Thursday, December 25, 2003

Merry Christmas!!! Jeanine is visiting this week, and we're having a great time celebrating the birth of our Savior. Also, we're starting our own Christmas traditions: we decided to cook a Christmas dinner from a different country every year. This year we went with England and made quite a tasty feast - there is good British food, but it is not well-publicized.

Sunday, December 14, 2003

Hey, I've been having some problems with my computer, so I've had a bit of trouble updating my page. 

"The greatest dangers of liberty lurk in insidious encroachment of men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding."

- Justice Louis D. Brandeis

Last week: I was in the field leading small teams through weapons, first aid, and chem warfare evaluations, and I won $33 in poker (with a $10 buy-in).

I saw The Last Samurai last night, and I think that Japan changed too quickly. They went from a medieval to a modern society almost overnight and gave up many of their cherished traditions and values along the way. I think their involvement in WWII had little to do with us and more to do with their society reasserting their values, their warrior spirit, and fighting against all the modernization (much of which came from us). Don't get me wrong - the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor was treacherous - but I can understand a bit more why they were fighting.

Tuesday, December 2, 2003

Happy Birthday, my beautiful darling! My birthday wish for you is that this coming decade would be better than the previous one. (And I think this wish will come true.)

Sunday, November 30, 2003

I had a great time with my family. We made Thanksgiving dinner, saw Miramount Castle (really more of a manor), walked around the historic parts of the city (Manitou Springs and Old Colorado City), and sat around talking a lot. Also, apparently today is my golden birthday, when your age is the same as the date. Yes, today is the day I cease being young, vigorous, and virile, and begin a long but swift slide into decrepitude.

Thursday, November 27, 2003

Happy Thanksgiving! My family (parents and Sarah) are out visiting, and it's great having them here! We (mostly Mom) made Thanksgiving dinner and sat around talking and watching movies.

I'm back, and the exercise went well, though it was freezing at night; and we had no heat. Also, it was harder being the camp commander than I expected. Still, everyone seemed to have a pretty good time, especially with the obstacle course and nighttime raid and evacuation. I slept for 12 and a half hours when I finally returned.

Sunday, November 16, 2003

Well, I'm running a deployment readiness exercise all this week (M-F), and I'll be camping out in the mountains with a bunch of JAGs, paralegals, and finance personnel. The exercise is designed to teach survival skills, and hopefully it will be a lot of fun, though truthfully I would rather be participating than running it. So, I won't be able to answer email or update this for a week. (No snide comments on how it won't be different from any other time - I've been very busy.)

Tuesday, November 11, 2003

Happy Veterans' Day! Sorry about not posting recently; I've been otherwise occupied. Jeanine continues to improve, and work has been quite busy.

Saturday, November 1, 2003

Congratulations, Todd and Paulette! And welcome to the world Michael Dorian! My friends, I think you will be great parents.

Well, friends, I'm back, and I have gone through probably the most difficult time in my life, and it is difficult for me to write this. On Thursday, Oct 2, Jeanine was admitted to the hospital; she was there for about 12 days before being discharged. I flew out there that Thursday stayed with her until this past Friday. Thankfully, the doctors said she should make a full recovery, but we did have to postpone the wedding. I am extremely grateful to God for seeing us both through this.

Thursday, October 2, 2003

Well, wedding issues have come up, and I'm flying out today instead of next week. I will not be able to respond to email until probably the end of October. Sorry for the abruptness.

Sunday, September 28, 2003

Love is not a feeling; love is commitment. Love is partly based on feeling, but feelings are transient while love is constant. Love always lifts and seeks what is best for another.  Love is best expressed through action. Also, the strength of a man's character and the degree of his selflessness determine the depth of his love.

Two weeks to the wedding!

Thursday, September 25, 2003

I had an unexpected revelation today: running can be good. Today, I had the best run of my life. Normally, I loathe running because I always feel like I'm dying, seriously. But today, I ran with a colleague, and we kept a steady, moderate pace for 5k. And I was tired but not dying - I felt good! I discovered that before, I had always tried to run too fast and breathed too shallow, which prevented me from running more than a mile without feeling horrible and thinking no torture on earth could possibly be worse than running. I never thought I would ever enjoy running, but today, I could see myself someday, in the far distant future, actually tolerating - no - even liking it.

