Proper Protocol..

Well it happened again.. Here at my office we have a mens bathroom that includes 2 urinals which are right next to each other and separated by a board bolted to the wall, and 3 stalls. Today, for the second time in as many months I was using one of the urinals when another guy walks in, steps up, and proceeds to put his arm up on the board, thus his elbow hanging halfway into my space. It may be hard for you ladies to understand but there are certain unspoken rules that we men follow when using the facilities. Here are a few of the notable ones:

RULE #1 - Provide Adequate Space Between Pissers

Do everything within your power not to choose the urinal right next to someone else's urinal. ESPECIALLY when there are other urinals available. If I am at the far left urinal, you should automatically know to move to the far right urinal. If you go directly to the closest urinal to me, I will assume you're trying to sneak a peak. This violates my personal space. Also, always keep your feet and or arms in your own space. The separation wall is not your personal arm rest so GTFO. Taking a leak is a sacred act, and we all deserve our own personal space when doing so.

RULE #2 - Noise Levels

Don't talk to somebody you don't know.  You may chat quietly with
an acquaintance, but must absolutely not call attention to yourself.

RULE #3 - Look Ahead

This should be understood but in case its not for the love of god never under any
circumstances look at anyone while you or they are going. Find a spot on the wall
directly in front of you and never look away. Breaking this rule is grounds for
an ass kicking with no questions asked.

Seasons Change...

I decided to start blogging again and while looking through my blog today I found this. It was written on 4/3/07 @ 9:45 PM but for some reason didn't get posted..
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Spring is here and summer is not far behind. Time goes by so quickly sometimes, before I blink it will be fall, I will have a new little one and Christmas will be a week away. I wonder why it goes by so much quicker as you get older. Maybe it is simply because we have kids in our lives who are constantly changing and therefore it is much easier to gauge the passing moments. I am not sure but that would be my guess. It makes sense because the first thing people tell you once you have kids is, "Cherish every moment, it will be gone before you know it." I cannot argue..

The best of...

At the Chicago airport waiting on a delayed flight. Actually my flight here was delayed as well which is ironic as Frontier has signs all over the place saying "Running Late? Well we aren't. Just another reason Frontier was voted the top low cost carrier." Pfffffffffffffffffffffffffft!!

Anyway, I just saw the BEST unibrow I have EVER seen. I am not kidding, this guy looks like he could be a brother of those two mexican werewolf guys. You know the guys who have hair over every inch of their body? Seriously go now and google image search "mexican werewolf brothers". You're welcome.

The best day of my year (so far)

Fathers day 2007 was a memorable one. Saturday night we caught a baseball game; baseball with my two sons - does it get any better? Sunday morning Tiffany and the kids made a wonderful breakfast for me, then we bought a new grill for my dad and spent the afternoon watching Mark put it together. Later that evening we all met up on our patio and we shared a few beers, some good food, and some smokes. Couldn't ask for a better day, although one day this September may top it...

My boys and I at the game -


My dad and I with our fathers day smokes -


We had grandpa take a break from his michelob and try a Belgian trappist.

BFFL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I want to play it! Poker night was a nice evening full of slandering yet insightful jabs, food, drink, a few dollars and some of my favorite people. Hoshi got spanked, Josh was awkward, Jared was blinded out, Sean sucked out on more then 5 hands, I smoked 3 cigars and Mark won.

on an unrelated note...

Tonight I really miss playing live music.

Is it just me or

Are there some things in life that will always drive you nuts? Perhaps its the way people use the word "irregardless" or the way some people sit in a restaurant talking on their cellphone so loudly that everyone can hear. For me all of the above apply, but today I was reminded of something that I despise even more, the Truck Balls. What are the Truck Balls you ask? Well, they are a set of synthetic bull nuts that hillbillies and hicks for some reason decide need to hang from the hitch on the back of their jalopy. I was on my way to work this morning and out of nowhere a beaten down loud old Ford truck comes rolling up sporting a set of these babies. I sat there wanting to slam my head into the steering wheel as I watched them swing with momentum. Billy Bob, Uncle Ned and Aunt Jane, for the love of god stop dumbing this state down! Done - Jonas

Its a girl!

Well if you haven't already heard we are expecting a little one this September. Tiffany and I had talked about it for several years and finally decided to try for a girl. How do you try for a girl you ask? You read books, put a business plan together and pray. The backgroud..

