Problems are for Solving

I haven’t posted about the stuff this week yet.

On Monday Theresa and I went out shopping. We got a new DVD play for $35 at Big Lots (Praise God!) and picked up brats from Alwan Brothers for a Monday evening “Battle of the Brats” between Alwan and Pottstown (two local delis who make their own sausage).

When we got home TC fixed sandwiches and we left with the family for Dixon Mounds Museum (yet another science passport visit) which was very nice and informative. It’s about an hour drive each way and we drove through what used to be historic Lewistown, IL, a drive which included a cemetary which spawned Edgar Lee Masters’ Spoon River Anthology.

Monday night the Ben-Ezras came over for the brat battle at which we ate late because I can never remember how to start a charcoal fire unless I’ve done it very recently (which I hadn’t). It was very nice and TC and I went over to the Ben-Ezras after the kids were down and stayed up much too late talking to Seth and Crystal.

For the last two days I’ve gone out in the morning to weed our overgrown garden. Between the evil weed and the morning glories and various other smaller weeds I took (get ready for the real, non-exaggerated answer) TWO TRUCKLOADS of weeds and brush to be burned (mostly weeds). [NB: This is the source of the title for the post]

Yesterday afternoon I played games with the kids and tonight we did a special, surprise, elegant dinner for the Nezzars when they came over.

It has continued to be a wonderful vcation and tomorrow after the midwife comes our plan is to head to a nearby state park and camp overnight.

But that’s another post. :0)

Previous post here.

 I may get around to telling you about yesterday at some point, which was busy like all of these vacation days, but I needed to post a quick note about this:

 I WON A GAME of Amun-Re!

It’s one of the lowest scoring games I’ve been in and certainly the closest (four points from 1st to 5th) and I have no idea how I won with only 12 point in the New Kingdom . . .but I won.  The hurdle has been jumped and maybe there will be another later, but for the first time I’ve come out on top and I don’t care that I’ve scored higher in other games and that it’s only by one point.   

A quick post to round out the day:

Today we had a nice morning (I slept in a bit) and then headed off to the Itoo Hall on Farmington Road for a gem show, yet another science passport event. The children learned a bunch and had a great time before we finally had to head home for lunch.

After lunch TC took a nap while we began cleaning the basement up–bringing up boxes of books so they won’t get ruined in anticipation of a future total basement reorganizing rush. A lot of progress was made, and we’re glad to have gotten that done.

This evening Theresa and I went on a date, which included a record store (actual records, but no purchases), Sushi Popo (a Japanese restaurant), Just for Fun game store, Kohl’s, Kroger and Blockbuster.

We rented a movie only to find out (after trying several times) that our DVD player is finally dead. Maybe somone will loan me one tomorrow so I can finish the movie–I got really interested and that’s why it took so long to give up the ghost of “maybe this time it will work”. Thirty miniutes in and I’m hooked. I’ll tell you about it if I get to finish it.

Off to bed!

Today was my first day of vacation.

It was wonderful.

It started with a lovely breakfast together after which instead of rushing off to work I was able to help clean up and talk to the children about their math worksheets. After that Moriah, Elsie and TC and I went to Eyeglass world so we could get a new prescription for Elsie and pick out new glasses for her. I’ll post pictures when they’re back.

After a stop at GFS we came home for lunch. Leftovers, but good ones. Raquel made broccoli salad to go with the leftover rice dish.

After lunch the children got their library stuff ready and then we went to the main library in Peoria for the weekly visit. And then it was off to the Wheels ‘O Time Museum for yet another Science Passport visit.

The museum was fantastic. It was old cars, old clocks, old stuff all over the place. The highlight for me was an old workshop, complete with non-electric tools, right next to an old kitchen with a wood stove. It was an interactive museum and the kids learned so much. I’m really looking forward to taking my mom & dad here—but it’ll have to wait a while since the museum is only open May-October and Mom & Dad’s next visit is in November. I think it’ll spawn lots of stories from my dad and we’ll spend half a day there easy.

Here are some of the highlight pictures (click the pictures to see them full size):

After the museum we came home and had supper and then I played Carcassonne with the children and had a wonderful time. We’re all tuckered out now and there’s another busy day tomorrow beginning with yard work and moving on to a gem show (another Science Passport trip).

Today I left the office at 5:58 PM, Central Daylight Time.

I won’t be back in until after Labor Day.

I’m on vacation.

For the past couple of years, most of my vacation has been taken in chunks around business trips allowing me to drive instead of flying—in order to take my family along with me. The next most common use of vacation is a trip to visit a family member, usually a trip that is rushed somehow and involving lots of time in the car.

Other than that I have not taken more than two days off in a row.

I have not taken a vacation of a week or more that did not involve travel for me and my family . . . not since I’ve been married.

That’s over 11 years.

On this vacation, which I finally realized I needed, there will be no long trips in the car. We will sleep in our own beds every night except possibly one night of camping in a nearby state park—less than an hour away.

We have the following goals for this vacation:
**Spend time with children
**Establish good habits with:
o Family worship
o Quiet times
o Bed/rising schedule
**Spend time in prayer and planning for medium/long term goals & personal relationship with God.

I really need this vacation. I’ve been bordering on depression for a while, and there are lots of things that need to be done here at home, and I have not had the time with the children (two short, but both involving Saturdays, business trips in the last month) that I and they need badly.

Tomorrow is a “non work day� to begin the vacation. No household projects for Friday. We take Elsie to the eye doctor to get new glasses. We go shopping. We go to the library and a museum. And in the evening I’m going to play games with my children.

