A winding road . . .

I am ok by the way

2006-05-09T13:44:00.000-07:00

My bike is fine and so is my health. Sorry for not mentioning that earlier.

What happened next . . .

2005-12-27T20:24:00.000-08:00

Read the previous post then click here (keep clicking if it doesn't open).

Rosebud

2005-12-27T12:51:00.000-08:00

Christmas is over. 2006 is just around the corner. Beth and I now have bicycles. Mine is a Giant Rincon. I've named it Rosebud (keep clicking if it doesn't open). Reminds me of childhood adventure. Where the world is this big unexplored island of wonder. I rode Rosebud to work today - about 5 miles. It was painful at times - but I have strong legs. I have to ride it home - I hope I make it. If not, I'll have to camp out by the side of the road until Bethany comes to pick me up.

As Requested . . .A Wish List

2005-12-14T07:13:00.000-08:00

I was reluctant to write this because I really don't know what I would want (and I am always reluctant to blog anyway - sorry Beth). But at the urging of certain people who will remain nameless (you know who you are) I will try my best to think of some things that I would not object to receive during the Christmas season:

Music

One of these albums (this one or this one) from the Doves would be nice
This is the only album of The Innocence Mission we don't have
If you bought a gift subscription to eMusic.com, you would be my friend (my email address is brad@clayfeetproductions.com)

Magazines

A subscription to this magazine would be great (great photography tips).
Or this one.

Movies/TV

I would love to have any season (not the first - the later the better) of these:

Simpsons
Futurama
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (on this one, earlier seasons are better)
Seinfeld

Some movies that I wouldn't mine adding to my collection (wide screen versions):

The Apartment
umm. . . I can't think of anymore right now (oh well).

Books

These G.K. Chesterton books would be lovely:

The Everlasting Man

Father Brown Mysteries

Manalive

Autobiography

Collected Poetry : Part 1

Jasper Fforde "The Big Over Easy : A Nursery Crime"
There is much more, but that's enough for now

Misc.

Gift certificates are always nice: Frys, Target, Newegg.com, Best Buy - are all good.

And that's all I can think of right now - so this concludes my wish list for 2005.

Merry Christmas!

A Lovely Day For a Picture

2005-11-05T22:13:00.000-08:00

Well, we took pictures downtown today (if you read my wife's blog then you already know that). I took a lot because I tend to be long winded sometimes - but a choice few of the ones I took can be seen here----------> Enter Enjoy the journey. . .

Photo Stream of Conscience . . .

2005-11-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Time is Limited: What is Important?

2005-10-20T08:08:00.000-07:00

I asked myself to remember David B Loughran not because he is anyone important, but because he reminded me of something very important. I somehow stumbled across this site where this Mr. Loughran was discussing something about those who truly belong to God. He said some very interesting stuff - I didn't read all of it. But I disagreed with much of it and I wanted to e-mail him to ask him some questions: mainly if he thought that belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was the only way to truly belong to God. So I started to browse the site to try to find an e-mail address. Then I stumbled across this page. And my heart broke.
I asked myself to remember David B Loughran because time here is short. There are many perishing around me - do I know who they are? Do I bother to ask if they know Jesus Christ? Do I even care? Of course I do, but there are many distractions here. So I must remember what is important. I don't want to have that feeling again. That feeling of
- it's too late- . That feeling of wasted time and wasted life. I want be passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. I want to care about the spiritual well being of those around me. I need to remember why I am here and what is important.

Remember David B Loughran . . .

2005-10-10T21:05:00.000-07:00

I will explain this very soon.

Dead Things Blow Away And The New Comes Up Suddenly

2005-08-05T15:26:00.000-07:00

And later that week, Brad would be surprised to hear from none other than Chris Blake, Art Director at eInstruction, informing him that he had indeed been hired and would start in about a week. Elated, Brad contacted Bethany, his wife, and told her the good news. There was much rejoicing.

After about a week, Brad started his new job. Unlike at his previous job, his new job was inside - in the air conditioning. And again there was much rejoicing.

As Brad continued to blog he was interrupted by his lovely wife and he decided to stop - besides, he thought, I can always finish tomorrow. And He decided that he would.

to be continued . . . (yeah right, Bethany says)

by the way: Joe in the previous story is fine. After a month in the hospital his bones mended quite nicely (except for his left leg which is now slightly crooked and shorter than his right). Luckily, the axe was still intact. Unfortunately, since Joe went unconcious immediately after he spotted the axe in the road, he has know idea where the axe is to this day and may never know.

A Short Story About Joe and His Axe

2005-06-30T00:02:00.000-07:00

Joe was a very impatient man. That is why, as he sat in the unmoving afternoon traffic, he screamed at the top of his lungs and banged his head into his horn several times. And as a couple of cars behind him FIRED back with their response, it took every ounce of Joe's strength to stop himself from jumping out of his car in a rage. To calm himself, he took out a small container filled with CANNED peaches. He slurped them down. And DISMISSED the sounding horns behind him. Joe was late for his 5 o'clock appointment at the museum. The ancient Egypt exhibit was being UNINSTALLED today and was being replaced with "weapons of the great west". If he did not get to the museum before 5pm, he would lose out on the deal of a lifetime. He had only yesterday received a very important artifact from England - dating back to the middle ages - an axe with a beautiful jeweled handle. He GOT THE AXE from his good friend, Nigel, who lived in Liverpool. Where Nigel found the axe, Joe hadn't a clue - and didn't care. Nigel had owed him this favor for a while and Joe was thankful he had finally come through.

