Well, believe it or not, I’ve tried to blog several times.  And can you beleive that each of those times while I was writing and trying to insert some pictures, I just closed out the entire internet window because I was just frustrated WordPress wouldn’t work with me.

Blogging isn’t something that I normally think about.  Actually, when I first set this blog up, I thought about it all the time.  In fact, in many situation I would think, “That would make a great blog.”  I had so many ideas that I couldn’t keep up with them long enough to get to a computer and jot it down.  All these great ideas would come to me as I was out living life. 

So now I’m writing, WHILE I have a great idea, and also WHILE I’m frustrated with something.  Isn’t that the real time to write a blog, anyway?  Also, I’m not going to fiddle with any pictures.  I’ve tried that, and if I try to insert pictures I’ll end up closing the damn box.

My complaint is against large companies.  In particular, I’m going after electric companies, phone companies, really anything that has to do with someone taking my money who also happens to provide a necessary service.  It puts me in a compromising position because I need electricity and water.  Geez, I’m so 21st century.  I guess I don’t need my phone, but it sure makes life easier sometimes (yes, I use Google maps on my Palm Treo). 

These companies are so damn large that they don’t get anything right — ever!  I cannot think of a time when something went smoothly when I’ve moved.  There are those “set up” fees and all the other fees associated with a new account.  Geez!  But you can also have you fee waived if you can prove that you’ve been a good customer in the past.  So we did that, only to find out today that the new energy company did indeed get our good customer history, but it didn’t go to the right person.  It’s frustrating to have to deal with this, along with everything else because it’s always more money and we never (well, hardly ever) get a break.  I say hardly because we just go $11 back from Dish Network.  I’m glad for at least $11, but Dish Network sucks.

So that’s my rant right now.

I’ve made a lot of good friends in my life.  But this time, I want to talk about the friends I’ve made in my current job.  I’ve heard so much recently (on news of my departure) that I’ve been such a good friend to xxx or xxx organization.  These include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, the VFW posts.  I think that’s my involvement with community organizations, or it has been my small way of helping such worthy causes.  I think it’s so neat to be able to be a part of their individual circumstances and missions.  I’m just humbled to help out and be a friend.  And, the people who are a part of these organizations are simply the best.  Thank all of you for your friendships.

I like to stay busy, but man!  This weekend we went down to the Alamo City to shoot a wedding – Rachel’s dad.  It was a LOT of fun, and a LOT of work!  I think we did some amazing stuff, though, and I’m very pleased with how it went.  I hope they will be pleased, too.

The countdown begins now as I begin the process of moving and beginning my new position at Fox 7 in Austin.  I will be producing and assignment editing, and it just adds a lot more to my skill set in the industry.  I think it could be an exciting beginning to a new direction in my career, with the possibilities endless.

I think the moving thing is kind of overwhelming at this point, like it always is.  I’ve never really like moving, but it was always exciting to explore a new city and a new job opportunity.  I may be getting to the point where it’s less exciting to actually move because we’ve done it so much, but I will say it’s very exciting to explore a new place.  As we drove through Austin yesterday, I wanted to show Sarah the outside of Fox 7.  It’s right downtown, a block away from the capitol.  And we drove down 6th street toward Mopac, Sarah commented about how she’s excited to have me in Austin so we can discover new things together.  I think that will be very neat!

Here’s to new adventures and discoveries made with those you love.

That’s how many miles we traveled in just a week!  And what a trip it was.  Janette, Sarah and I began our adventure in sunny San Diego, flying from our base at DFW, headed toward Portland, OR.  There, we hooked up with Sarah’s very cool cousin, Sean (who is my age) so that we could all drive together up to Sarah’s (and Sean’s) grandparent’s home just outside of Polson, Montana.

The scenery was amazing, the time spent with family was awesome, and the trip was spent just breaking away from the hectic lives we’ve been living for the past I don’t know how long.  As you can see from the view of the Mission Mountains in Montana, this was just what the doctor ordered for us.

  When we arrived at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, I was very overwhelmed, meeting people I had never met before.  They swarmed around us like vultures, but they weren’t mean at all, and they didn’t even seem like they wanted to eat me!  Soon enough, I became very comfortable inside this wonderful family and it just felt too cool for words to be a part of it.  This is one picture (of many!) that the Lonnevik’s took to capture the reunion.  Here we are with Grandma and Grandpa — the grandchildren and their spouses.  From left bottom: Mark & Anna (she is one granddaughter), Grandpa, Grandma, Emily (another granddaughter; top row: Lindsay & Darin (grandson and his wife), Sarah and me (of course, Sarah is a granddaughter and I am her spouse), and Sean (grandson).

 Aside from staying up late, sleeping-in in the mornings, and drinking lots of beer, we did a lot of fun things!  We visited a brewery in Polson (Glacier Brewery), but we also went out on Flathead Lake and went wakeboarding.  Here I am on the left trying to get myself up on the wakeboard… and I almost had it about 4 times!  Very frustrating, but it doesn’t look half bad from the picture.  Sean did manage to get himelf up… kudos man!  But it was a blast nonetheless, and it was more time with family soaking up the sun.

