Random Thoughts

Someone took issue with this beautiful memorial...

2009-08-04T00:37:00.003-05:00

This is why I'm not Catholic. No religion should make you feel bad.
Originally uploaded by eggman0905.

It' so sad how guilt and misguided understanding of religion can just totally warp someone's point of view. How someone can think this sign is meant to bestow guilt on anyone is so hard to understand. But then again, if I were living with the guilt of having done something wrong, but not willing to face the reality that I had done wrong and needed to accept that, I might find it easier to continue believing I was right and work to get others to believe as I do.

I pray for those who view this topic with clouded vision such as this...

I have the most wonderful...

2008-12-10T09:10:00.001-06:00

I have the most wonderful gift of being able to watch Dan my 5 year old son learn to read. It's amazing. It's like watching a flower unfold in the sunshine as he learns to read word by word and see the wonderful smile on his face as he takes pride in what he's learned how to do.
listen

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My new iPhone, comes...

2008-07-20T17:32:00.001-05:00

My new iPhone, comes in tomorrow. I can't wait to get my new little toy. I mean, computing device. listen

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Employees working the line taking iPhone 3G apps

2008-07-11T08:14:00.001-05:00

Employees working the line taking iPhone 3G apps
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Standing in line for my iPhone 3G

2008-07-11T07:28:00.001-05:00

Standing in line for my iPhone 3G
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Sample Animoto video - PreSchool Olympics

2008-07-03T10:06:00.001-05:00

This is all AUTOMATICALLY created. Imagine the posibilities for near-real-time videos shown at the very event the pics are from!

2008-06-19T07:58:00.001-05:00

headed to Scout Camp today. It's good to be a Dad!

2008-06-17T16:20:00.001-05:00

My first post in NAVTEQ's redesigned Blog space. Please comment liberally! http://ping.fm/w7YhQ

2008-06-17T14:30:00.001-05:00

Looks like Mozilla is hosting their FireFox3 download just about anywhere and everywhere trying to meet bandwidth.

2008-06-16T08:14:00.001-05:00

Reluctantly giving up my borrowed iTouch. Slim, clear images, wide-screen for video... Now I REALLY can't wait to get my 3G iPhone.

2008-06-16T08:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, it's a bold new day. I'm ready to make a difference... Where's my coffee?

Visualizing portland area transit

2008-06-04T07:58:00.001-05:00

portland area transit
Originally uploaded by ewedistrict

While the visualization of the departure and arrival of transit looks cool like this, I'm thinking the immediate relevance is when it's slowed down and you can see advancing transportation, just like animated weather radar...

Photo_042908_002.jpg

2008-04-29T19:06:00.001-05:00

Photo_042908_002.jpg
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

View from my hotel at the Location Intelligence conference in Santa Clara

So I got this free 55...

2008-03-27T08:59:00.001-05:00

So I got this free 55 gallon aquarium set up given to me. I thought it would free turns out I like gadgets. Seems am spending a fair amount of money on it but having a great time. Perhaps I'll put some pictures up here soon. Right now the fish look really small compared to the large aquarium, maybe I need bigger fish. listen

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Dipping my toe in the waters of Linux

2008-03-20T13:33:00.000-05:00

Well, when my Windows machine started giving me trouble, I finally gave up. Yep, no more building a machine piece by piece. This time, first in likely 20 years, I bought an entire machine. Dude, I got a Dell! Good price for nice hardware...

So now, I can play with Linux. Ubuntu is the OS of choice for me, as it's an easy one with which to get started. I loaded it last night, so let's see what I can do with it in the next few days.

If you've made the move, please let me know how your foray into the world of Linux went...

-Jeff

CrossLoop Badge

2008-02-29T16:06:00.001-06:00

When they actually "SAY" it'll hurt...

2008-01-24T08:24:00.000-06:00

It's a pretty good chance they aren't lying to you!

