Duck Hunting in the Morning

I am taking the week off. I have taken the week between Christmas and New Year's off for several years now. It is starting to feel like a tradition. This vacation started with a trip to Groesbeck to hunt with friends. The weather did not cooperate and was extremely windy the entire time. On the first night that the wind started to die down, I spent the entire evening watching a guy on a Cat. D9 clearing the land next door. Everyone else saw game; I saw the dozer. I had planned to take the end of the week and go out to the farm in Abilene, but then decided that duck hunting would be more fun. Plus it would be close to home.

I picked up my duck stamp today and headed out to the lake to do some scouting. I was disappointed to see that the lake was so low. It is down about three feet and there is much exposed shoreline where there once was water right up to the trees. I did find ducks, but it will be hard to get to them. A few flew over within shooting distance as I sat along the shore. I will probably set the decoys as close to the water's edge as possible and sit in the trees about 20 yards away. I think that is as close as I will be able to get to the water. An alternative will be to use my goose layout blind right at the water's edge. I'm not sure how that will work, but I will probably try anyway. We'll see how it goes. I've got the rest of the week to figure it out.

Christmas Morning

Merry Christmas. I so love to get up early on Christmas morning. We traditionally have an egg casserole for breakfast and I can smell it warming in the oven. So good! Last night we attended a Christmas Eve service to celebrate and be reminded of the reason we have this holiday. I am continually amazed each year when I stop and really contemplate the awesome act of God becoming man and being born the lowliest of the low in our world...just to redeem us as a people for himself. Amazing! So, as we exchange gifts that bring temporary joy, we will think of the permanent joy we have in Jesus Christ, the best gift ever.

Christmas Eve Eve

Driving into work this morning, I was thinking about several tragedies that occurred yesterday in Dallas. Three people lost their lives in senseless acts. A grandmother lost her life in a car accident because someone left a sprinkler system on and coated the road with ice. Two people were shot in their cars by a random gunman. Tragedies. My family is safe at home sleeping late. I am so thankful, praise the Lord! May he strengthen those who have suffered loss and bring justice to the criminal.

Professional Licensure

A friend of mine who has been an engineer for a long time, recently left academia for private practice. He also relocated and needed to be licensed in his new state. He has achieved that license and commented about it in his blog, remarking on a certain feeling of independence that accompanied the achievement. I have often felt like obtaining registration for architects, or engineers, is more a rite of passage than an acknowledgment of competence. However, even as a rite, the day I knew I had passed all nine tests for mine, I was ecstatic! So, here's to you, Dave...Merry Christmas!

BTW, it took me three hours of total incompetence with HTML to figure out there was a "space" missing in the code for the Last Fm widget. I figure it out, though...odd as that may be. Cool site.

New Orleans = Food

When I first came to N.O., I really didn't have many expectations. Of course, I thought of the potential damage I might see from the storms. And I thought of the images I had seen on TV both during the storms and Mardi Gras. But I don't know that either of those had formed an image in my mind about what things would be like here. After two trips, though, I have started to form some definite opinions.

I think that the most strongly held would be the N.O. is about food. Now, I'm not talking about food by price or the availability. Really, I'm talking quality. I have had the most wonderful experiences eating here. From Rocky & Carlos in Chalmette, to Commander's Palace, the food has been worth the trip. Please bear in mind that those comments come from a guy that usually dosen't care what he's eating, too.

The image is from the sidewalk outside Herbsaint on St. Charles Avenue. I had the best redfish I have ever eaten just inside...

Heading Home Tonight

I'm headed home tonight. It will be late, but I'm glad to be getting back. Unfortunately, I have to go to New Orleans for a meeting Thursday night. That's not all bad, though. We just might win the job. And that would be so good. I guess it's worth the extra travel day.

Being A Better Dad

I want to be a better dad. As I have watched my boys grow and mature, I realize that there are transitions I need to make. And while I am in the solace of the morning study, they seem so clear. However, when the heat of the day comes and fatigue sets in, the decisions are hard. I need to demonstrate the self discipline required to make the tough call and be a better dad.

