• March 27 - Thompson and McCarthy decide they would be fine with Favre returning even though Aaron Rodgers is set to begin off-season workouts as the starter, and they inform Favre. "Mike said, ‘Ted and I talked and we said, fine.' But we'd like to come see you, and Brett was kind of excited that we were coming to see him." In preparation to leave for the owners meetings in West Palm Beach, March 30-April 3, they arrange to meet with Favre and wife, Deanna.
• March 29 - McCarthy makes plans to fly to Hattiesburg on April 1 to make plans for Favre's return. McCarthy is leaving for evening Mass when Favre calls to inform him he has changed his mind. "We were all set for them, but Brett called back and that he and Deanna had a long talk about it and they were going to stick with their original decision."
• May 6 - Thompson is down South and decides to pay a visit to Favre at his home. "I called him and said I am thinking about seeing you, I don't have any agenda or anything. So I did, I went and visited. Had lunch sat out on the veranda. We had a long talk and good talk. Nothing really came up other than like with any retired player, you could tell there were a few things that he would throw in there; 'there might be some doubts, I may change my mind,' or something like that. And that was that."
• June 8 - Campen goes to Favre's home and has a long talk with Favre and leaves feeling Favre wants to return.
• June 20 -- Favre calls McCarthy and the two have a 45-minute conversation in which Favre tells him he might want to play again. "There was more wondering, you know, what ifs." McCarthy and Thompson go on vacation for the July 4th weekend.
• July 4 - Thompson receives a text message from Favre and sends a message back at about 8 p.m. back telling him he's traveling and can they talk on Monday? "By Monday I hadn't heard back from him. I sent him back a text saying, ‘Haven't heard from ya, hope you're getting these messages, can we talk Tuesday at noon?' He got back to me and said 'OK,' that it would be better sooner, but I was kind of doing some other things so we set up a conference call."
• July 8 - Favre and his agent, James (Bus) Cook ask Thompson for Favre's release during the conference call. It's understood Favre won't be the starter in Green Bay. "There were, I think, conversations with Mike where both parties acknowledged that time had gone by and the Packers had been asked to move on, or move forward, or whatever. That's what they were thinking there (about asking for his release)."
• July 11 - Thompson receives a letter from Favre and Cook formally asking for Favre to be released.

Delicate & Refined Expressions

My wife asked me why I shoot continuously sometimes. It's simple really. - I find I can capture certain nuanced, delicate, & refined expressions on my subject's faces. I would have missed those expressions if I were just waiting for the shot.
For example, click on the image series below of my Brother-in-law and his daughter.
Then look at row 4, column 2.
That photo goes into a special collection I'm amassing over the next 15 years.
The collection will be revealed 15 years from now, at the exact moment when my niece's date arrives to pick her up for her high school prom.
The collection is entitled: Photos-to-embarrass-my-niece-when-she's-older.
I reckon, in the 15 years or so, I'll be able to build up quite the collection.
I can't wait to see the delicate & refined expression on her face.

Going Home

Here are some fun recaps from our visit to Wisconsin

• Hugging and kissing the cutest niece ever!
• Beautiful beach on Lake Michigan
• Late night talks with my Mom
• Hearing my niece run around looking for "Gumma"
• Six adults, a toddler and bullmastiff in a Ford Expedition (picture National Lampoon's Vacation)
• Picnicing with friends at the park
• Seeing the old bridge and the new bridge
• Driving by our old house, the restaurant and grocery store where I worked during the summer
• Visiting my Dad's double first cousin (two brothers marry two sisters, their children: double first cousins) and other family
• Watching my brother and brother-in-law water ski
• A pontoon boat ride
• Watching the fireworks with the Special Ks
• Did I mention hugging and kissing the cutest niece ever! :-)

Happy Fourth of July!

From our celebration of Independence Day with our family. This is my brother-in-law with his daughter.

Pressing Thought

I never met him. I didn't know him or his family. I was almost always at church when "Meet the Press" was on. Yet, when I heard the news of Tim Russert's death on Friday, it felt shocking. Almost personal. Why? Is it just the "celebrity" syndrome? I think it may have been slightly more pronounced because I had heard Tim Russert on the radio on the way in to the office that morning. He was giving political analysis and talking about the guests who were scheduled to be on "Meet the Press." It is odd to realize that just a few hours later he would be dead.

Last Lecture

I'm sure most of you have seen this already, but just in case you haven't.



Updates on Randy Pausch can be found at http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~pausch.

Today's Non Sequitur

I haven't posted for a while!

More friendly skies for me this month. I will be in New York four times (one down, three to go!) and Florida once.