I may get time to post pictures and/or events that go on while we’re enjoying this next week + together. Tonight we sat down and planned what we want to do every day … even leaving one day open for spontaneity. More to follow!

Today Theresa and the kids painted over the graffiti (see previous post for picture). Seeing as how we live on Orange St., we chose orange for the base color this time.

Theresa said today that she’d actually be disappointed if nobody tagged our garage again, as she’s kind of enjoying the potential creative outlet of doing our own garage. I’m not sure if she’s crazy or just joyful–but I love her either way.

Here’s a picture of the victorious orange-washers:

And one of my wife putting on the finishing touch: our house number.

Vandals, beware! You cannot touch us–we are armed with weapons of our warfare of which you do not know. May this orange wall be a reminder to us of the shield of faith which deflects the flaming darts of the evil one!

To be continued . . .

And suddenly a blog post will appear here!

I haven’t posted a non-book-review-post in quite some time. Life hasn’t been as busy as I’d like to think, but I’ve been unmotivated to write anything new. Or even to adapt something old.

One thing of note that has happened is that our house has been visited by someone in the neighborhood. At least, I assume he/they live in the neighborhood.

Twice.

Twice in the last month our garage has been “tagged”? with graffiti. This past Thursday Theresa and the kids went out and whitewashed the back of the garage (which faces the alley behind our home) and Friday night (yes less than 48 hours later) it was hit again. And last night (or the night before–I didn’t go in the alley yesterday) it was updated just a tad and more was added to our neighbor’s garage.

Here’s a photo of our garage:

Definitely not Picasso. Not even that creative for graffiti.

We’re going to repaint it. This time we’re painting it orange. Maybe it will be less attractive of a scene to spray paint. We don’t know if this is the average juvenile delinquents doing vandalism or gangs marking their territory, and we may never know. We’ve discussed various options of what to do in response, and for now it’ll be painted orange. I’ll post another picture when that’s done.

May God use us as an instrument for change in this neighborhood.

Death By Meeting: A Leadership Fable . . . About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business by Patrick Lencioni

272 pages

Published by Jossey-Bass

As I said when I reviewed another Lencioni book, I usually avoid management books, but the two books I’m reviewing here by Patrick Lencioni are fantastic. I heard Lencioni speak at a conference a few months ago and he was engaging and extremely practical.

Death By Meeting outlines several problems that plague organizations with regards to meetings. As with his other books, he intertwines his solutions in a compelling fiction story—this one about a CEO struggling with his own organization’s meetings.

One of the biggest problems with corporate meetings is that they have multiple foci, rather than a single focus. Trying to do too much in a single meeting undermines accomplishing anything—and we have found this to be true in the leadership team at my office. After implementing the principles he’s outlined and separating our meetings into the various types (daily check-ins, tactical meetings, strategic meetings and off-site long term planning) we’ve found our meetings going more quickly, being more productive, and leading to more accomplishments inside and outside of the meeting structure. Some of the team members who dreaded meetings are more positive about meetings than ever before!

I recommend the book strongly.

You can get for $14.92 at Amazon.com.

Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership Fable by Patrick Lencioni

227 pages

Published by Jossey-Bass

I usually avoid management books. The two books I’m reviewing here by Patrick Lencioni are fantastic.  I heard Lencioni speak at a conference a few months ago and he was engaging and extremely practical.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team outlines five principles of building a team, entrenched in a compelling fiction story of a new CEO who is surrounded with talent, but without teamwork.

Lencioni asserts rightly that the first building block of a team is trust, and that building trust starts with vulnerability of the top leadership. The principles here are not just valuable to managers in the business world, but can be adapted for any team situation including a group of church elders.  On top of trust, he works through four other building blocks to a successful team that are helpful in any environment.  My leadership team at work has found these invaluable as we work to become closer knit and more productive together!

I recommend the book strongly.

You can get for $13.77 at Amazon.com.

Boy Meets Girl: Say Hello to Courtship

By Joshua Harris

224 pages

Published by Multnomah

I wrote earlier about starting this book and this morning I finally finished it.

Most of the time I pick up a Christian book about a particular topic, especially one that is trying to help somebody embrace a particular practice, it comes off as a “ten easy steps to . . . (fill in the blank)� book.

Sometimes I’m surprised.

Josh Harris has done the Church a great service by writing this book which deals with matters of pre-marriage in principle without becoming the slightest bit legalistic. He tells some real and fictional stories that abundantly illustrate both the benefits and joys as well as the potential pitfalls of courtship relationships.

Josh starts with his own story of the beginning of his courtship with his wife Shannon. It is a beautiful story followed by many others, some ending in marriage—others not. Josh builds the book reminding young men and women that their chief end is not marriage—but glorifying our Father in heaven. He builds the book, talking about romance, physical contact, and community (the Church surrounding the couple) and culminates it all in the consummation, speaking of both the day the couple may be married and the day that the Groom comes for His Bride—and that that day the day Jesus comes for us, is the real focus of all courtship.

And then one day in heaven, when this life is done, you’ll truly be able to see His face. You’ll be able to look into His eyes. Imagine that conversation with Jesus. Do you think that you’’ question His plan for your life? Do you think you’ll have grounds to accuse him of stinginess or unfaithfulness? Do you think you’ll complain that you had to wait so long for a spouse? Or even that you never married?

Jesus is the center of every good courtrship—whether it ends in marriage or not. May He be glorified in each one.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

(Get it for $10.40 at Timeless Texts, but I borrowed it from Seth)