Saturday, September 20, 2003

Well, Jeanine made it through the hurricane just fine, and her power is now back on.

Every problem, at its very root, is a chance to turn to God or away from God.

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

Wow - Jeanine's base, Langley, was evacuated today for Hurricane Isabel and will be evacuated for the rest of the week! Some people are so lucky...

One month to the wedding!

On a more somber note...

Friday, September 5, 2003

My base is in the middle of an inspection right now, but it is going well for our office. As part of the inspection, I had to lead a 10 man squad of people I had never met through a day long (12 hours) event that included demonstrating a large variety of first aid procedures and weapons skills. Then I lead the same team through a very involved exercise where I was basically a small forward camp commander, and I had to accomplish certain objectives while our camp was being attacked with different chemical weapons. It was quite challenging, chaotic, and fun. Our team satisfactorily met all requirements (a good thing!), and it was my first time leading troops in these scenarios.

Sunday, August 31, 2003

Yay - Jeanine is here visiting for the weekend! We're having a great time (too short as always) - my sixth trip to the Flying W Ranch, and Cold Stone Creamery employees have to sing when you tip them.  Also, today there are only 6 weeks to the wedding - which is the next time we will see each other.

One cannot make another happy through appeasement. Appeasement only postpones conflict. One can help make another happy through love and one's own attitude, but ultimately it is up to the other person to be happy or not.

Sunday, August 24, 2003

Well, I just got back from St. Louis. I was there for less than 36 hours, but it was time enough to participate in a friend's wedding. Congratulations, Steve and Krystal! May the Lord smile upon your union.

Tuesday, August 19, 2003

We had a great time: bookstores, the Flying W Ranch, music stores, Garden of the Gods, bookstores, Royal Gorge, music stores, the Golden Bee, bookstores, Seven Falls, music stores, downtown, bookstores, lots of good food, music stores, and great desserts! Sure, I was sick the whole time, and let's not forget the ketchup incident; but it was great fun. Jim and Sylwinn, thanks for visiting!

Tuesday, August 12, 2003

Welcome, Jim and Sylwinn! Congratulations on being my first friends to come visit.

Two months to the wedding!

Ok, so my sometimes 3rd rate ISP (Access US) changed the way they allow access and uploads to personal web pages - without telling anyone - but trust me - you didn't miss much from me.

Here is something cool. My fiancee's sister (who is 18) wrote a short piece that was published in The Washington Post!

Saturday, August 2, 2003

Why was the show Married with Children so popular? Ugh! And also, when are 80s fashions going to make a comeback?

Tuesday, July 29, 2003

Good bye Bob Hope. You made me laugh. A lot.

In other news, my racquetball skills remain as sharp as ever. They say the more you run in racquetball, the worse you are. Well, I did a lot of running today.

Our office is hosting a legal conference this week, and tonight I took some of the attendees on a tour of one of my favorite places, Garden of the Gods. It was a hoot. And tomorrow night is a big dinner at the Flying W Ranch - my third time there in just over a year.

Saturday, July 19, 2003 

I climbed a mountain today - not too high but more challenging than I expected. Lots of fun, some danger, and relatively few injuries!

Thursday, July 17, 2003

If I could change one thing about our criminal judicial system, it would be speedier trials. Sure, they're relatively quick now, but the closer punishment is to wrongdoing, the more effective it is in terms of correcting behavior.

Sunday, July 13, 2003

The Winfrey family reunion was a blast! I saw some relatives that I haven't seen in years (since we are scattered all over the country). It took place in Burlington in eastern Colorado, right next to Kansas. Some relatives who live there invited me back for the county fair and rodeo in August. Maybe I'll go - I've never been to a rodeo.

Friday, July 11, 2003

Well, it's been a long couple of days. We had an exercise that involved me working from 5:15pm to 6:15am. Oh well, that's the military. Tomorrow I'm going to a family reunion.

Hey, I had a great time with my fiancee and her family in DC. We watched the fireworks downtown, saw Finding Nemo (a great movie!), went to a cookout at her brother's house where I met a large portion of her extended family, and even fit in a tasting at the caterer's (very tasty). My flight out with American Airlines, however, was rather poor. The first plane was delayed an hour and a half, which caused me to miss my connection in Dallas, so they put me up in a hotel, where I got four hours of sleep before rushing back to the airport early the next morning to catch my 7:15 flight only to discover that it was canceled meaning I had to wait until the next one 9:25. And that's the short version. But that's relatively minor. I had a great weekend, and I can't wait to marry the woman I love.