I had my tonsils out at age 37 on 1/18/2008. I could blog day-by-day of how I feel and the changes, but someone already did that better than I would have. Check out his Blog on Tonsils at 37 at robertstonsillectomy.blogspot.com

My summary, as I enter into the 7th day of my new tonsil-less self, is this:

It HURTS! They trick you on Days 1 and 2. Oh, but it's coming...
Days 3 -5: Codeine becomes your friend!! I start getting real testy an hour before it's due, and downright intolerable 30 minutes before.
Food? Well, one day I had an entire mug of Chicken Soup. But that was it for the day.
I was eating LOTS and LOTS of Italian Ice and Sorbet/Sherbet. But then, I realized the acid in them was making my tongue hurt more. (Not good.)
Sleep? 1 hour blocks, when I'm lucky. It's hard to breathe when I sleep, and the pain usually wakes me up not long after I drift off. I feel like a fish, drinking all this water, but they say "Keep Drinking!" And if they say it will help, I'm doing it.

Generally, Days 6 - 8 are days of great change. Some say it hurts more, but then feels much better right around day 7. So, we'll see what's in store for me.

All I know is, I'm going to run out of Tylenol w/ Codeine today at noon. I've asked Lynne to manage making that refill happen. I have the divorce papers prepared, the Official Declaration of "I Hate You" drawn up and my look of pained disappointment (combined with real tears!) all ready to go in case she fails me on this. She won't. She's been a great wife/caretaker during al of this. I guess I'm just not prepared to cut any slack on this one! (Was that the door? Did she go early? I'll go check!!!)

Love you all. I'm missing my taco dinners...

Make quick notes in Google Notebook

2008-01-11T11:43:00.001-06:00

Here's a nice little summary about why Google Notebook is so helpful. If you work with others and want to share links and new web discoveries, this can be invaluable. It's even handy for yourself, but I prefer Delicious when I'm making my own plain old bookmarks. GNotebook is most helpful for me alone when I want to note specific thoughts about the link.

read more | digg story

Songs as Ringtones for Treo 680

2008-01-08T14:41:00.000-06:00

Seems lots of people are having trouble using MP3's as ringtones on the Treo 680. After the firmware upgrade, this becomes a relatively trivial task. Just EMail them to yourself and open them up. When prompted, say that you want to use it as a Ringtone. The Treo will catalog the song appropriately and make it available with all the other ringtones.

That's it!

(But, don't use the GMail App on your phone; it doesn't handle music files well. GMail Web client, HTML format, works just fine.)

Okay, I want to know...

2007-11-15T17:33:00.001-06:00

Okay, I want to know who is responsible for letting my children grow up. I turned around took a look at them and to my amazement found they had grown much older and much bigger(?) than I remember the last time. Some one is to blame. listen

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Millions of toys recalled; contain 'date rape' drug

2007-11-07T22:50:00.000-06:00

http://money.cnn.com/2007/11/07/news/international/toys_drug.ap/index.htm

Two U.S. children went into comas after who swallowing Chinese-made Aqua Dots found to contain a chemical that converts into 'date rape' drug when ingested.

November 7 2007: 9:04 PM EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Millions of Chinese-made toys have been pulled from shelves in North America and Australia after scientists found they contain a chemical that converts into a powerful date rape drug when ingested. Two children in the U.S. and three in Australia were hospitalized after swallowing the beads.

With only seven weeks until Christmas, the recall is yet another blow to the toy industry -- already bruised by a slew of recalls this past summer.

Video

Have you tried a tool...

2007-10-26T21:19:00.001-05:00

Have you tried a tool called Keybreeze? It's fantastic. By typing in just a few characters, you can launch a program/action that you normally would have had to use the mouse for. It's really a time saver. Give it a try: Keybreeze. listen

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Well, I started my new...

2007-10-23T21:14:00.001-05:00

Well, I started my new job yesterday. It's a great place. My desk it is a little small and it's right outside the Boss' office, but they have great coffee.
Click here to listen

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This is a test if Jott,...