I love Twitter. I'm glad I overcame by skepticism of Twitter. It fills the gap when it's not enough for its own blog post. It's really easy and it's fun. It doesn't take long, because you can't write a novel in 140 characters.

My bagel courier career continues. (search "Ess-a-Bagel" in this blog)

Sometimes winning a hockey game is about momentum. I will be surprised if the Red Wings don't win this game and with tonight's win, the Stanley Cup.

Surviving the "Friendly" Skies

Flying really isn't that much fun anymore: passengers are irritable; airline staff are cranky; and cute kids in normal circumstances turn into kids-on-flights. I have noticed this more acutely over the recent months. Here are a couple of possible reasons:

• The airlines are charging for everything! ¢50 per toilet paper square
• We have begun our descent into [fill in city], please begin turning off your iPod, laptop, DVD player, cell phone, satellite radio, sound canceling head phones, washing machine, dryer, refrigerator (which would actually come in handy since they don't feed you anymore).
• Planes are packed. I'm sorry, isn't that my lap?
• Place the mask over your nose and mouth before helping others. The bag may not inflate, but oxygen will be "flowing" through the mask.
• You will not make your connection and the two later flights are each oversold; you're thirteenth on the list
• "No really, it's okay, let me get up" before you crawl from the window to the aisle...for the fifth time
• Chatty Charlie
• I think Aunt Jemima was my flight attendant
• My luggage is in Siberia (again?)
• On take off, the kid in front of me is repeatedly saying loudly, "we're going to crash; we're going to crash" and the kid behind me is saying, "the plane is broken" & "when are we going to land?"
• $5 for peanuts? Really, but this is a round-the-world flight.
• In case of a water landing... (do I really have to say more?)

Humbled

I went about today complaining about the rain; that we couldn't golf on Saturday; that the charity golf tournament was canceled today; that I wore my golf outfit to the office, because I didn't know the tournament status before leaving the house; that lunch was never delivered; that my students didn't show up for tutoring; and I'm sure the list is even more extensive.

I return to the office to a message from a friend that has recently found out she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Fibrosarcoma. There is news of many deaths and recent destruction from the cyclone in Myanmar, tornadoes in the Midwest, earthquake in China, and of course that doesn't include many other world events that go unreported, or under-reported.

As always, I'm humbled by my trivial and minor inconveniences. I thank God for my health, my family and friends, and the reminder of what's really important in life.

Actual Nature

As you may know, I enjoy photography. Part of that enjoyment comes from having your ego crushed when you lose yet another photography contest. So, I've started to regularly participate in some of these free, nothing to lose, online photography contests.

Right now, I'm contemplating competing in one contest that has a particular theme - Landscapes. You know the type - like the images that 'Ansel Adams' photographed of nature and stuff.

Here is their rule about what may be included - "Landscapes shots are self explanatory, architecture doesn't count!"

Immediately, I notice something funny about their rule. No architecture, no buildings! This means that I would have to go out to ... nature. Actual nature!

Before I mention my concerns, let me clarify that I'm not saying there is anything wrong with nature. My wife and I are very pro-nature. For example, my wife buys specially formulated bird food to put in the the 7 to 10 bird feeders located around our house. We do this so we can regularly feed our slightly obese squirrels. As a matter of fact, we feel that our resident family of fat little squirrels would probably go hungry if we didn't give them this specially formulated bird food.

Plus I think it's kinda' cute the way the squirrels wait to be feed. They sit back on their hind legs and rest their front paws on their little pudgy bellies - very cute - they look like tiny NASCAR fans waiting for more beer. So, you can see, we are pro-nature.

At this point, you may conclude that I have a lawn, that I must tend to the lawn, and some consider lawns to be natural. You are half correct. I do have a lawn, but I believe we have undocumented workers tending to the lawn. However, I'm not really sure, 'cause we contract with the lawn service through the internet. We find it's cheaper to hire them, than pay for the gas to put in my lawnmower.

Also, as you know, the rule clearly stated no architecture - so a panoramic of my dandelion garden with my house in the background isn't appropriate. (My lawn service is very good at cultivating dandelion lawn cover.)

Anyway, I mention all of this because ... um..... it's that I'm a bit nervous about going out into actual nature.
Here are just a few of my questions and concerns:

• How long can I be exposed to actual nature before something happens to me? Will my blackberry have a signal?
  
• If I were to get over exposed to actual nature, are there readily available antidotes?
  
• Do these natural places have the good Starbucks with wi-fi hotspots? Or, do they have just the small Starbucks, the ones with out the wi-fi hotspots?
  
• Importantly, do any of these natural places have partnerships with any airlines? I want to, at least, get some airline miles out of this endeavor.