Of the things most needed from me by my boys, relationship seems to be at the top of the list. It is much easier to be the disciplinarian. I come home from work and get an ear full of the issues of the day that I need to deal with. This tends to set the tone for the evening and the chance to just develop relationships dwindles. The weekends are too short and everything on Saturday and Sunday is a rush. I think that is part of why I so enjoy the hunting and fishing weekends - no rush.

I cannot count how many times that one of my sons has asked me to play or to interact some way with clearly unfinished chores or duties. I think they also feel the need to capitalize on the time together, yet I most often choose to make them meet their responsibilities. This takes the time we had for relationship and so it is lost. Please, don't get me wrong, I am not about to advocate that they be allowed to abdicate responsibilities, but there must be change enough that we get to play as well.

I don't have the answers, but I am trying. As a part of the things that I must get in order in my life, this is one of them. Nathan is 11 and within a few months of being 12. Pierce and 9 and thinks he is 12. The time is short to resolve this issue. So, as I begin this day, 1500 miles away from home, I will spend this time in prayer that God will give me the wisdom and self discipline to make this change before it is too late.

Off To Boston

I'm off to Boston in the morning. We are designing a school for autistic children in the UAE. The school is operated by the Boston-based New England Children's Center. We are meeting over the next couple of days to complete the design development planning for the project. As usual, I am leading the planning meetings.

I have been keeping and eye on the ice storm in the North East. I don't think I will have any trouble with the trip, but if we do, it will be an adventure.

The economic downturn has affected the architectural industry here in North Texas. Just about everyone has had to downsize. We have several projects that are up in the air. I am faithful to continue praying that God will sustain us and the families that are directly affected by my actions. So far, he has blessed us deeply.

New TV

I caved this weekend and bought a new TV. I had resisted for a long time because i really don't think we watch enough to justify the cost. Spending $1500 to $2500 seemed ridicules to say the least. But, I allowed myself to go to Best Buy anyway.

I really didn't have any aspirations to buy, but the LG 50" plasma TV caught my eye. Beautiful picture clarity and a price tag of $999 got my attention. I quizzed the sales people for sometime. "I'm having a hard time seeing the difference between the picture on the 720P LG and the LCD set right next to it sporting 1080P, what's the deal," I asked. As it turned out, the signal sent to all the TV's was 720P...and it was beautiful. Good enough for them to sell the TV's at all price points. So I asked, "How do you get 1080P and why don't you display it?" Again, I was surprised at the answer. Brodcasts over cable/sat and air are 720P, with no intention of going to 1080P any time soon. The only way to enjoy 1080P is with a Blue-Ray DVD or On-Demand cable/sat. I have neither, so I started really warming up to the 720P.

"Are there other advantages to LCD over Plasma," I asked. "Well, the LCD's don't have any screen reflections, but the plasma's have glass that might give reflections. And the LCD's are brighter. The screens may last longer and there is no potential for burn-in." "Ok. So, does the extended warranty cover screen burn-in," I reply. "Yep." I'm in. I don't have a bright room to put the set in, and screen reflections have never been a problem in the past, so I didn't see the advantages being worth twice the price or more.

We coupled the TV with Bose 321 GS Series II sound system. Not the best acoustically, but I am the only one in the family that cares about that. A high end component audio system with 7.1 surround, etc. has a low WAF (Wife Approval Factor). The Bose sounds fine.

My only disappointment after installation was the lip-sync errors I was seeing on over the air broadcast. I was really disturbed until I researched the issue. Not only do I have the issue, a lot of others do as well. The problem does not seem to be related to the components I purchased, rather it seems to lie with the tv stations. I have tested this theory out by closely viewing several other HD setups of varying brand and the problem exists in them as well. I will concede that the problem might be in the signal processing of the audio unit. Most setups include an audio delay feature to correct for the large TVscreen refresh, but this problem is the opposite. The video is ahead of the audio. An audio delay feature won't solve the problem.