2007-10-15T16:29:00.001-05:00

This is a test if Jott can transcribe voice to text. I thought I'd give it a try just to see if I can actually get my voice to appear as words on my blog.
Click here to listen

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Photo_092407_003.jpg

2007-09-24T11:42:00.001-05:00

Photo_092407_003.jpg
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Photo_092407_002.jpg

2007-09-24T09:31:00.001-05:00

Photo_092407_002.jpg
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Ryan on his Orchard field trip

2007-09-24T09:16:00.001-05:00

Keywords: ryan school
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Ryan starting his field trip at the apple orchard...

Dan playing soccer

2007-09-08T12:04:00.001-05:00

Multimedia message
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

2007-08-01T10:26:00.000-05:00

"I can't stop the rain, but I can hold you 'til it goes away..."

2007-07-27T21:06:00.001-05:00

Photo_072707_002
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Danny found a friend... Allison Dumell from school is here.

2007-07-27T20:58:00.001-05:00

Photo_072707_001
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

At the railcats game...

2007-07-12T13:16:00.001-05:00

Photo_071207_001
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Speaks for itself

2007-07-11T19:48:00.001-05:00

Photo_071107_005
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

All of them together

2007-07-11T19:47:00.001-05:00

Photo_071107_003
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Aww, isn't family great?

2007-07-11T10:54:00.001-05:00

Photo_071107_002
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Feeding the chickens their "Fowl Food"

2007-07-11T10:15:00.001-05:00

Photo_071107_001
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

On a historical working farm.

2007-07-10T14:56:00.001-05:00

Photo_071007_002
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Inside the caverns. And was it cool!

Family vacation...

2007-07-10T14:55:00.001-05:00

Well, we now know every rest stop through Indiana, into Ohio and Penn and to Virginia! Our trip has begun, but boy am I zonked. The 11 hour trip seemed to take eons on the road.
Stay Tuned!

2007-07-09T15:12:00.001-05:00

Photo_070907_004
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

2007-07-09T12:40:00.001-05:00

Photo_070907_003
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Nathan said "YaHoo!" when he got on the horse!!

2007-07-09T12:24:00.001-05:00

Photo_070907_002
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Danny on the horse, Rain...

2007-07-09T12:23:00.001-05:00

Photo_070907_001
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Ryan watching Sara's horse exercising

2007-07-08T09:57:00.003-05:00

Photo_070807_001
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Blessed sacrament church in VA. What a beautiful church and wonderful choir...

A church in Virginia near Bob/Cheryl Rieman's house

2007-07-08T09:57:00.001-05:00

3ags: va vacation
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

2007-07-07T17:39:00.001-05:00

Photo_070707_001
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Taking some down-time on vacation in VA

Family vacation underway

2007-07-07T09:55:00.000-05:00

Well, we now know every rest stop through Indiana, into Ohio and Penn and to Virginia! Our trip has begun, but boy am I zonked. The 11 hour trip seemed to take eons on the road. Stay Tuned!

Photo_070607_003.jpg

2007-07-06T16:02:00.001-05:00

Photo_070607_003.jpg
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

On our way thru PA to VA

2007-07-06T14:34:00.001-05:00

On our way thru PA to VA
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Nathan at scout camp

2007-05-12T20:32:00.001-05:00

Nathan at scout camp
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

The is Nathan working on a project from Scout Camp. We had a great time, even if it was dog cold overnight!

Another one bites the dust...

2007-05-12T20:28:00.001-05:00

Another one bites the dust...
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

If we lose any more teeth around here, the tooth fairy may move in!! Ryan lost one just a short bit ago, now Nathan. The Tooth Fairy may be applying for food stamps soon!

Too bad he wasn't hungry!

2007-05-12T08:49:00.001-05:00

Too bad he wasn't hungry!
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

We cleaned up around that ball park. I don't think we passed up a single concession stand!!

Yup, he's enjoying himself!!