Twittering

We (I) finally took the Twitter plunge. After much contemplation for at least 12938570139487 seconds, we Twitter. You can see the updates on the right navigation bar.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a service for friends, family, and co–workers to communicate and stay connected through the exchange of quick, frequent answers to one simple question: What are you doing?

You can Twitter from your computer, IM or cell phone. Each Twitter is limited to 140 characters, so it takes less than one minute to send a Twitter.

A Real Packer Fan

And you thought I was a big Packer fan...

David Witthoft, the 12-year-old Ridgefield, Conn. boy wore the No. 4 jersey every day since receiving it as a gift for Christmas in 2003. That's 1581 days.

"David's father, Chuck Witthoft, says Monday that his son's last day wearing the jersey was April 23 on his 12th birthday. Witthoft conceded his son was starting to become more concerned about his appearance after the jersey barely came down to his belt line."

Don't worry, the article said that, "His mother, Carolyn, had washed the jersey every other day and mended it when needed."

A Surprising Finish

We were guests of The Home Depot for Saturday's race at Richmond International Raceway. We cheered on Tony Stewart who had a strong 4th finish. The garage and pit road tour were definitely great additions this year. And, although there was a slight rain threat, no drops fell.

The hometown favorite, Denny Hamlin, also a Joe Gibbs driver, was on the poll and led 381 of 400 laps, but it was not to be. On lap 382, his tire developed a leak that resulted in a 24th place finish, three laps down. It was a very exciting finish as Dale Earnhardt Jr and Kyle Busch duked it out with some exciting side-by-side racing. There will be some debate this week about whether Kyle got loose underneath or if Dale Jr slipped down a bit, which resulted in Dale Jr wrecking in turn 4. Being in the right place at the right time, Clint Bowyer secured his first win of the season and the second win of his career.

Bonus

A couple of favorite quotes from the weekend.

"This is the worst day of MY life."
-- From a six year-old.

"Why are you going to get in trouble? You don't have a parent."
-- From a five year-old in response to why Brian had to finish something for work.

"Po-hantus" (for Pocahantus)
-- From a 22 month old.

We loved Iowa so much, we decided to stay an extra night. Well, in all honesty, it wasn't all up to us. United decided for us. We arrived for our 3:52 pm flight, which was delayed until 5:03 p.m. Of course, no update at the airport, but the United alerts sent us email updates. The delay would result in us missing our connection, not a problem since there are two more flights to Dulles. Wrong. They're both oversold. By more than 10. No availability for Northwest, Delta or American. So, instead of spending the night in a hotel in Chicago, an extra evening with the Special Ks is more than okay with me!

Packers Draft

Here are the picks.

2nd round, 36th overall, Kansas State WR Jordy Nelson.
2nd round, 56th overall, Louisville QB Brian Brohm.
2nd round, 60th overall, Auburn CB Pat Lee.
3rd round, 91st overall, Texas TE Jermichael Finley.
4th round, 102nd overall, Wake Forest DE Jeremy Thompson.
4th round, 135th overall, Central Florida T Josh Sitton.
5th round, 150th overall, Louisville T Breno Giacomini.
7th round, 209th overall, LSU QB Matt Flynn.
7th round, 217th overall, San Diego State WR Brett Swain.

I'm not sure anyone predicted Jordy Nelson as the team's first pick. Two QBs are pretty interesting too. They picked up much needed WRs, CB and TE. This was definitely an offense-heavy draft.

In the State of...no, not chaos

Where are we? Here are a few clues.

Flower: Wild Rose
Tree: Oak
Bird: Eastern Goldfinch
Rock: Geode

We are visiting two of Ellie's college friends this weekend. We are having a great time and even had a very successful restaurant outing with six adults and six children.

A couple of observations:

• It is a true testament that Brian can find a camera store in any location.
• He can always find something to buy in said camera store.
• O'Hare is still Brian's nemesis. There's no guarantee that gate checking your bag won't result in someone else grabbing your bag disregarding the slight variation in bag color, the business card luggage tag and TSA lock that didn't exist on their own. Somehow, it's all still Dayton's fault.
• It is always great connecting with friends.
• I realize how much I've missed the Special Ks since they moved last fall.

So, what state are we in?

No peeking.

*******************

Iowa

He's Still Retired

The Packers placed Brett Favre on the team's reserve/retired list this afternoon.

It's a First

Lots of first's tonight.

• First game for us at the new Nationals Park
• First grand slam in Nationals Park
• First time seeing a grand slam

The National's second baseman Felipe Lopez hit a grand slam, the fourth of his career and first grand slam in the new Nationals Park. The last member of the Nationals to hit a grand slam was outfielder Justin Maxwell on Sept. 11, 2007.

Lopez had a career-high six runs to help the Nationals beat the Mets, 10-5.