Category: misc

Spoiled rotten

Just when I want to gripe about AT&T DSL service (or sometimes the lack there of) or how my router isn’t working properly or how something doesn’t work right at home, I read an entry like this and realize how spoiled rotten we are…

From Erin’s blog in Jos, Nigeria:

Ok, but get this. It only took about 3 months to get it hooked up. For real. Poor Dan, our missionary computer whiz. He had so many challenges in getting us hooked up to wireless on our compound. The electricity would go off. Or the current would be too strong and would blow something. Or the cables were too short and we had to wait for missionaries coming from America to bring new ones. Or the rains would come. Or the back up battery charger would die. Or I would not be at home at the moment Dan had a second to hook me up. Or Or Or…. ok folks, appreciate your internet.

And so then what happens? Yesterday, ta da, Dan does his magic and I have wireless in my house!!! But, oh yes, my computer battery charger got fried because the stabilizer hooked up to my electricity had a short – sending too much power into my charger and poof. No battery. No internet. Can you believe it?

So. Now I have a couple of Nigerian guys ‘fixing’ my charger, but you can bet my Dad is already online, ordering one to send with the Chicago Team coming in 2 weeks.

My neighbor, Lauren, fell asleep while we were watching a movie on her laptop (cuz my dvd player also got fried – but I think that actually will be fixed by one of my friends). So, while she snoozes, I stole her laptop so I can get online in my house (!) and get a blog posted. This is fantastic. And a new beginning to my blogs, I hope.

The plan was to send a blog out every week, at least. To use my blog as a way to just be real about life in Nigeria.

Well, folks, when it takes me getting into my truck and over to the office to get online and then to try to download pics and… ok, so I got lazy, but as soon as my computer is up and running, or whenever Lauren lets me snatch hers, I will be back in the Blogging Business, better than ever.

Kid Update –
I just love our little kids. We had a debate today about whether or not we should watch Karate Kid 2 at tomorrow’s ‘Film Night’, or to allow all the kids to vote on which movie to watch. I was able to bring a projector out here and now have the whole set up of speakers and such so that we can watch a movie on the ‘big screen’ (large white sheet) under the stars. Last month we watched Karate Kid 1. The older boys were kinda bummed cuz they had already seen it. But man, our little ones had a blast. And wouldn’t you know, they were doing ‘The Crane’ afterwards!

All that to say, Aunty Erin agreed with the little ones today that they should get to see Karate Kid 2 because the older ones “always get their way”. And as we agreed on this, some kids started breaking into the moves.

Treehugging according to The Simpsons

My brother-in-law Brian and I took our nephew Jake to see The Simpsons movie last night. Funny stuff. I felt like maybe we were a little off or the humor was a little smarter than the rest of the audience (that’s what I want to think) as I felt like we were laughing at more of the sight gags and jokes than anyone else in the theater.
I thought it was smart (sometimes crude) satire/comedy that poked fun at the EPA and well, everyone else as the show typically does.
My favorite scene was a picture of the Springfield church next to Moe’s bar. When the folks discovered the end of Springfield was near, those in the bar and church ran out screaming and those in the bar ran into the church and those in the church ran into the bar.
Later in the movie as the “end of the world” was at hand, the church marquee was changed to say, “We told you so.”
Ha! Good stuff.
Slate has put together a video looking at the show’s history on environmentalism that’s quite good… take a look.

baptisms at encounter

We had nine baptisms this morning at encounter. Amazing!
There are pictures posted on the encounter Flickr group.
Be sure and check the photos out and keep each of these folks in your prayers.
Oh and huge props to my life Laurie for taking the photos. Hopefully we’ll get some video edited in the next week or so as well with all the baptisms.

Just a little background


casual look
Originally uploaded by laurie416.

If you’re looking on the left hand side of the page and thinking – hey, Laurie and Jonathan have been married for three months today – why are they taking wedding pictures today?! Let me take a second and explain. We had a great photographer on our wedding day who took a lot of good photos and captured the event on that day. But looking back, we didn’t get tons of photos we loved from our wedding day and we also didn’t get the rights to our photos to do as we pleased with them. We also just wanted some “artsy photos” or as we’ve now described them, “fun photos.” So we figured, “We have a good camera. We still have your dress. You probably won’t wear it again. Let’s get some good use out of it and our camera and go rent my tux again and take some photos we really want.”
We took our friend Jen along (maid of honor) and she snapped away in Las Colinas (Irving), Texas.
We had a great day and by the end of the day we had nearly 150 photos we were really happy with – and can get copied, blown up and printed wherever we want. Awesome!
So just a few thoughts for those of you thinking about marriage and getting a photographer:

  • Find someone who’s work you really enjoy

  • Talk with your photographer and show her examples of what you’re looking for

  • Make a list of specific photos you want and/or don’t care about

  • Get the rights to your photos – after all you’re paying for the work to be done. A plumber doesn’t come back to your house and say, “I know you paid me to install your toilet – but I own it and will do what i please with it and you’ll have to pay me again if you want to use it.” (am I being to picky on this point?)

Or – if you want get a tripod and remote for your digital camera or a friend you can trust and go out and snap your own. Here are some things we found helpful:

  • Be willing to take your own if necessary (we lucked out and didn’t have to)

  • Be willing to have fun

  • Find what you like, print it out, talk about it and compare. You can find loads of good ideas on Flickrby just searching for wedding or other wedding related terms

  • Find a great location where you’re not having to do loads of walking or lots of getting in and out of your car

  • Snap LOTS of photos. Especially if you have a digital camera – you can delete what you want or just don’t print the ones you dislike. Some of our favorite photos were candid shots in between the “posed” ones.

  • Read some online hints on what makes a good photo

  • Spend a little time with iPhoto or Photoshop to edit lighting or to crop photos before sending them to the printer

  • Have fun!