We were in Tulsa at the Christmas Eve service this past December and Tiffany's uncle who is the preacher was sharing on how to put our faith in God and believe for what we need. Our oldest son Christian leaned over to Tiff's sister and said, "Nope, we don't need anything, mommy already has a baby girl in her tummy." Well this was news to all of us as we didn't even know she was pregnant. A week later on new years eve morning Tiff woke me up with a huge smile on her face, holding a pregnancy test that confirmed Christian's statement, she was indeed pregnant. Now, our family has a history of boys, I have 2 and my mom had 3 so having a girl was something we had to believe God for. Either way, boy or girl we would be happy. Fast Foward...

Last Friday our family went in for THE ultrasound. The nurse asked, "would you like to know what you are having?" and in the next breathe she said - It's a girl. We all cried and hugged and thanked God for his love and blessings. Come September the world will be a better place, blessed with little Isabella Ava Grace Thomas. YES two middle names, she is already spoiled!

God is sufficient, I need to learn this more every day. I often find myself caught in a mental spiral focused on meaningless garbage. I want to fall into love with loving God to the point where these things come and go and have no bearing on this simple truth.

That new carpet smell...

Odd but I really love the smell of new carpet. Today I walked out of my office and they were installing down the hall. Not sure why I have an affinity for this smell but its just nice. Its one of those things you take for granted until you experience it that next time and you remember, man I love that smell.

I need a new layout..

So who wants to help? Hoshi, I know you are bored from time to time and you just so happen to be newly single.. Mark, you called in sick from work due to diarrhea yesterday, which for you I thought was a normal condition so you obviously have time on your hands... Josh, you are in the midst of moving, looking for new employment and pursuing a beautiful love story so you are off the hook. Seanster? Never mind, you are an all or nothing guy and well.. Dammit. Ok, while we think about who is going to help me, lets all learn to properly fold a cat..

UPDATE: A very special thanks to Mark. Despite his bout with the runs, he was able to come up with this sexy new layout. Thanks Mark, eat a banana!

I don't post much -

Last week we got to celebrate lil Joshua's 24th birthday. It was a wonderful time. Keep saving those pennies Josh, 3 for life..

"Shoes, OMG"

I really suck at blogging and although I offer no apology for this, I thought stating it might make me feel better. Just in case they freeze my blog account due to weeks and weeks of inactivity I thought I would write tonight..

I just got done watching the "Pothole" episode of Seinfeld from 1997, and man what a classic. Jerry has an accident with his girlfriend's toothbrush; Elaine crams herself into a janitors closet so she is within a restaurants delivery boundary; Kramer adopts a highway and George loses his key in a pothole. How did Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David come up with so many fantastically crazy yet perfectly crafted episodes? Not sure why but I only watch when the reruns come on. I have all of the DVDs that have been released so far but can't remember the last time I popped one in. Its kind of like this; how many of you ever considered purchasing any of the Back to the Future DVDs? If for some reason you do have them, you never think to put it in and watch it. But when you are laying around on the weekend and it comes on TBS you spend 7 hours and watch all freaking three of them.

Well it has been a busy few weeks. I haven't had time to post lately but hope you all had a great Christmas and holiday season. Sometimes things get so busy that it is nice to have some down time to really relax and enjoy moments. We spent Christmas in Tulsa with Tiffany's family and it was a great time. The kids got to spend time with their Great Grandparents and other family that we rarely get to see. Santa came and delivered some wonderful gifts, ate his cookies and drank some room temperature milk. All in all it was a fantastic time and if I wasn't so tired I would post a few pictures, maybe next post. Happy New Year, I hope your 2007 is full of fantastic achievements, life changing moments and everything else you hope it can be. Stay tuned for some news and updates as I will do my best to post a bit more.

Jonas

My brightest star..

Well I am excited to announce that my 6 year old Taylor lost his first two teeth this week. As a proud parent it was a moment that I will always remember. Kids are perfect and innocent and make my life better every day.. Enjoy -

PS - I love the look on his face right after he pulls it out. Stunned, haha!

Foosball

Why am I addicted to this right now? I am not sure but I love it and tonight I spent the better part of an hour online searching for a table. Soon I will have one of these babies set up in my garage and it will provide hours of competitive entertainment for those of us who love sports but are a weeee bit out of shape. Updates and news to follow as my search continues........

Until then watch this --------> LINKY

a 7 year olds countdown

So tonight I got home from the Broncos game feeling a little bit crappy after our loss and I walked into to the kids room to kiss them goodnight. Well of course they both were already asleep and when I leaned down to wish them a peaceful sleep I found this tucked under my seven year olds arm. It is very easy to forget how special the holidays are with all of the hustle and bustle but this brought me back to reality and reminded me of the magic and anticipation that our little ones feel this time of year...

