Happy New Year in our new home!

New Years Eve will be celebrated in our new home. We've always wanted to build our own home on, now we can. No shortage of building materials.

Happy New Year !

To much snow for the Snowman...

Yesterday found me and Travis on our roof instead of being in church. The snowman told me there was way too much snow for him.... We also had tempuratures above freezing for the first time in a couple of weeks.

All of this snow, around 50 inches, is creating an ice dam on the edge of the roof. If you let it buildup, water will force itself under your shingle. This can cause water damage inside your home.

Most winters this is never a problem, not this year. Also, it rained all night and made the snow that was up there extra heavy, adding weight on the roof. Roofs have been collapsing all over town.

Tossing all that snow off the roof, we can now just jump off the roof. I don't think the snow berms around the house will melt until August.....

Just looked out the window, its snowing again!

A dog life for me

Cathey, Whitney, Travis and myself, decided to get out yesterday for a while before the new snow storm comes in. We agreed to take in one of the movies that came out on Christmas day.

The choice?

Marley & Me (Life and Love with the world's worst dog.) A true story.

I admit am a dog person. Cat's don't do it for me, other than make me sneeze.

My father raised and trained labs, so we always had dogs around. One of my early childhood memories is hanging out with Butch when I was was three. For my dad, it meant added income and a hunting dog, but for me it was extended family. Our labs were never allowed in the house so I would go out and release them to play. I cannot remember a time when a dog wasn't in my life. My wife is a dog person (Except for the hair...)

Okay, back to the movie...

I thought it was great. I laughed, I cried. (Deb, don't let Bob see this movie with out plenty of tissues.......) The way they showed "on going time" was handle very well. Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson had good chemistry as husband and wife. If your not a dog person you will still like it.

I must say it ends........ sorry, don't want to spoil it. If you have young kids who are into dogs, you may not want them to see it without parental preparation! If you have a dog at home you will give them a hug when you get home.......

Did I mention its snowing again............

I found it!!!!

WOW, I can still remember the first time as a child I heard the statement: "No two snowflakes are ever a like." For years I have tried to find the flakes that disprove this statement.

Well, yesterday I found it. A flake that was EXACTLY like a flake I found in 1956. I think a Nobel Prize is in order......or at least a government grant.

Okay, back to shoveling.

Speaking of flakes, in case you missed it.....

As animal hoarding goes, the 30 seized from Darlene Gardner's double-wide trailer home in Kootenai County, Idaho, last year weren't particularly noteworthy, even though two of them, deer, were living inside, each in its own bedroom. Authorities released the deer and other healthy animals into the wild and euthanized the rest, and Gardner's husband pleaded guilty to one animal cruelty charge. However, in November, Darlene filed a $2 million federal lawsuit against the county's "jack-booted thugs" who, acting without a search warrant, she said, had "killed my babies," referring to the animals that "were my life and my family."

SNOW 24/7 TV coverage.......

If I see one more Spokane TV newsreporter stick a yardstick in a snowbank I think I'll scream.

Lots of snow, we know that..........

WOW, cabin fever after one day!

Don't get me started about the reporters using SKYPE as they drive around town shoving those yardsticks in snow.

I'm in the mood for love........

From the same company that gave us the "Burger Virgin" commercial comes this: (BTW, it is sold out....)

Just in time for your mom Santa to toss this in your Christmas stocking, Burger King has released a limited-edition men's body spray that evokes the smell of freshly broiled Whoppers. But isn't this what they spray on the burgers already for authenticity? No! According to a press release, "The King is setting hearts ablaze for the holidays with his new scent of choice. FLAME™, a new men's body spray by Burger King Corp., features the scent of seduction with the hint of flame-broiled meat. Because nothing's more romantic than the scent of mass-produced beef patties...except maybe the sultry FLAME™ website, which is really putting us in the mood (for salad)

It started innocently enough...

Just a few inches...... HA!

Yesterday............

This morning (12/18/08)

I blame Pastor Glenn for this.....

Here are words I thought I'd never every say.....

"I am blaming our pastor for waking up this morning with the hip hop tune "Riding Dirty" going though my mind."

Now granted, yesterday I was under general anestheia and had my heart shocked, so maybe we could blame it on that. Nooooo...... Read Pastor Glenns December 13th post and watch the video. VERY very FUNNY....... Also, leave him a comment, he's donating canned food for comments.

Riding dirty.......

Christmas Music..... one drummers opinion....

I love the Christmas season.

The tree, the lights, the decorations, the gatherings, the music and the reason.

I understand Jesus wasn't born on December 25th.

I understand the early church incorporated pagan ideas and celebrations to attract those outside the church to Christianity.

Today's Church is still doing that in a way.

The church I grew up in banned the use of electric guitars and any type of drums in the church worship. (Lets not even talk about interpretive dance..... ) The use of these instruments in worship??? No way. We sang from the hymn book, verses 1,2 & 4. I remember the Sunday night hymn singing services. I started leading music as a teenager on these evenings. Having a young person lead music brought some raised eyebrows, but thats another story......... I still enjoy the old hymns, but I think my worship is enhanced by the newer worship music. (BTW, the last time I visited this church, there was a full drum set being used in worship.)

I mention all of this as I reflect on yesterdays worship service at Timberview.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the Christmas carols as a worshipper, but as a drummer/percussionist, not so much. Its hard to really drum to most traditional Christmas music as its usually played.

Not yesterday...........

The worship team always says its not about the performance and it isn't. Speaking for myself, its a gift to those who are worshipping and to the Lord. Performing is the gift. Its a joy and a privilege, as a marginal musician, to play with such a talented group. For me, when I play, its just as much worshiping as singing.

Again, speaking for myself, I think we who attend Timberview are very blessed to have leadership that is willing to use "modern" worship music along with incorporating dance, drama and video to enhance the message God gives to Pastor Glenn each week.

Merry Christmas........

Christmas gifts ????

During the 5 month long Christmas shopping season, (Of course, isn't that what Christmas is all about!!) one hears many ads for things that should be on our Christmas gift wish list. Electronics, clothing, jewelry, toys, hair removal, books, Starbucks...... ???? Hair removal???? I just heard an ad for the Christmas gift of laser hair removal.

This brings so many questions to mind..........

So, if you receive this gift, is there a hidden message behind it? Is the gift for you or for them? Was there nothing else on their wish list?

Granted, I didn't get the memo that stated that the hairless male was perfered over those of us with way to much hair. So how much hair removal does this gift cover? For some of us, this would be the first of many hair removal gifts........

Now I have to figure out how to wrap this for Cathey.........

Winter storm alert....

Thirty-one years ago when I moved to Spokane, I loved the whole snow thing. I grew up in the Willamette Valley where we had very little snow. But now, not so much.......

I like the four seasons we have here in Spokane. But, I must say we usually have a short spring that lasts 3 days.
Well, here comes the first storm alert of the season. The weather dude is calling for up to 8 inches of snow by Sunday morning. I hope he's wrong.

Maybe I need a winter hobby that includes snow ...............