 (Left: the cabin up the hill; top: a peaceful evening with the moon visible behind a stoic pine tree)

After the reunion week, Sarah and I, along with Sean and Janette, all headed back to Portland to spend a day and a half in that great city.  We ate sushi, drank more beer (of course), and even went to historic Cannon Beach. 

Here (above), Sarah and I are enjoying ourselves at the Laurelwood Brew Pub.  Later on, we went on to karaoke at the Ambassador.  Kyle, a guy from Sean’s work, met up with us.  He did the best karaoke version of “Wonderboy” (Tenacious D) that I’ve ever heard!  Karaoke seemed to be a theme with us this week, as we also hit up the stage when we first arrived to Portland (before the big road trip to Montana).  Our post-Montana karaoke stop: Sarah, Kyle and Janette are singing “Bohemiam Rhapsody” together — and are having quite the time!

I already want to go back… feel the sand between my toes, and spend more time getting to know Sean and the rest of Sarah’s family.  But, I think that’s what I get to look forward to — many more trips and new relationships that we can carry with us. 

I guess sometimes family – and new friends – are like a good beer.  You just can’t get enough.

So, CHEERS to this family trip and the nearly 4-thousand miles that brough us all a little closer together in a land (at least for Sarah and me) that isn’t really close in distance, but is definitely closer in our hearts.

It’s officially official.  We are moving… again.  I hope this will be our last move.  Sarah has accepted a position in Austin and so we’ll be packing our bags, and our dogs, to move to the capital of this great state.  As of yet, I have not found a job.  But at this point, I feel comfortable with prospects.  I’m not exactly nervous just yet.  The big thing is to sell the house and get loose ends tied up here first.  This comes as quite a surprise since we haven’t been here that long.  I know that new beginnings are exciting, but I am also a little sad to leave.  I will definitely miss our wonderful home, church, and this community.  I’ve had the chance to really get to know my mother and father in law, and for that I am so thankful.  We’ll be further away from them, but we’ll always be close.  Janette said to put it into perspective.  We’re moving to Austin, not Afghanistan.  And today I feel much better about things.  I think I needed to have dinner and talk to Sarah’s folks first, just to measure their reaction and get a sense of how they feel.  They’re all grown up, and I think they’ll be ok.  I think we will be ok, too.  Just gotta get used to the change, and re-develop a routine.  Barker and I… we like our routines.

I’ve heard so much spoken about “what goes around, comes around,” (karma) and “nice guys always finish first.”  In the church and in the realm of faith, prayer is key: prayer for someone who is challenging you, prayer for triumphs, prayer for trials.  I think these are all great things to consider when facing hardships.  I believe I’m an incredibly nice person… I think I’m even too nice.  And if nice people like me are taught all these things all our lives, does it give us any sort of advantage when it comes to people who AREN’T taught this?  These are the people who live their lives stomping all over people like me.  So whereas I’m praying for these people and believing that one day they’ll come face to face with a self-realization, these people are living their lives totally squashing people like me — and not even caring.

Do nice people really finish first?

Usually, growing older entitles a person the knowledge to hopefully make wise choices in life, to be employed in order to make money, and to maybe enjoy a beer or glass of wine if one so desires.  Whereas all of these last statements are true for me as an adult, I’ve also taken to the liking of olives and coffee.  Weird, isn’t it?  I began liking olives on my wedding day.  After the warm summer morning, quiet but busy afternoon, and finally, a solemn wedding ceremony and reception filled with love, Sarah and I got to our bed and breakfast for the night to just kick off our shoes to relax.   We did so on the patio outside with a tray of cheese, strawberries, crackers, and olives.  Oh boy, were they good!  And ever since, I’ve enjoyed olives.

Now, it’s coffee.  And I’m not talking about the foo-foo coffee with sugar and cream (which I have preferred before).  No.  No sir.  I enjoy my coffee in its purest form — black.  I’ve had like four cups this morning (I think).  And I’m not even jittery.

We’re making the decision to help our old environment out a bit.  On our last visit to Kroger, we got all of our groceries into our cloth or recycled non-throw away bags.  We were quite proud of ourselves for making this effort.  It’s a small gesture, but think about all the bags we saved.  Then think about all the bags that other people are saving, too… when they use these re-use bags.  It’s very exciting.

Got the lawn mowed and everything is in tip-top shape.  This week, we are getting some projects done around the house.  By the end of the week, we should have our BIG pick-up of the year complete.  We’ll be cleaning out a bunch of stuff and organizing – my favorite!

And, we’ll just see what happens in the future.  Let’s just say… we may have an exciting announcement ahead.  Who knows.

I’ve got to catch up a bit.  Here are some thoughts from more than a week ago until now.

The springtime has brought so much to our lives lately.  I got out the mower for the first time in ages because of the gentle and not-so-gentle rains that recently passed over.  That, combined with some very gorgeous weather has sparked up a growth spurt at this start of this spring season.  As I made the usual trek around the yard with my trusty red push lawnmower, several things went through my head, the most memorable of which was the meaning of manhood.