2007-05-12T00:34:00.001-05:00

Yup, he's enjoying himself!!
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Nathan and I at his first Sox game. Chris Smith got the tix and invited us along. It was cold, but a blast!!

I LOVE our family

2007-03-15T11:59:00.000-05:00

I LOVE our family
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Who could ask for better Godparents or a better family. When it comes down to it, so much in life just doesn't count. But here, right in this picture, is so much of what does count: love, sharing, caring, learning, community, tradition...

Looks like fun, Huh?

2007-03-15T11:16:00.000-05:00

Looks like fun, Huh?
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

So, this is my basic day... Looks like fun, doesn't it? Well, it's a living!

Christmas 2006

2006-12-24T00:17:00.000-06:00

Christmas 2006
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

It's great watching one generation passing to the next...

That was SOME storm!

2006-08-23T21:07:00.000-05:00

That was SOME storm!
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Or so I hear...

I was in the car on the way home. The sky was dark towards the lake. As I drove closer to home, the sky just opened up and torrential rain poured down. I began to hear the dreaded clicks of small hail and made my way to the nearest tree. I know... Not the best idea!!

When I got home, I saw hail covering the grass like a brief snow storm, but with some seriously big snowflakes...

I also found the top of my sassafrass tree in my front yard! More pics to come...

Committed, but to what?

2006-08-21T10:32:00.000-05:00

Recently I was talking to a group of guys. Many mentioned how no one has any time. We're all so over-committed these days. At one point, someone mentioned: perhaps we aren't committed to the right things. It's an interesting question to ponder.
Do our commitments reflect our beliefs? Our convictions?
Is our time spent where it really counts, or are we throwing time at unimportant activities? Either way, we'll feel busy and a little strung out. But if we've aligned our commitments to our beliefs and values, at least we'll feel satisfied as we collapse in the chair at the end of the day...

There's the water...

2006-03-17T09:40:00.000-06:00

There's the water...
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Thought I'd let you see the water...

Working downtown ain't all it seems...

2006-03-17T09:37:00.000-06:00

Working downtown ain't all it seems...
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

I thought I'd post a pic of a look into my job... Here I sit at a half-day seminat. I'm bored to tears, my butt hurts and I have 2 hours to go!

Oh well, at least the water has fruit in it. The W Hotel does it right!

Bearly able to make it...

2006-03-11T13:57:00.000-06:00

Bearly able to make it...
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

The zoo just isn't the same without Nathan. I can't bear it!

We are here!

2006-03-11T12:16:00.000-06:00

We are here!
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Well, we are at the zoo on the first nice day of the year!

We miss you Nathan!

Do you read Newsfeeds?

2006-02-13T11:22:00.000-06:00

If you haven't heard of a feed or a blog, it's basically snippets of news content, articles, and personal content that you can subscribe to just like a magazine. Then, from your computer, Palm or cell phone, you can peruse the information.
In fact, this page and my Random Thoughts blog are a great example of the.
Well, if you read these things, go check out FeedALot.com . This is a great program to bring your interests all into one place.
Turns out it's a great way to bring on-line Podcasts together as well!

Rhapsody Playlist

2006-02-09T21:26:00.000-06:00

Rhapsody Playlist: "Another CCM Disk...

This one was made for a woman from Christ Renews. First two songs are new to me. Nice peaceful songs. Actually looks like it's time for me to freshen up my collection of music. Some of the same songs keep going out to others over and over!

1. Everything To Me - Avalon (Christian)
2. Can't Live A Day - Avalon (Christian)
3. All About Love - Steven Curtis Chapman
4. If I Stand - Rich Mullins
5. Breathe - Michael W. Smith
6. I will be here - Steven Curtis Chapman
7. I Will Choose Christ - Kathy Troccoli
8. Who Am I - Casting Crowns
9. Grace Like Rain - Todd Agnew
10. Praise You In This Storm - Casting Crowns
11. How Can I Keep from Singing - FiddleSticks
12. If I Stand - Rich Mullins

"