Well thanksgiving has come and gone, man what a wonderful day this was and always is. I was thinking about it and realized that this holiday very well may be my most relaxing day of the year. Sure I love Christmas the meaning behind the day and all of the holiday spirit, but in terms of pure laziness and do nothing relaxation, thanksgiving takes the cake.



























This year was spent as most every other year. Tiff and I take turns with Holidays splitting them between our families. One year we spend Christmas here and turkey day with her family in Lamar, and the next we switch it up. Well this year was spent here in Denver with the Thomas family and as is usally the case, I was tasked with the enormous responsiblity of cooking the bird. Why would they dare trust this crucial task to me? Good question, I have never thought about that but am happy to help out. So back to last Thursday. As stated in a previous post, thanks to Tiffany's southern roots we fry our turkeys instead of baking. Frying a turkey is definately quicker in terms of sheer cooking time but alot goes into the preperation. Once the day finally rolled around Josh met me about 9:30 in the morning in my back yard to help out and kick back while we watched carefully and made sure the fryer didn't cause a fire and give us a repeat of a small and accidental fire that happened behind my house earlier this summer (hoshi and sean, I was cleaning out my closet this last week and found the evidence you so hastily hid). All in all it went according to plan. Josh and I were lazy, we threw horseshoes, he widdled wood and enjoyed a cigar and a beverage, at the dinner the food was great and a stellar time was had by all. Hope yours was great as well!

Smoke em if you got em

It is no secret that I am a huge cigar fan. I love all of the aspects that come with cigars, collecting and searching for rare sticks, the nuances of setting up a new humidor and most of all sharing a fine cigar with friends and family. The actual process of smoking cigar however; to me this is the pinnacle of relaxation although it may seem dramatically simple. It is like a reward, difficult to explain but somewhat like meditation. Sitting silently in the garage or on the deck or enjoying a poker game with friends and watching the smoke billow into the air is to me one of lifes simple wonderful pleasures.

Here is an article that I found from our very own Dennis Prager in which he discusses his love for a fine smoke. link here

"A good cigar is as great a comfort to a man as a good cry to a woman."
-- E.G. Bulwer-Lytton Darnley, 1845

Recently Mark Josh and I had our first writing session since the transition. I walked away feeling very refreshed and almost re-energize. We come together with no pressure, no deadlines, no preconceived notions of what should be or has to be, rather the lofty dream of creating amazing notes and melodies once again. It is a wonderful feeling to not be set in a genre and to just be open to any and every idea that comes up. We sat there for several minutes just tossing out ideas of different sounds and instruments that we could use to create. We daily surf craigslist looking for xylophones, percussion, bells, whatever we can imagine we will use. Artistic freedom seems like a generic term, but finding it once again is a terrific feeling.

The other day my wife randomly asked, "what are your dreams, your goals?". Honestly I did not know how to reply. The classics came to mind, be financially secure, raise good kids who love God, etc, and while those are very important and I would never discount them, there was more to be said. I just didn't have the answers. Perhaps this transition in my spiritual life, my ministry life, and everything else has caused my long-term focus to blur. I turn to God for clarity and guidance and know that serving him can only lead to the good life. I pray for the ability to dream but refuse to question the unknown for no other reason then just to question.

I don't even know what to say or how to intro this post. Over the past couple of years I have slowly stopped reading the news because of all the death and senseless tragedy. Maybe I have a soft heart, maybe it is impossible not to be affected my the endless stories of human pain. I read this story the other day and I was appalled, saddened and deeply hurt. I immediately thanked God for my children and prayed for their protection. Today they posted an update to this story which included pictures of the family. I scrolled through the slideshow and saw pictures that were full of life, hope and love. I sat in front of my laptop tonight and just cried thinking about those kids and how innocent and beautiful they are. My heart aches for the husband and father who must face life without everything. I can't help but imagine what last Friday was like for them. I am sure they woke up and went to work and about their day. They all made it home and decided to go downtown and enjoy some time together. None of them knew when they stepped out of bed that day that it would be their last together. How can people not believe in God? I guess some might ask if there is a god why he would let something like this happen. Of course he didn't "let" this happen but questions like that are hard to answer none-the-less. If you are reading this I ask that you take just a moment and pray for this man, Frank Bingham. Pray that he finds peace and comfort from the God that we selfishly ask so much from every day. Pray that if he doesn't know God that somehow through all of this he find Him. Goodnight.

Story Here