Sunset on Fripp Island

Likely the only image worth the bytes it was taken on but somewhat beautiful, if you ask me. Now only 357 days until next Fripp!

Beach Vacation Here We Come!

No, I haven’t started painting my toenails (although I could be swayed) but I wanted an image that showed someone laying on the beach, looking out over their toes towards a beautiful ocean.

So that’s what you got.

What did I get? A week off! Yay!

Leaving today… don’t try to contact me, my shunt link will be set to forward all messages to my executive assistant Farfel. Farfel is a ferret.

Best Grilled Cheese in the World

It’s important for you to know that I can make the Best Grilled Cheese in the World. Don’t believe me? Check this:

Uh huh… I thought so.

Beach Vacation Needed: Apply Inside

Raise your hand if you married up? You know who you are. See me over here? I have my hand up and I’m proud to admit it.

My lovely wife and I have been married for 17 years (yeah, I’m old, shut up) and we’ve just had one vacation apart from the kids in that time. Well, that ends today. By the time you read this, we’ll be jetting South for an unnamed island in the Caribbean. Little hint, it looks *just* like this photo.

So for the next 7 days I’ll be out of pocket. Unless I get abducted, held for ransom, escape and send out an cry for help via this blog, you won’t be hearing from me. Via con dios!

Paladin Does 2010

What to do… what to do… I’m not sure really.

I’ve been blogging since 1996 and wonder if there’s truly nothing new under the sun. I may take this site in a completely different direction… or maybe not. I’ve not yet decided but it seems there may be a need to ramp things up.

Happy Birthday Jesus, Thank You

The Three Trees

Long ago in the forest, lived three tall tress, the biggest among all trees in the forest. One fine day, the three were having a chat, talking about their dream of the future.

The first tree said, “I want to grow taller and stronger, and I want a man to chop me down and make a beautiful bed of my trunk, so a great king can sleep on me.”

The second tree said, “I want to grow taller and stronger, because I want a man to chop me down and make a big yacht of my trunk, so a king can sail on me and go around the world.”

The third tree said, “If me, I don’t want anyone to chop me down. I want to be the tallest and the biggest tree in this forest, so everyone can come to me and look at me admiring my tall trunk.”

So then – the trees agreed to pray each and every day so God would make their dreams come true.

One day, a man came and chopped the first tree. The first tree was excited. He thought his dream was finally come true. But when the man found the quality of the tree trunk was not very good, he didn’t make him as a bed, he turned the tree trunk into a manger instead, for the cattle to eat grass and hay. The first tree was very disappointed to see what he became of. His dream was shuttered.

Another day, a man came and chopped the second tree. The second tree was excited. He thought his dream was finally come true. But when the man found the quality of the tree trunk was not very good, he didn’t make him as a yacht, instead he turned the tree trunk into a fisherman’s boat, simply for fishing. The boat was having holes everywhere on his body and was always dirty after sailing. The second tree was very disappointed to see what he became of. His dream was shuttered.

Another day, a man came and chopped the thrid tree. The third tree was very disappointed and got terribly sad. He was so sad that his trunk rottened. The man couldn’t make anything from the tree trunk that he just disposed the trunk and it became useless.

Well – was life fair for those trees? They worked hard, they prayed a lot, but this is the end they got.

However, the story is not finished… yet…

Years went by, in the middle of the night, a couple of husband and wife went to the stable where the first tree lived now. The wife was pregnant and they weren’t able to find any room to stay and deliver the baby. So the wife gave birth to her baby in that dirty stable and put their baby inside the manger to keep Him warm. Inside the manger, which was the first tree. We all know who the baby is.

Years after that, a storm came on the sea, and it hit a sailing boat that all the people who was sailing in the boat – which was the second tree – scared and panic. The storm was so heavy that it nearly broke the boat down and sinked everybody inside. But then, a young man came out and stood on the boat bravely. He waved his hands to the sea in front of Him, and when He cried out to the sea, “In the name of My Father, I command you to stop!” And soon after that, the storm stopped, and the sea was calmed. The second tree was amazed. Who was this person – even the sea and the storm obeyed His command? We all know who the man was.

Years gone by, an innocent man was sentenced to death by the trial. He was tortured and beaten, and at the end, He had to die on the cross. He was crucified. Before He died on the cross, the world moaned for Him. And guess what? The wood to make the cross came from the trunk of the third tree. And again, we all know who the man was.