A Picture of the Past

2006-01-20T07:53:00.000-06:00

Do you remember back 20 years or so ago? Do you remember taking pictures back then? Well, I was just thinking about where cameras were and how far they've come in my lifetime.
Remember the little box camera with the four-sided flash cube? Or, what about the more advanced flash bar that gave, what, 8 flashes?
How about those compact flat cameras taking 110 film? The negative was so small it's a wonder we ever got decent photos from those cameras...
Then SLRs- Point and Shoots. Now everyone could take decent pictures. Then they grew smaller and smaller. Seems like these things were everywhere.
Enter Digital Photography!
Take a camera look and feel we already know and make it digital. And smaller. And lighter. Add video. Then sound. Now, I can take a picture at a family event, upload it to the web from my phone and have people see our pictures while we're still at the party! Simply amazing...
Oh, and just for fun, I have an audio recording of our family rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" that'll make you cry. No, it isn't the warm memories of family times and loved ones now gone... I guess you'd have to hear it for yourself!!!

Block Party Play List

2006-01-10T23:11:00.000-06:00

Here's a Play List from our famous (or infamous!) Annual Cul De Sac party...

(Click to listen)

Block Party Music

"3 a.m. " - Matchbox Twenty
"Back 2 Good" - Matchbox Twenty
"Paradise City" - Guns N' Roses
"She Will Be Loved (Acoustic)" - Maroon 5
"Can't Help Falling In Love" - UB40
"Every Breath You Take" - The Police
"Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police
"When I Come Around" - Green Day
"Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" - Green Day
"Surrender" - Cheap Trick
"Blue (Da Ba Dee)" - Eiffel 65
"Every Morning" - Sugar Ray
"Blister In The Sun" - Violent Femmes
"Do It Again" - Steely Dan
"Hey Nineteen" - Steely Dan
"Rikki Don't Lose That Number" - Steely Dan
"It's My Life" - No Doubt
"Underneath It All " - No Doubt
"Hey Baby" - No Doubt
"Tubthumping" - Chumbawamba
"Love Song" - 311
"Amber" - 311
"Down" - Something Corporate
"If You C Jordan" - Something Corporate
"Learn To Fly" - Foo Fighters
"I Will Buy You A New Life" - Everclear
"Everything To Everyone" - Everclear
"Short Skirt/Long Jacket" - Cake
"I Will Survive" - Cake
"Strange Condition" - Pete Yorn
"Adrienne" - The Calling
"One Headlight" - The Wallflowers
"Three Marlenas" - The Wallflowers
"Everything Falls Apart" - Dog's Eye View
"Lightning Crashes" - Live
"It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" - R.E.M.
"Man On The Moon" - R.E.M.
"What's The Frequency, Kenneth?" - R.E.M.
"Sweetest Thing (The Single Mix)" - U2
"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" - U2
"Fly Like an Eagle" - Steve Miller Band
"Abracadabra" - Steve Miller Band
"Smooth" - Santana
"Mr. Jones" - Counting Crows
"Unwell" - Matchbox 20
"Your Body Is A Wonderland" - John Mayer
"Soak Up The Sun" - Sheryl Crow
"Clocks" - Coldplay
"Livin' La Vida Loca" - Ricky Martin
"Johnny B. Goode" - The Grateful Dead
"I've Got The World On A String" - Frank Sinatra
"Loser" - Beck
"Santeria" - Sublime
"Walkin' On The Sun" - Smash Mouth
"All Star" - Smash Mouth
"Can't Get Enough Of You Baby" - Smash Mouth
"Inside Out" - Eve 6
"Superman" - Bush
"Vasoline" - Stone Temple Pilots
"Turn It On" - The Flaming Lips
"Is This Love" - Bob Marley
"Bizarre Love Triangle" - New Order
"Blue Monday" - New Order
"Move Any Mountain '91" - The Shamen
"The Impression That I Get" - The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
"The Freshmen" - The Verve Pipe
"Rosealia" - Better Than Ezra
"Good" - Better Than Ezra
"Semi-Charmed Life" - Third Eye Blind
"All For You" - Sister Hazel
"Only Wanna Be With You" - Hootie & The Blowfish
"Hannah Jane" - Hootie & The Blowfish
"Let Her Cry" - Hootie & The Blowfish
"All I Want" - Toad the Wet Sprocket
"Run-Around" - Blues Traveler
"Margaritaville" - Jimmy Buffett
"Cheeseburger In Paradise" - Jimmy Buffett
"Brown Eyed Girl" - Jimmy Buffett
"One Particular Harbour" - Jimmy Buffett
"Changes In Latitudes, Changes In Attitudes" - Jimmy Buffett
"How Bizarre" - OMC
"Here Without You" - 3 Doors Down
"Flood" - Jars Of Clay