I came to the realization of being a man means so much more than having the wife, the house, the life of a mature… “boy.”  I think there are so many areas of consideration – being a man of respect toward others; being a man of knowledge and opinion; being a man of conviction; being honest and humble.  For some reason, boys are always looking forward to becoming a man.  But (recalling from my own experience of growing up and being a boy who longed for manhood), boys often times miss the entire meaning and think of becoming a man as just being able to grow facial hair, wearing bigger shoes, and making a family (and the acts that go along with that!)  It makes me think of when I have children and the lessons that I believe I can pass along to them.  If I have boys, I’m not sure they’ll ever quite understand this lesson until they find it on their own.  But when they do, it will be amazing.  It will be the day they find the backyard a bit too overgrown, the sky a little too blue, and life a little too perfect.  It’s exactly how I found that day last week.

In other news, we got to judge two wine events last weekend.  It was a lot of fun.  I was invited to Triple R Ranch near Whitesboro for a blending competition, and then later on that day I was invited to a Celebrity Wine Judging in Grapevine.  The event included a stay at the Gaylord Texan, a wonderful steak dinner, and of course a judging of 14 wines (7 red/7 white).  We were so delighted to take part in both of these tastings.  We have really gotten in to the wine scene of North Texas, and it’s just a great way to make new connections, friends and show how much we love to drink wine!

We are looking at some possibly new, possibly exciting new adventures.  Who knows what will happen, but I have come to the conclusion that life is just so neat.  With the windows open in our home, the air around here right now is so fresh.  It’s a time to remember how lucky I truly am.  The love inside this house is bursting.  I am so lucky to have my wife, and my two dogs.  Our recent trip to New York City reminded me of how awesome our friends our, and as I told Rachel — it doesn’t matter where your friends are; it only matters who your friends are.  With many of our friends stretched across the world really, that statement has never been more true.  John and Mica are in Belize; Todd and Rachel in NYC; Jesse, Mike and Anna are holding down the fort in Central Texas; Princeton is in California; Janette’s a quick drive to Dallas; Butler is in KC. 

New adventures are always waiting for us, and I’m looking forward to sharing it with the people in my life… Sarah, my family, Sarah’s family, and the family of friends we have.

All those country songs have proven themselves to be a little truer to me this past week. I may not be the kind with Skoal rings on my pockets or the guy who drives an International Harvester, but I am one who really enjoys life in a small town (or semi-small town as it were). All this comes to mind right now as we ride the New Jersey Transit rail back to Newark International. Our trip to the Big Apple is over, and now we are going back to our small-town lives, our small house, our not-so-small-but-oh-so-loving dogs, and our regular routine. New York City is a great place and we had a lot of fun! Some highlights included getting to see David Letterman, Conan O’Brien, Jon Stewart, and meeting some of the crew and Harry Smith at the Early Show. We also got in to a few of the most premiere secret bars in the city. We were kind of a big deal. The opera, Ernani, was fantastic. We got some great food in, amazing time with Todd and Rachel, and we also spent a few evenings cooking at home, relaxing from all the walking with a cold beer in our hands.

The thing that really strikes me is-with all that’s going on, and the enormity of people and places-I really find myself consumed not with the distance or subway rides or tall buildings, but rather with how I feel as one tiny person among all of this. I kept thinking to myself how many people do this or that and thinking, ‘Why would I do this or that if everyone else is doing it?’ An example: being a musician or actor.

I may also be a little optimistic (thinking I can do it all or go here ‘real’ quick) or ADD to live in NYC.
But it’s a great place to visit. I think this kind of perspective is something we needed to have.

I do appreciate traveling and this big world, and it just seems to make my place in it, no matter how small, seem important, meaningful, and really great nonetheless.

It just so happens a startling revelation came to my mind today: why am I in such a serious business?  I’ve been going through a lot of soul searching lately, you could say it’s been the result of many unpleasant experiences (combined with many pleasant ones as well!)  Soul searching allows a person to really just take a good hard look at any situation for a little perspective.  Who can’t use a little perspective now and then?

Sometimes I think a little perspective involves quite a bit of bitching.  But really, that’s not what I’m doing.  I’m just being very open to any and all exploratory measures.

Going back to the previous thought — me in this so-called world of serious business.  You know, after a while, murders and sex offenders and fires and death really just gets ya down.  They say people in our line of work really get desensitized to that sort of thing.  And every now and then, you just have to joke about some things (not like we’re morbid, but ya, maybe we are in a way).  Anyway, scatter-brained.  I’ve always been told I’m this goofy sort of guy.  So the question becomes, “Why am I not using my talents in such a way?” 

I had this thought the other day (and I’ve kind of been trying to live by that motto this week): what if I just didn’t say things that were goofy?  What if I held back on some of my thoughts?  You know, a little extra screening before it comes out of my mouth.  It hasn’t been too bad I guess.  I’ve held back on saying things I knew were goofy.  But is that the real me?  Maybe sometimes, people everywhere could use a little more screening involved with their thoughts.  Who knows. 

Well, the “Lists” will continue to be made as I explore more of myself and my situation.  Not that any particular “situation” is even happening.  But like I said before… it’s all a matter of perspective and keeping a tally on things.