State of the Union

I’ve never been more happy to vote for a president than I was when I voted for Barack Obama on November 4, 2008. I even took a day off work to help locally with his campaign. Later that night when he won it was one of the more memorable moments in my life. History right in front of my eyes. Truly inspiring.

So you would think that I’d be amped up to watch his first State of the Union address tonight. But you’d be wrong. Not because I have no interest, but because I know how it goes. I’m fully aware of politics and rhetoric. And I know tonight will be much more of the same. It’s simply too early to be talking about what’s been done or what’s going to be done.

I voted twice for George W. Bush, and I didn’t start holding him accountable until well into his second term (admittedly a little too late). And I’m giving Obama the same courtesy. This is the hardest job in the world, literally. It’s going to take some time to get your feet underneath you, to learn the ropes, and for your policies to make some waves. Not to mention dealing with the historical mess left at your feet. So far I’ve been both impressed and disappointed with the presidents first year in office, but I’ve taken it all with a grain of salt—a salt called perspective.

No, tonight I may come across and listen for a bit, but I’m more interested in finishing Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. I’ve got a date a year or two down the road to assess how our president is doing.

Filed under: Barack Obama, Politics

2009 Debrief

2009 was a great year.

Not because everything went smoothly, but because it was a year in which I lived life to the fullest. It had many ups and many downs, and life changes throughout.

It began in a funk. Literally. I rang in the new year by myself, sick on the couch, as Tonia and Tanner went elsewhere to play games and drink Welches sparkling grape juice.

Early in the year we had some church ugliness that, consequently, led to some major growth on my part. I was also able to write an important letter and move to a new place spiritually as a result. Church looks different to me now more than ever, and I doubt it will ever be the same. Starting a ecumenical small group has really been a thing of beauty however! Ironically we began 2010 with a small group party which was such a drastic change from the beginning of 2009.

I won’t go into all of the fun of 2009, you can read highlights of each month at the bottom of this post, but here are some lists worth noting.

Sports took a leap forward in 2009.
- I joined my first ever City Softball League
- I started playing basketball on Tuesday nights
- Tanner and I ran in 2 5K’s
- I started training for a Half Marathon in 2010

Vacations were as fun as ever.
- Milwaukee
- Kings Island
- Alabama

This year certainly made up for the lack of Concerts in 2008.
- Chris Tomilin
- MuteMath Listening Party + Concert (w/ Jason)
- Kings Island Spirit Song (w/ The Molettes)
- Paramore + Paper Route (w/ Jason + Levi)
- 89x Stole Christmas (w/ Jason)

I’ve never in my life read more Books in one year than I did in 2009. On top of that I read the entire New Testament (regrettably for the first time). Highlights include:
- Jesus Wants to Save Christians
- Tribes
- The Tipping Point
- Blink
- Twilight

Lots of great Music consumed this year. Highlights include:
- No Line on the Horizon — U2
- Absence — Paper Route
- Twilight Soundtrack (technically 2008)
- Armistice — MuteMath
- Hello Hurricane — Switchfoot
- Brand New Eyes — Paramore
- Ocean Eyes — Owl City

268 Movies watched in 2009. That’s a lot. Highlights include:
- Gran Torino
- Taken
- Slumdog Millionaire
- Twilight
- UP
- Primer
- Requiem For A Dream
- Inglorious Basterds
- Zombieland
- Where The Wild Things Are
- District 9

Outlook for 2010:
I’ve got a lot of ideas on how to make 2010 special, but I’d have to say the two things I’m most looking forward to are 1) my first U2 concert and 2) my first Half Marathon.

January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009
December 2009

Filed under: 2009

December Debrief

BOOOOOOORRRRINNNNNNNGGGG!!!

A most unremarkable December. The highlights were back-to-back-to-back 3-day weekends. One with Tonia’s family, one with my family, and one with friends. Perhaps the best we have ever scheduled that logistical nightmare.

Also of note, this was the first year we didn’t really buy anybody anything for Christmas. Instead we created a coupon book for each family that said what we wanted to give them this year was us, our time. So each of the coupons were designed to serve that end. Rock Band and pizza, dinner and a movie, roller-skating, etc., all on us. Hope it works out as well as we envisioned.

I brought in the new year with Tonia and Tanner in our living room, playing board games and drinking the bubbly. Good times!

Books Read in December:
Primal by Mark Batterson
Purple Cows by Seth Godin

Movies Watched in December:
By the People: The Election of Barack Obama – 4/5
Aliens in the Attic – 3/5
Be Still – 3/5
21 Grams – 4/5
King of California – 4/5
Julie & Julia – 4/5
Public Enemies – 4/5
G.I. Joe – The Rise of Cobra – 2/5
Snow Falling on Cedars – 3/5
TRON – 4/5
Deliverance – 3/5
Jarhead – 3/5
Young Frankenstien – 3/5
Mad Max – 3/5
500 Days of Summer – 4/5
Extract – 3/5
The Nightmare Before Christmas – 3/5
Sherlock Holmes – 4/5
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2: The Squeakuel – 2/5
Paranormal Activity – 3/5

Previous Months:
January 2009
February 2009
March 2009
April 2009
May 2009
June 2009
July 2009
August 2009
September 2009
October 2009
November 2009

Filed under: 2009, Books, December, Movies