Thursday, July 3, 2003

Well, it's off to DC this holiday weekend to visit my fiancee and perhaps finalize some more wedding stuff (like a tasting with the caterer and perhaps a sampling of some wedding cakes - right up my alley). I must say I do like the patriotic symbolism of being in our nation's capital for Independence Day.

Tuesday, July 1, 2003 

Say what you will about the recent war with Iraq, but our astoundingly quick victory has done more for world peace than any negotiations. North Korea, Syria, and Iran got a whole lot quieter after we won. Even Arafat seems more inclined toward making peace. However, as a nation we must decide whether we will act as a global cop or only in the interests of national security. This basic policy question has plagued us for decades, and likely will for decades to come as we see heart wrenching images of the victims of conflicts that do not affect US interests.

The new link (yes, the rings - an informative site on our wedding) is a work in progress, so please keep your expectations low.>

Wednesday, June 25, 2003

Too busy for a longer update. My apologies.

Saturday, June 21, 2003

Ok, I have a retraction: the story I posted on Taps is a legend that sprang up shortly after the Civil War. Taps was actually written the way many songs are written - through collaboration, bruised egos, and plagiarism. Sorry about the misinformation and thanks to the one who pointed it out.

Monday, June 16, 2003

Meeting the family went well: I liked them; I think they liked me. We figure we ought to carry on. Also, US Airways lost my luggage and then simply put it in front of my door this afternoon (instead of calling this morning so I could be there to pick it up like they said they would). Thankfully no one stole it.

Thursday, June 12, 2003

Well, I'm off to DC for a few days to meet a few people. Yes, it's that time.

In other news, horseshoes is a lot more exciting than you think.

Monday, June 9, 2003

Happy birthday, Dad! Thanks for all the good advice. I'm old enough now to heed it.

As it turns out, pastry lunches are not as good as you might think.

Also, I think I will not invest in rock climbing shoes after all - I don't really need the encouragement.

Monday, June 2, 2003

Here's some touching military trivia more appropriate for Memorial Day.

Thursday, May 29, 2003 

Ok, we've set the date: 12 October 2003, in Maryland, just north of DC, at Stronghold Manor in the Sugarloaf Mountains. Here's engagement pictures!

For this Memorial Day, I've put up some stuff relating to the recent war.

Editorial from the Daily Mirror

The first digital war

On the ground with the 101st Airborne

Wednesday, May 21, 2003

Did you know they make glass bullets? When the bullet strikes enters the human body, it shatters into tiny fragments that shred one's insides and are also undetectable by X-Ray. These bullets are also illegal to use in every country in the world. Just another car wreck fact for your reading pleasure.

Sunday, May 18, 2003

I heard a DJ say on the radio that he thinks it takes two weeks for a haircut to get ripe, to get really good looking. That's absurd - in fact that's the definition of a bad haircut, since two weeks is about the length of time it takes to grow it out. A haircut should look good the day it's cut.

Wednesday, May 14, 2003

Jeanine and I are engaged! We are tentatively scheduling the wedding for October of this year - quick, I know, but you remember one of the last lines from When Harry Met Sally? "When you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start right now."

Well, I'm off to my city today for a whole week! (No updates until next Sunday at the earliest - you should be used to this kind of behavior by now.) St. Louis is beautiful at this time of year, what with all the trees and flowers and parks and fountains but before it gets oppressively hot.

Thursday, May 1, 2003

Today is National Law Day - a celebration of justice and the rule of law in this country. Our office had a number of events: a 5k run (the military loves celebratory runs), open house at the legal office (see paper shuffling galore), a mock trial in our courtroom put on by local high school students (to whom I have been teaching basic trial practice), a military dog demonstration (easily the furriest event of the day), a luncheon (replete with guest speaker), and a golf tournament (by far the most popular draw - "Celebrate the law - skip out on work"). It was an extremely long day, and I'm very glad it's finally done.

Tuesday, April 29, 2003

You know, whoever invents a hamburger that tastes good and is good for you is going to make millions.

Has everyone seen these "4 Free Airline Tickets!" announcements? Are they scams or good deals?

