Weekend at Lake Almanor

Linz and I went down to Lake Almanor for Thanksgiving as the in-laws rented a house there for the weekend. It was great to be in the mountains on a holiday. Cold weather and a wood stove amp up the holiday spirit like few other things. I miss the cold and the smell of damp leaves on the ground--two things present in the mountains  but rarely found in Redding. Thanksgiving food has never really been my favorite food. I loath cranberry sauce and turkey is . . . well no matter how you dress it is kind of bland. My wife also makes this green bean casserole and I wish I could say how much I love it, but that would be a lie, a lie because I think it is, to put it politely, not so good. All her family loves it and it is a staple of the feast. I wish I did like it, honest!

Food aside, I like the way Linz family does Thanksgiving, everyone brings something to the meal and the feast is a group effort. Next year I will bring something to the meal and then the feast will be great for me too. 

To end on a good note, Mom Endeman makes these Alabama biscuits that are to die for. I had like six or seven smothered in butter and jam. 

Enjoy these pics from a great weekend

Oh yeah, Carter got Carsick on HW 36 and spewed bananas and carrots all over his little self. Apparently my driving blows chunks. 

Sweet 16 and I am Committed . . . we will see

I have been toying with the idea of doing the Redding Marathon. It is by no means a big marathon participant wise (only 107 people ran it last year), but the course looks great and the running community here is a fantastic bunch of people. The Sweat Running Club puts on great races and I would expect nothing less of the marathon. 

I tested the waters yesterday and ran 16 miles. I could not have made it if my good friend Ben didn't join me on the last 8 as he was a huge lift and a magnanimous encourager. I completed with fairly decent splits and only a 4 minute differential between my two sets of 8. My pace averaged  7:50 a mile. I would like to see that drop to a 7:30 which would put my finishing time for the marathon around 3 hours and 15 minutes.  I believe this to be an achievable goal but I would really be happy with anything under 3 hours and 30 minutes. I have not handed in my paper work for the race thus making me uncommitted at the moment . . . but we shall see. In all, great run. Being disciplined and testing the limits of my body has garnered minor, but significant transformations in my daily life. Having a baby makes you do crazy things. If Carter was not here I doubt I would be making such efforts. Speaking of Cater . . . 

Carter tells us about his day and explains to Linz and I why he has trouble sleeping though the night. In this photo Carter is in mid-lecture, "I gonna cry till you feed me. I got the stamina to do it and I think I proved that last night when I screamed for 60 minutes strait. You caved in the end as I suspected you would. You are weak and my lungs and desire for milk are strong. Frankly I don't care what What to Expect the First Year says I know what I want and I smart enough to get it. You see mom and dad, It is all in my master plan . . . And don't get so down, strength and perseverance are good qualities, you should be happy I got em."

Carter, the Christmas Baby, looks retrospectively at his sleep performance as of late before making the journey to the Kooy's house for some delicious ribs.
One more picture for you grandma GiGi!

French Press

Linz got me a French Press for my birthday a while back. Best gift ever! It creates the most amazing, silky, velvety, sensational coffee on the face of the planet and maybe even the entire universe. Angels visit me regularly and ask me for a cup. It pairs nicely with all the dark roasts from Sue's. So don't delay, go on and throw out those old, clunky, counter hogging machines and embrace this old style brewing as your way of the future. 

It is tremendous 

Could these pictures be any cooler? . . . I submit that they could not!

A comment about the weekend that ends in a huge comment/question about Salvation

Great Weekend. Though it is odd and somewhat disappointing that 80 degree weather strike the north-state mid November, I would be kidding myself if I said I haven't enjoyed this present Indian summer. I got several great runs in over the weekend in which my splits were low, solid and consistent. In these runs I was not intentionally trying to burn up asphalt, I think my cruising pace has just quickened and that is exciting for me. Everybody should run because it is seemingly absurd, and life is seemingly filled with absurdity. But the more you run, the less absurd it becomes--kind of like life. Running is a healer, an educator, and life clarifier. I think Jesus would have been a runner if he wasn't the savior.