How To Play This Music

To play this music, simply click on the playlist icon or name to the left.

Don't have Rhapsody?
No problem.

Once you click, just follow the instructions to get the player and try Rhapsody for FREE.

Rhapsody

One million songs at your fingertips.

Play and share the music you want.

Instantly.

Get it now!

CCM Disk 1

2006-01-10T23:05:00.000-06:00

CCM Disk 1: "Here's a collection of Christian Contemporary Music I've really enjoyed. You may like to check some of them out as well...

1. Awesome God - Rich Mullins
2. Show Me The Way - Styx
3. They'll Know We Are Christians - Carolyn Arends
4. If I Stand - Rich Mullins
5. Thy Word - Amy Grant
6. Flood - Jars Of Clay
7. Away From You - The Supertones
8. Father Thy Will Be Done - Carolyn Arends
9. Love Song For A Savior - Jars Of Clay
10. Go Light Your World - Kathy Troccoli
11. All About Love - Steven Curtis Chapman
12. Like A Child - Jars Of Clay
13. Lord Reign In Me - Benton Brown
14. I Will Choose Christ - Kathy Troccoli
15. Breathe - Michael W. Smith
16. Grace Like Rain - Todd Agnew
17. Who Am I - Casting Crowns

Man, that's cool!

2006-01-09T07:09:00.000-06:00

If you know me, you know that I get all geeked out on tech. There's one really useful, cool web site I saw that I'm buying into. Check out:

http://Flickr.com/photos/jeppedy

Flickr is a photo site. At its core, it allows me post photos for others to view. More than that, I can help organize the pics so you can find what you are looking for. I can attach keywords or "tags" that you can search for. For example, if you go and click "santa" and see every pic with Santa in it. Or, you can use multiple terms like "Christmas" and "Nathan" and "Grandpa". Nice, huh?

Another fun tool is Pandora:

http://pandora.com

It gives you recommendations on music based on your preferences. It uses a concept called the Music Genome. They look at a ton of different characteristics to help find music similar to what you already said you like. Then, it streams that music to you on your browser!

I know, I know... You aren't as geeky as I am. That's okay, but check these sites out anyway. You'll love it!!

Gimme a break!

2005-12-19T10:08:00.000-06:00

Gimme a break!
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

"Hey! Pipe down over there!

Easy for you ladies to say it isn't about the gifts. All I

got was some lousy wood! Wasn't even that nice stuff like hickory

or oak. Just this crappy ole pine stuff. Bogus, man. Completely

Bogus."

Red-headed step children

2005-12-19T10:07:00.002-06:00

Red-headed step children
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Say Mom, did you hear about the party

at the Rieman's? From what I've heard, they had really nice tissue

paper. What are we, chopped chicken liver?" "Well,

maybe they just ran out, Jill. You know, you shouldn't focus so much

on the material things of life..." "You're talkin' to the

hand, Ma. Talkin' to the hand."

Was this before the alcohol?

2005-12-19T10:07:00.001-06:00

Was this before the alcohol?
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Hmm, it leaves one to wonder whether

this was before or after the libations started flowing. Is there

some deep dark secret this family has been hiding. Or, perhaps repressing,

too painful a thought to accept. It's not just a river in Egypt,

you know!