Wednesday, April 23, 2003

An awards ceremony I planned went very well yesterday - not interesting enough to go into detail, but I did work rather hard on it. Also, it snowed an inch or two today - it's weird catching the scent of blossoms while snow falls on your head.

Sunday, April 20, 2003 

Happy Easter! Christ is risen; He is risen indeed. Today is a celebration of the hope and life given to those who accept Him and His gift.

Party and dessert fun this weekend, and it was really great seeing you, Dave and Heather and, finally, the twins, who are as adorable as everyone said. If you could go to any country in the world this August, just to visit for fun, where would you go?

Thursday, April 10, 2003

Work... so busy... Must... go...

But before I go, have you ever thought that if you could just come up with some some marketable use for earwax, you'd be rich? No? Me, either.

Now... must... sign off...

Monday, April 7, 2003

Charlie, Tracey, Fred, and Molly: I had a great time seeing you. I think the importance of visiting friends is underrated - and I say this knowing that most people consider it to be fairly important. (Yes, this does mean you all have to come visit me.)

Here's another bit from the front.

Sunday, March 30, 2003

On Friday a colleague and I spoke to a group of ROTC students from the University of Illinois and gave them a tour of the office. Telling them about the JAG Department and our office really made me appreciate how much I love my job and how often I get to help people. America is a mighty force for good in the world, and I am proud to be a small part of that. And having a job I enjoy is still a new experience for me, and one that I am grateful for on a daily basis.

Wednesday, March 26, 2003

Here are portions of the final address the commander of the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment, gave to his 800 men before crossing the Iraqi border late last week.

Friday, March 21, 2003

This was a busy week of labor law, and now we're at war (coincidence?). I wrote this at work today:

I was sitting here working, and I checked cnn.com to see how the war was progressing when it struck me - I feel strange:  This is a very odd feeling. I am in the military.  We are at war.  Yet I sit at my desk  working on miscellaneous everyday projects - today they happen to be a new estate planning handout for our office, a Law Day event, and a minor labor law matter.  The only way in which the war touches me is through the empty desks here and there in the office, and even those have been vacant for so many months that I've become accustomed to the absences.  In any event, no one from our office has been deployed into harm's way, so there isn't even concern about their safety floating among the usual office chatter.  This is just another quiet Friday afternoon.  And we are at war.

Last night I went to a Taylor Alumni Dinner here in town. I had a great time, and now I miss Taylor.

Tomorrow, I have my first labor hearing. Let's hope it settles beforehand. Now I have to go work on my case.

Saturday, March 15, 2003

My parents and grandfather are here visiting for a couple of days - yay!

On Wednesday, I was rather unceremoniously and abruptly tossed into labor law. I was assigned as assistant counsel on one labor case on Tuesday. The next day, the lead counsel got called away on an assignment for a week or two, and I was suddenly lead counsel on not just one but two cases - both with hearings next week! It's been a busy few days.

Also, happy birthday, Einstein.

I had such a great time in Hampton and DC.

This morning I was a little less than thrilled with my job: we got recalled, meaning I got a phone call a little after 5am to report in to the office immediately. Stupid exercise. Oh well, that's the military. Also, I was given my first labor law case today.

Friday, March 7, 2003

Well, I'm off to Hampton to visit my girlfriend. We'll be going up to DC to meet up with friends, and we'll probably do some critical hanging out, too. Yay! Also, the US Postal Service is amazing - for 37 cents they will carry a piece of paper from San Diego, CA, to Bangor, Maine. Incredible!

Monday, March 3, 2003

I know I just added an entry yesterday, but I had to point out that today is 030303! (Surely I'm not the only one who thinks this is cool...)

I went skiing today! It was so fun - I hadn't been in 8 years, but as it turns out, it's just like riding a bicycle (metaphorically speaking). Colorado is such a great state. And now I'm quite tired, so I think I'll be off to bed.

Thursday, February 27, 2003

Really busy week. I had a mock trial today at a local high school, and it went really well. I prosecuted Goldilocks for Housebreaking, Larceny, and Destruction of Private Property, and she was found guilty. Also, I got hit on by a 16 year old girl. Next week, I'll go back and lecture on carnal knowledge and statutory rape. All in all, a good day.