Joe was hopeful that, this time, the museum director would see him. For last time, he was SENT AWAY, immediately, when the director heard who it was. Joe was not very popular at the museum. Once, he had brought (what he had thought to be) a very ancient stone tablet he had SACKED from Iraq. But it had turned out to be a fake and he was nearly FORCED OUT of the business. Although he was ASKED TO LEAVE AND TO NEVER COME BACK, his resolve was never TERMINATED. He was coming back strong with this one.

The traffic started to pick up speed and Joe let out a sigh. He sucked back in when a car swerved in front of him and slowed down. Joe REMOVED his hand from the gear shift and planted his hand firmly into his horn. And held it there - hoping the very slow elderly idiot would get a clue. When the car finally veered off into the other lane, he LAID OFF the horn.

He had 10 minutes. He was definitely going to make it. He glanced at his back seat quickly to make sure the axe was ok - to gain a little more confidence that was lost in the traffic. But the axe was not there. He looked quickly to his front seat. And the axe was not there either. Joe slammed on his brakes - in the middle lane, on the highway, going about 60 mph . . . Two cars behind him swerved wildly to miss him. One barely missed. The other smacked his back bumper sending Joe's car spinning. He spun into the left lane and into an SUV that smashed into a concrete wall. Two more cars hit the SUV. And three more hit the two next to the SUV. Then a Semi truck - jackknifing- barreled into the last car behind the two cars next to what was left of the SUV . . . And as Joe slowly moved his head away from the deployed air bag and looked around dazed as the horror around him came into focus, he noticed a small package lying in the lane next to him, underneath a nearly flattened Hyundai Sonata. A small package containing an axe with a beautiful, jeweled handle - dating back to the middle ages - that had flung off of the roof of his car when he slammed on his brakes in the middle lane, on the highway, going about 60 mph.

Poor Joe.

Meanwhile. . . back at the mansion, Alex steps out with his bald head gleaming in the summer sun,"Ok, no more sweeping or anything now Brad. We hired someone to do that. Um, just stand in that corner until you leave. In fact, since your vacation starts next week thursday - why don't you leave now. That way, we won't have to give you your vacation. So leave now or at the end of the week. Think of all the money we'll save! Thank you, Brad. Good bye."

Poor Brad.

The Long, Cicada Summer

2005-06-25T17:54:00.000-07:00

It's official. Summer has come. And the temperature is still rising. I am still working outside. But I feel like my job is slowly phasing out - since I told my boss I was leaving "in August at the latest," although I was hoping to leave sooner. I was asked to give my cell phone to the "new guy" (David Garcia). So I now I have a different cell phone (one I have to pay for). Another guy was hired, a friend of "David Garcia". I don't know his name - I don't think he speaks English. It may be Juzgues, but I'm not sure.

They hired a pool guy so now I don't take care of the pools. "Don't touch the pools anymore" I was told. Alex, the new butler, likes to do all of the various maintenance jobs around the property, so now I don't do that. "I'll do that Brad, don't worry about it." Soon I will probably be asked to leave the gardening to David Garcia and Jusguez. "Please don't touch the garden, Brad. Just keep sweeping." At least I'm still getting paid. Hopefully I get a new job before we move. If I had to stay after August, who knows what would happen. "Ok, no sweeping or anything now Brad. We hired someone to do that. Um, just stand in that corner until you leave."

Alex, the new butler, isn't from England. I didn't know that was legal. I thought all butlers had to speak with an English accent. Oh well. He used to work for Mike Modano until Mike went broke apparently. Poor Mike.

It's almost July already. I had a job interview in February. And I'm still waiting. Like a cicada that's just crawling around in the ground waiting to mature, I'm still crawling around in Dallas. The cicadas are underground for around 17 years until they come up to become full grown. I hope it's not that long. But whenever I hear their buzzing in the trees, it just reminds me of how long they had to wait before they were able to do that. It's a good reminder to just wait - have patience - and trust God. He'll show me the right path at the right time. Like the cicadas, I will soon come up out of my shell here in Dallas and move on. Of course, after a couple of months - the cicadas will die. And my metaphor kind of ends there.

Coming Soon . . .

2005-06-04T22:26:00.000-07:00

An actual blog. With frequent posts and everything!

Please enjoy the scenery. It's synthetic.

To Write

2005-05-07T01:28:00.000-07:00

To write, words
On white page, blank
Thoughts and nothing phrases.

To muse, vision
in mind and heart, vapid
Pen and timid tongue.

Tomorrow, postpone
The solid, wasteful
Waiting prolonged.

Unpublished.
Unposted.
Uninspired.
Until ----.