That's one Motley crew...

2005-12-19T10:07:00.000-06:00

That's one Motley crew...
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Sure, they're having run and all, but

inside, this family is hurting. If they aren't yet, they will be

the next morning!! The garbage men the next day just couldn't fathom

what the party was like will all those empty bottles at the curb. "Perhaps

it was a subdivision-wide party?", Fred proposed. "Yeah,

no one family could drink that much on their own... Could they??",

George responded, not quite convinced.

Trouble a'brewing...

2005-12-19T10:06:00.002-06:00

Trouble a'brewing...
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

"I am Sooo lucky to be included

in a family that uses such Fiiiiine tissue paper."

Wait, what do you mean "I don't

measure up"? Oh, you aren't saying that yourself, you say you

heard someone say that? Who in the world would say that at Christmas?

Who could be so rude??!?!?

Never mind, I know who it was... Sure,

he has some nice kids and a beautiful wife, but do we have to invite *him*

to these parties??

We're just happy to be with the family...

2005-12-19T10:06:00.001-06:00

We're just happy to be with the family...
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Showing the true spirit of Christmas,

Keenan remarks to an agreeing Nathan, "Boy, what's with all the hang-ups

about the Paper? Isn't this Christmas thing about Jesus and love

for each other?" "Yup", Nathan said, "adults...

They just don't get it sometimes... It's not about the presents."

Fw: I can't believe he got such nice Tissue Paper!

2005-12-19T10:06:00.000-06:00

Fw: I can't believe he got such nice Tissue Paper!
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

"Upon seeing the very nice tissue

paper Ryan Herr got, many in attendance were known to have whispered under

their breath 'Gee, they didn't give me tissue paper that nice!!'"

It was the beginning of the end for cordial family relations in that

house that day...

Now that's what I call NICE tissue paper...

2005-12-19T10:05:00.000-06:00

Now that's what I call NICE tissue paper...
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

"Mom and Dad, Look!! I got

tissue paper!! Not just that cheapo Walgreen's stuff you guys use.

Oh no, this is QUALITY tissue paper. These people know how

to do us Christmas gifts!!" If you look closely, you can actually

see Brennan in the middle of saying "Cooooooool Ryan! How do

I get me somea'dat?"

No fun being had here...

2005-12-19T07:49:00.000-06:00

No fun being had here...
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

As you can tell, Christmas with the

Rieman's seemed to be enjoyed by all. All the kids played nice together

(the adults were another story). The food was great and it was a

really nice Christmas gathering. Yup, Christmas is a great time of

year.

A Child's Trust...

2005-12-18T14:07:00.000-06:00

There was a song in church today that really made me think on a number of levels. The refrain said "As a child rests in his mother's arms so do I trust in you."
At first, I thought about that feeling of holding my child. I remember rocking each of my children back to sleep in the middle of the night when they as infants woke up crying. I recall how each melted against me as I snuggled them and struggled to croak out a lullaby at 3 am... Even now, with Nathan at 6 years, when I bring him sleeping out of the car after a late-night return home, he knows that in my arms he is completely safe.
Now, I ask you. Do any of us feel that safe, protected and wholly cared for by Jesus? Why not, I wonder? Have we become conditioned to not trust that much anymore, or do we feel Christ just won't be there for us?

Oh, that's a camera moment!

2005-12-17T16:59:00.000-06:00

Oh, that's a camera moment!
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Aren't they just adorable? How cute! We were watching Jill and Jonathan's wedding video and the kids started dancing to the reception music...

Oh, that's a camera moment!

2005-12-17T16:57:00.000-06:00

Oh, that's a camera moment!
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Aren't they just adorable? How cute! We were watching Jill and Jonathan's wedding video and the kids started dancing to the reception music...

Christmas at the Wilson's

2005-12-17T15:54:00.000-06:00

Christmas at the Wilson's
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

It's all about family, isn't it?