Saturday, February 22, 2003

Why can't people drive around some simple barriers?! At the gates of my base are some concrete barriers that one must drive around in an S curve to enter or exit the base. Obviously, they're there to prevent someone from charging into the base. The speed limit on base is 30 mph. The S curve is not very sharp - I could walk a straight line through the barriers. I can maintain 30 mph driving through the barriers. However, some people slow down to 5 MPH! 5 MPH! This makes me crazy, and there's nothing I can do about it. Except rant. and try to get in front of people exiting the base and educate them as to the proper barrier driving speed.

There is some dispute over the chocolates. One friend, whose judgment I normally trust in this area, claims these are actually the finest chocolates in the world. I may have to arrange for a choc-off.

In other news, I just reformatted my hard drive and am reinstalling my software. It's great - it's almost like having a new computer - everything is faster and less cluttered and minty fresh.

Saturday, February 15, 2003

Happy late Valentine's Day! My girlfriend is visiting, so that's lots of fun! Also, I have discovered the best chocolates in the world. I've had many kinds of chocolate, from France, Switzerland, and Belgium, and this tops them all. There is no other way to say it - these are, without a doubt, the best chocolates in the world.

Monday, February 10, 2003

I'm attending a fiscal law course via video teleconferencing. I go into the office in the morning, check email and messages, then head over to another building for the course. At the end of the day, I go back to the office in theory to get messages and email before heading home. However, I've discovered that if one appears in the office during the day, no matter how briefly, others assume that one is "in" and will happily leave work on one's desk, thereby providing one with a regular week's worth of work to be somehow completed while one is attending an all day course for 4 days. Ok, I'm done.

You know, dogs and cats (or kittens and puppies) together are exponentially cuter than either animal on their own. Although I strongly suspect that one could draw an analogy for marriage from this observation, I will resist doing so and instead concentrate on their cuteness.

Monday, February 3, 2003

I had a great time in Texas. Please remember the families of the astronauts and the employees at NASA in your prayers. Interestingly, my base commander, Gen Deal, is heading up the investigation board. He is a former pilot and launch officer and has even investigated aerial mishaps in the past.

Sunday, January 26, 2003

I'm flying to San Antonio today for a trial advocacy course, and I'll be back next Sunday.

Also, to follow up from Wednesday, like anything worth doing or having, love is hard. And like anything worth doing or having, it is worth the effort, sacrifice, and tears.

Wednesday, January 22, 2003

Love is action. Words are important, but ultimately, we reveal ourselves, our faith, our beliefs, through our actions.

You know, starch and stealth do not mix. In fact, in my heavily starched and pressed BDUs (the camouflage uniform), I make so much noise I might as well be walking around in bubble wrap.

Tuesday, January 14, 2003

Resolution as promised: In Lord of the Flies a group of boys stranded on an island slowly turn savage and wicked. This is an accurate picture of human nature: we are civil within the bounds of society, but left to our own devices we eventually follow our nature. (Incidentally, this is why it is important to read great literature - one can learn so much from it.)

Sunday, January 12, 2003

From the Bible and history we learn that humankind has a sinful nature, a predisposition toward wickedness. From our own personal relationships we learn that most people are pretty decent. This apparent conflict has troubled me for years. Tune in next time for resolution.

I learned an important thing about disciplining children yesterday. There was a client in my office with a screaming 2 year old boy. She disciplined him by trying to reason with him or telling him that he would be grounded when he got home. Completely ineffective. Spanking is an important disciplinary tool because it is immediate, so the child associates the discipline with the behavior, and it is painful, so the child learns not to do it again (pain is an excellent teacher). Every child is different - some can be reasoned with (when they're older), but many cannot. Also, immediacy is crucial when disciplining - discipline delayed is discipline denied.

Sunday, January 5, 2003

When I had food poisoning last April, I learned a couple things: Immodium AD works as good as it claims, and unfortunately when something is trying desperately to get out of one's body, one should let it instead of taking something that holds it in, which only prolongs the agony, turning what should have been a one or two day ordeal into five.

Friday, January 3, 2003

I just returned from a ski trip with a good friend. We had a great time at Pagosa Springs where they have the most incredible natural hot springs. I'm not normally a spa or hot tub kind of guy - I tend to be more active - but this was amazing!

Happy New Year!

The end never justifies the means. One cannot use treachery, lies, or wickedness to obtain a good or righteous goal. The forces of evil can ever be recognized by their means.