So, at the end of the day, with an investment equivalent to an upper end LCD and 36 moths no interest, we purchased the TV, sound system and new furniture stand. I think we're happy.

Merry Early Christmas

Better Day

Day 1 of getting things back to some state of balance went fairly well. I believe I am correct about rising early and getting home at a reasonable hour. I was able to be productive in the office and had time in the evening for family. We'll see how day 2 goes.

Surprised and Shocked

I really surprised myself yesterday. After I posted, I went to my blog page just to see how long it had been since my previous post. I was shocked to find that the previous post was the same topic one month back. Nothing had changed. WOW. That discovery was the nexus of some serious prayer and introspection last night as I sought to identify causes and resolve change. I thought I might share a few of the highlights.

Things first started to get out of control heavily last July. That month marked the most travel I have ever had to do. I was away for most of the month without any quality time at home between trips. During that time, my family became very independent. That in its self is not a bad thing, it is just that I didn't seem to factor into their plans in the same way I had before. That started some serious stress for me because after I was around again, our schedules never seemed to sync. So, it was just like I wasn't there.

I attempted to make my work schedule fit into my family schedule by shifting my work time. For many years I have been an early riser. I would spend quality time with the Lord in the morning and get into work early. This would lead to my being able to get home early in the evening and to having time to spend with my family. But my boys got involved with all sorts of activities that take place in the late afternoon and early evening. So, when I did get home early, they were not there. Couple that with the tendency of people in my office to call meetings or want to discuss something starting at 5:00 and it just makes for a 9 or 10 hour day without benefit. Changing my schedule so that I came into work later and got home later seemed like a viable solution. I would get to see my family in the morning and get home in the evening when they did...right?

Wrong. I still didn't get to see my family. As it turned out, we ended up staying up later in the evenings and they slept later in the mornings. The later evenings just frustrated my wife and the time spent wasn't very good. At work, I had to hit the ground running and every day seemed like a sprint. Getting in later only caused me to rush around, cramped my early meetings and set a poor tone for the day. Additionally, the meetings late in the evening didn't stop, they just pushed out further. I guess that there are a lot of people that do nothing but work.

I don't want to be that guy, the guy that only works. I want balance. I want to be a part of my family as an active participant, not a spectator. So, I have resolved to get things back in order. That will require a great amount of commitment on my part and some risk as well. First, I am going to recognize that I need to rise early and have my quiet time. That sets the tone for my day. It is a must. I must also get into the office early. I need the time to prepare for and plan the day. If I don't have that time, every event seems to be handled in crisis management mode. That is unacceptable. I realize that I'll be getting home earlier and the boys will still be out, but that's OK. If I commit to leaving on time, I can be a more active participant in their world. I can get to soccer or MMA, late maybe, but I can still get there. That's where the risk comes in. I must commit to leaving on time, regardless.

I am going to attempt to put these measures into place starting today. I need serious prayer for the strength to do this and for protection from the risks. There are other things I have decided as well and I may share them at a later date. For now, let's see how today goes...

Running like Crazy

Do you ever have the feeling that you just can't catch up? With life, I mean. I do. Somewhere in my past there was a routine that gave me some peace. I don't know where that went, but it went away. For months, now, I seem to be just dealing with one event after another in crisis mode. I have been telling myself things like, "I need to clean up my desk," or "...maybe I need to schedule blocks of time during the day for groups of related events...and force myself to stick to them." I don't know...I am sure that I'll get it all worked out...eventually.

On a totally different note, an old friend had decided to take a break from blogging for a while. At least he had the courtesy to tell people that. I realize I have not told anyone I was going to quit for a while, but then again, I didn't make a formal decision to quit. But, he's back at it and I'm glad. We may not talk very much any more, but I do appreciate reading his blog. It is one of the few things from the old routine...