Snowy March

Today was a difficult day in Denver. Yesterday the temperature was 72 degrees with lots of sunshine. Today was a different story. It's been snowing all day with accidents all over town. I'm just very thankful I work from home now and don't have to drive in all of this mess.

Anchorage

My time in Anchorage has been more fulfilling shall we say, in the summer than the winter. While I do dislike the constant daylight during the night in the summer (too hard to sleep), I don't like the dark during the day either. Gee, I'm beginning to sound like a complainer! Anyway, in the summer the food is always fresh, unlike the winter (and most restaurants today), the food is frozen and the waiters are fresh. I like to kid around with waitresses. I'm playing for big steaks!

My hotel rooms

Being on the road for so many years with my company, I've spent most of my life in strange rooms. You know they don't have closets in most rooms anymore. They have cabinets for closets. They're so small they had to re-design the hangers. They're now hunchbacked hangers! A hotel is a place where you give good bucks for poor quarters. My last hotel was just a little suspicious. The Gideon Bible was on a chain!

Democrats

It's probably a good thing that the health care bill is being promoted by Democrats. They can't seem to agree on what they want without threatening and bullying members of their own party over very important issues like abortion (who will pay for it) and fiscal responsibility. Here's what Dwight Eisenhower said about Democrats, "The Democratic Party is not one, but two political parties with the same name. They unite only once every two years, to wage political campaigns."

Babette's Feast

We watched the movie Babette's Feast last night based on our daughter Noelle's recommendation. The movie was taken from a story by Isak Dinesen. It got an academy award for best foreign language film and spawned an interest in "foodie" movies about the liberating effects of good food.

Of course if that's all you get out of this film, then you've taken "shallow" to a new level. There was a lot going on here about God's Grace and how it's unconditional, lavish, and given freely with no expectation of anything in return. I also saw simple, yet profound examples of how Grace transforms people. There were no "rules" here, just Grace at work. What does it make you want to do? Return something to God because He is so good and has done so much for us and He was so humble in the way he did it.

I highly recommend this film to everyone.

House slippers and Chinese

Friday night, Nancy and I went out for Chinese food. We were in a hurry to beat the crowds because it was Friday and when I got there I realized I was still wearing my house slippers. They'd been on all day! Now that I work out of the house, new habits are hard to break too!

The food was pretty good at this place. They brought out a little iron campfire thing flaming away, and put it in the middle of the table with our meat cooking on it. There were six or seven little bowls around it with shrimp, chicken, pork and other delights. And that was just the appetizer! Where do the Chinese go when they want to eat out? Anyway, in case you're wondering, here was my fortune: "There is no time like the pleasant."

Grand Canyon

A friend asked me recently what I see in Grand Canyon. To look at it from the top is to see little more than a big ditch with a nice interpretive center. Hike inside and you see God's creation exposed. In that creation you'll see diamonds in the sky, and tiny points of exquisite beauty like delicate water. You'll see a grandeur that surpasses anything imaginable and if you'll only take your time and look at all the little things, the small creatures, the desert flowers, and the polished stones from centuries of wear, you'll see more than you thought possible. You'll see history exposed by time and violent waters. You'll see something truly grand.

2:00 Feeding

A bachelor is a man who prefers to have loved and lost to getting up for the 2:00 A.M. feeding. Tyler was just lucky enough to visit his sister Noelle in Tucson and take over the 2:00 P.M. feeding with Daisy. It's a good thing you're not a real baby-sitter Tyler. At one time or another all baby sitters get rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. To remove a phone from their ear!

Bless election years!

As I read the papers and watch the news, I am struck by the image of our country's leaders chasing after something (nationalized health care) that none of them have read, few understand, is a deep problem that can't be fixed in a year, and may very well cause a tragedy. The trouble with health care today is, people will do anything in the world to feel better but give up what's hurting them. And, politicians have become self-made men and women. I'm so thrilled that they took the responsibility off the rest of us.

Christmas in March

My friend asked me for help taking his Christmas lights down, in March for crying out loud! I'll always cherish the memories of Christmas, the tree, and getting up to see everything lying under it, the kids all excited about it running around the house, pancakes in the morning with the aroma of freshly cooked bacon and coffee brewing in the kitchen. Ahhhh, so sweet and wonderful. At the end of the day though, Christmas is a time when you get lots of gifts you can't wait to exchange.

Anyway, in the suburbs people do the strangest things. It's a good thing I had my camera. Otherwise you wouldn't get a Christmas blog in March!

Cold in Alaska

Alaska is beautiful place, even in the winter. This was not really early morning, it was only about 8:30a and just getting light. And even though Wasilla was in the 40's during the day, well it was still zero in the morning and Starbucks was mighty good. While I was at Starbucks I saw this guy with a weird, funny hat on. What was that thing on his head? As he walked out the door and I saw him from behind, I figured it out. You know it's cold when the guys wear their toupees upside down!

My pressurized cabin

When I left Denver to go to Alaska it was 9 degrees and snowing here. When I got to Anchorage it was 41 degrees and sunny. Too bad I forgot my sunscreen. By the way, I now understand why most airports make passengers walk a long way to the plane. That's so the luggage can get a head start.

Anyway, while I was there, I had to fly up to Fairbanks for a day long meeting. When I left Fairbanks at 5:00p it was snowing so hard we followed the snowplow out to the runway. That's my favorite thing in Denver... following the snowplow, but I digress. As we lifted off, the plane was experiencing great turbulence. Fearful that our lives were endangered, a passenger sitting across the isle from me said to the priest sitting next to him, "Do something religious!" The priest started to call Bingo.

Anyway, I'm home safe and sound now, at least until my next flight. The picture below was taken after my arrival in Fairbanks. Conditions change fast up there.

Tunnel thinking

Now this is different! Do I go in there or not? And, what's on the other side? Not to worry little buddy, we adults have been asking similar questions about careers, having children, asking someone out on a date, marriage, you name it. Go for it! If your Mom is concerned just tell her, "Worry is the interest you pay on trouble Mom, before it's due." So what if you can't squeeze through there and get me out, it looks like a lot of fun!

Each plane has two bathrooms and a chapel

Sorry it's taken so long to post anything. I've been travelling in Alaska on business. Of course the long flights are always exciting for me. Some airline seats are very narrow. Turning the other cheek isn't a virtue anymore, it's a necessity.

"How often do those big jets crash?" You ask. "Once, I imagine." I had my camera with me, well... you know I was in Alaska. I never want to miss out on a good photo opportunity. They didn't need a movie on this flight. Every ten seconds my life passed before my eyes! When we landed I ran over and kissed the wing. It must have been glad to have landed, because it kissed back!