But alas, to more important things--Linz is on this understanding Mormonism kick. We watched a PBS documentary and now she is reading Under the Banner of Heaven by John Krakauer, a book that is more about fundamentalism and religious extremism than Mormonism. But in all, we have had some interesting discussions. Let me preface this observation/comment/question by drawing your attention to a few facts. As of 2005, according to the World Christian Database, Christianity is the fifth fastest growing religion behind Islam, Bahai Faith, Sikhism and Hinduism. However, Krakauer claims in his book (copy-write 2003) "At present in the United States there are more Mormons that Presbyterians or Episcopalians. On the planet as a whole, there are now more Mormons that Jews. Mormonism is considered in some sober academic circles to be well on its way to becoming a major world religion--the first of such faith to emerge since Islam." All this to say that these religions of the world are overwhelmingly attractive to those seeking a devout spiritual life style. But Why?

Salvation in Christianity, as defined by Wikipedia, is a "gift that comes to an individual by God's grace, sometimes defined as "unmerited favor", on the basis of one's personal belief in and dependence on the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Salvation in this sense refers to God's activities in bringing humans into right relationship with God and with one another through faith in Jesus Christ." So their is nothing that we humans do but accept the gift. We do nothing, God gets the credit and we get eternal salvation in return. Pretty good deal right? One could say that salvation in other religions of the world is not dependent on God's grace, but rather is dependent on mans ability to do good works. Adherents to Islam follow a strict code of ritual and conduct to attain salvation. Mormons, though they say that their salvation is found in Christ further research reveals that eternal salvation is not granted on an individual level, but is dependent on the salvation of one's entire family. Salvation through works is a staple in every other religion. 

My question to you all is this: What is so appealing about shouldering the responsibility of one's own salvation. The fact that war and injustice riddle the world is a testament to mans imperfection. How could we think for a second that we have within us the ability to get it right by ourselves? Why is the free gift so hard to unwrap? 

Revolution and Propaganda

So, incase you haven't noticed Obama's face has been plastered everywhere. This alone does not concern me, prominent celebrity and political faces are seen all over the place. What concerns me is how Obama's face is being plastered.  But first, let me draw your attention to these eye catching images that I found on google. The one below is of the Russian Bolshevik leaders. It is painted on the side of a large building somewhere in Russia. Note the bold use of color and the commanding black and white contrast in their faces. Impressive, forbidding, and moving 

Next is this Russian propaganda poster of Lenin. I don't know the translation of the Russian, maybe Joel can tell us, but look at the simplicity, again the bold chiseled lines--Iconic!
This poster of Che shares similar attributes in the depiction of his face to those above. Simple, and easily recognizable. Again the use of chromatic negative-film type color (I am sure there is a professional pop art term to for this, if someone knows please tell me) 
What would be a line up of revolutionary posters without Mr. Castro of Cuba. Now, I am no pop art scholar or a history of revolutions guru, but I do have eyes and I did take several world history classes through out my academic career,
and what is pictured below, the face of our new president depicted in pop art, revolution fashion, is for me, a little freighting. It is my belief that this pop art poster is no naive accident. It bares to close a resemblance to its forerunners to be innocent "get out the vote" propaganda. I am not inferring in any way that Obama is the antichrist or that America is soon to become a socialist regime (as those ideas are unwarranted, outlandish fear based assumptions), but I just feel that we should be aware and critical of the sensationalism surrounding our new President.  
Note, just as in all the other propaganda posters, the pop art style and simplicity, the bold lines, the use of color. Why now at this juncture in American history? Just some observations, let me know what you think. 

Pee-eew Human Poo

Two things have happened since we started feeding Carter substances that resemble big kid food: he has found his boy parts; and second, his poop now wreaks like the underworld if everybody in the fourth circle of hell moved their bowls at the same time. To the non-parent these two developments are seemingly unrelated, but think for just a second. Babies wear diapers all the time. The only time their diapers are off is when they are in the bath or being changed. As a result, the only time Carter can explore his new found toy (his penis) is when we are changing his diaper, the very diaper that is filled with the stench of the underworld and some thick gooey man poop to match. The kicker is that because of the new food Carter only poops like every other day (do not fear, this is not uncommon as some babies will go a week) the result is an epic blowout that covers every inch of his size three Huggies, including his little nuts. Congratulations to me, my son now has poop all over his hands and their headed straight for his mouth! 

                            Carter plays the bongo at the Gerzyinskie's house on Halloween 
Peas are a staple in the new diet and a main culprit in the creation of foul oder