Odds and ends

Time to steal an idea from my sister-in-law and just catch up on some things.

#1 -- My dad's music

I just got a cool package in the mail this week -- two homemade music CDs from my dad. One is a rock mix and the other is Brad Paisley.

I am not a country guy. At all. But I've listened to the Brad Paisley CD twice now and must admit I really like it! He's hilarious and can also really play guitar.

The rock CD is hilarious because I truly am my dad's son. The mix includes everything from Rihanna to The Doobie Brothers, from David Archuletta to Jimi Hendrix.

My brother likes Korn and Sir Mix-a-Lot. We're weird.

Life with a 5-year-old -- recent quotes

Church minister: So you see kids, David didn't need swords, shields, spears or armor to defeat Goliath! All he needed was God!
Samantha: And a slingshot.
Me (quietly to Samantha): Good point.

Me, playing with my son Jack: I'm gonna bonk your head! (I bonk it) I'm gonna bonk your nose! (I do) I'm gonna bonk your shoulder! (done)
Samantha: Bonk his penis!
Me: What?!?
Samantha, quieter, sheepishly: Bonk his penis?
Me: I don't think so.

Possible family addition

It's been a while since I had to put our cats down. We've been petless since, for the first time in our kids' lives, and they've been antsy.

I didn't really think a dog would/could be the next pet. We have several nuances in our home that I saw as limiting factors:

--Small yard and a fence/garage structure that meant the dog would often be loose in the front yard and street area (very low traffic).
--Young, allergic kids (the reason we no longer have cats)
--Hot weather
--Not a lot of time/patience for training a puppy

Earlier this week a lady who works with Jamie's dad mentioned that she rescues dogs and adopts them out. She has a 16-month-old Miniature Schnauzer, male, that she's trying to rehome. So this breed, and this particular dog:

--Won't run away to chase other animals if he gets out into the front yard
--Doesn't shed and is practically hypoallergenic
--Likes to spend most of his time indoors
--Is already pretty well trained, neutered and up-to-date on immunizations
--Is excellent with children (the foster home has a girl Samantha's age)

The lady is bringing him by to "visit" this weekend. We haven't told the kids, so they'll just think she is a friend stopping by, and we won't take the dog unless everything feels right. We'll see what happens!

His story is pretty cool. He was basically abandoned at four months old, and when this lady found him he was very, very sick. Eating his own feces and everything. She cleaned him up and got him healthy, but his spirit was still very terrorized. Every time someone picked him up he peed himself in fear.

Over the past year he has come out of his shell and now loves to play. He still has some timidity and won't make the first move for affection. For instance, if you sit on the couch he may sit on the floor close to you, but he won't jump up there. But if you get down on the floor he knows the game is on and gets very happy.

He sounds sweet, fun and uniquely flawed. He might just fit in around here.


What's on tap -- deep stuff

1. Eastern vs. Western thought -- how we sometimes miss basic points of the bible
2. Free Will, and why I think it may not actually exist
3. Religious people "missing out on the fun", and why I think that's a load