So, here is the conclusion of the story…

The first tree, even though, he didn’t end up as a beautiful bed as he wished for, a king – the king of kings – still slept in him.

The second tree, even though, he didn’t end up as a big yacht as he wished for, again the king of kings had once stood on him and sailed across the seas.

The third tree, the saddest of them all (was), even though at the end, he was chopped down, now look at him. Until now, people will look at him when they have hope and prayers. He stood tall for those who are in need and hopeful.

WordPress Upgrade In Effect

Just made all the file moves to 2.8.4 of WordPress but I already see some silliness happening here. May take some time to figure it out but I wanted to move to a newer version so that I can “Upgrade Automatically” which is uber-keen.

Fripp ’09 a Success, According to Barret

Fripp, now just weeks past, seems a distant memory. Oh but life is strange. Onward and upward!

Here’s a great shot Andrew took of Barret at the Cabana pool. Looks like the boy is having fun, no?

The Surf Is Calling

The time is upon us, quite literally. We’re heading out the door to pile into our minivan and take the accustomed 12-hour drive to the Holy land… also known as “The Beach.” In our tradition, this is the most blessed of times and we wish it to be no other way, except possibly sans kids, but I digress. Wish us all of your wonderful thoughts and prayers and we’ll return the favor.

Onward and upward!

February Snapshots

Ice Storm Caught on Film, Er… Hard Drive

I bet you all were fearing for safety, right? Honestly, I know things are tough all over as they used to say in the 60′s. But I’d be remiss to not post some candid shots of Louisville’s recent ice storm. It’s a doozy! Turns out this is “…the worst ice storm in a long, long time.” Wow. Such inspired writing by our own CJ. Pulitzer here we come!

The sad part is that there are about 525,000 homes without power in the Kentucky. Which wouldn’t be too completely horrid if it weren’t for the fact that just last September there were 600k out from from Hurricane Ike. Ouch. Is it time to build the bunker?

Anyway, here are some shots I took yesterday take my brother and his wife to the airport. Get this, they are now laying on the beach in Key West and we’re all stuck here… in this.

Paladin’s Imaginary Musical Career in Rock Band

As a father, it’s built-in that I want my kids to enjoy the things I enjoy and avoid the things I dislike. But there’s a catch. What if I do like something but am so horribly inept that it borders on freakshow status? Well my friends, that’s where Rock Band comes in.

You see, I love music. LOVE it. If I could have been anything in this life it would been to trade places with Eddie Van Halen. I mean really, dude had it all. (Well, before the drug problem, the divorce, the breakup… you get the picture.)

Now back to the “inept” part. I bought a sweet, red Yamaha electric guitar when I was 16. When I tried to play it, it was as if some past dosage of nitrous oxide took control of my hands (more likely my ears and brain) and what came out was anything but musical. I tried and tried but to no avail. Simply stated, I sucked.

(This is all the more troubling that my friend Todd was so incredibly gifted that he picked up the piano in about a month. I’m not even exaggerating.)

So when I was able to play Guitar Hero a couple years back at our friends house, it was all I could do to restrain myself from ordering the game from Amazon on my Blackberry on the drive home. I was hooked like a wide-mouth bass.

Now, I’m not good like my son Ben—he’s a phenom—but I can hold my own. So the purpose of this post is for me to keep track of what I’ve conquered thus far in my music (non-musical) career.

“Oh no, don’t pity me babe
I know I’m alright
O yeah, I’m alright.” -Neil Young

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Copper Mountain Ski Trip Photos

Here are some of our first ever ski trip. The boys and I had a great time in Copper Mountain with very little crowds, almost perfect weather and plenty of the white stuff. If only my back hadn’t gone out on me. Ahh… you can’t have everything. Cheers!

Born To Die

The baby in this picture is not dead. He was just born into a very tough life.

Another baby arrived on planet Earth some 2000 years ago with a heart-breaking mission—to die for humanity. Literally Jesus was born to die.

On this Christmas morning, take a second and remember that without his death and resurrection, Christ’s birth would be meaningless.

The greatest of all possible Christmas gifts has always been offered to you… have you received it?

Our 2-Year Old Is Hopelessly Addicted to Rock Band

Barret can’t write his name or say the alphabet but he can throttle some Angels & Airwaves on Rock Band.