The Boyz...

2005-12-16T23:50:00.000-06:00

The Boyz...
Originally uploaded by Jeppedy.

Sure, it was a while ago, but they're still darned cute!

Jeff and Lynne Herr - A Personal View

2005-12-15T09:35:00.000-06:00

Say, I don't know if any of you have seen my home Web Site yet. It has not been updated in a long time, but it still has some info and pics on it. Stop by and take a look!

There goes the baby...

2005-11-28T09:47:00.000-06:00

Well, we're potty training Danny. More accurately, Lynne is training him. It's hard to train him from Chicago! If only he would be more reasonable about it... :-)
Wow. All 3 out of diapers. I won't miss it, but I'll miss them being young. They are so big so fast. Thank heavens for photos.

What a great time!

2005-11-27T21:00:00.000-06:00

I've got to tell you. I took a few days off in a row around the Thanksgiving holiday and it felt GREAT!! The Circus was a blast, Thanksgiving (both times) was really enjoyable, I even got in a little Christmas shopping. I have to be careful. I could get used to spending my time where it really matters... Well, Christmas season is here and I get a week off following this coming week. Definitely something to look forward to.

Circus circus!

2005-11-25T10:54:00.000-06:00

Well, here we are at the circus! It's at the Hammond Civic Center. We've brought the Boyz, along with Grandma and Grandpa. We also brought my cousin Emily. We got here early to get good seats, which we did. But, that also means a long wait. LONG wait. But, everyone is behaving well... Except Grandpa! (Just Kidding!) Let's get the show on the road! I love family outtings. Man, being a Dad is really cool!!

-Jeffrey

Had me, then you lost me...

2005-11-18T21:56:00.000-06:00

Some times in your life with kids, you think you are right on the verge of really teaching them a life lesson, in a big or small way. Tonight was one of those nights, but not at all...
So I was telling my middle boy, Ryan, a goodnight story loosely patterned after The Velveteen Rabbit. Only, this story was about a Vanilla Ice Cream Cone that no one wanted to eat. Clever, huh? I figured he'd never see the obvious plagiarism!
So, I finish this story about how every one of us has something special about us. Something that makes us unique and valuable. As I finish, Ryan says "Dad, that reminds me of somethin'. " Well, at first I thought he would tell me a story about a kid at school, perhaps about something he does well. If not that ideal, maybe just something about how it was the same as Velveteen Rabbit. But alas, it was not to be.
Ryan says to me, at the height of my enthusiasm and anticipation "Yep. It reminds me that I like vanilla ice cream. Chocolate, too!"
Well. You win some, you lose some. At the very least, it shows he was Listening at all...

CD's - Ancient Artifact?

2005-11-17T06:24:00.000-06:00

So, how long do you think it will be before CDs become obsolete? MP3s are everywhere. Every radio, CD player, even car radios play MP3s now. I can choose from thousands of songs to download to my palm to play on my way to work through my car stereo.
Who wants every song on an album anyway? Downloads only cost under a buck. Technology, isn't it great!

Do you have enough?

2005-11-17T06:23:00.000-06:00

Tis a wise man who knows when he has "enough". Sure, we could all have more, but do we need it? I have a nice house, a car, toys for my kids, a TV.
More important, I have food, heat and A/C, nice clothes.
And most importantly, a loving wife who brings so much to our relationship, kids who love me deeply and keep me on my toes, family that is always there to support me, friends to turn to and share with.
Yes truly, I have enough. I have far more than enough. I am blessed by God with an abundance I am thankful for every single day.
Yes, a wise man knows when he has enough...

Welcome to my Blog!

2005-11-17T06:22:00.000-06:00

Welcome to my new Blog! You may actually find this Blog interesting. I will jot some notes on interesting comments I've heard, thoughts that seemed unique, quotes that struck a chord with me... I don't think they'll be amazingly profound.
But, something that caught me interest may just catch yours, too.
I hope you enjoy reading my new Blog. -Jeffrey