The Train

People in my family love the train. My grandfather did some model railroading. My uncles go whenever possible. So I was treading down the family road when I took the train to Bakersfield on Wednesday last week. Four hours in the train, 6 in town. Left here at 10am, home at 8pm. Loved it. Here's why:

1. It's cheap. $45 round trip to Bako with a AAA discount. The only way to get there cheaper is by walking, and I'm pretty sure that would take longer...

2. It's efficient. I could travel to Bako and use the four hours as office time. Try as I might, I haven't figured out how to type well while driving.

3. It's comfortable. I'm typing this on a text document as I'm sprawled out across two seats. And I've got leg room, baby! Really the only danger is falling asleep from the gentle lull of the train.

4. It's terrific for people watching. Old farmers in outrageous American flag jackets, drifters sitting quietly (and eerily) in the corner with hoods and shades, teeny-boppers with ipods and sullen glances and then there's Mr. High Powered Business Guy loudly doing business on his cell (very annoying). Good times...

The Glamour of Fatherhood

It's exactly 6:17am and we need milk. Where are the car keys?!?

Update...as I was staggering toward the door to leave, Lucy asked me where I was going and I told her I was off to the supermarket to get some milk for breakfast. Her response? "Daddy, can you go by Starbucks and get me a scone?"

Coming right up!

Flyovers

Don't get me wrong, I love a good flyover. You know, that moment a the beginning of a sporting event when the fighter jets zoom in low overhead at the culmination of the national anthem. This morning it was a couple of F15's at the MLS Final as Placido Domingo finished up "and the home of the brave." Whoosh!

It's all very impressive, but I have a couple of questions:

1. Who pays for it?!? Do I? I'm guessing it might cost a bit to fly out the stealth fighter from North Dakota and have it arrive in LA at just the right moment. Fuel? In-flight meals? Do you purchase insurance for something like that?

2. How can I get one?!? Especially if as a tax payer I'm helping fund these things, I'd like to order up a nice F-18 flyover for my next big event. Think about it! It would be great for kids' birthdays, anniversaries or special holiday parties. Or how about for ministry? Need the perfect culmination for a fundraising ask? Call in the jets! Or just after the first worship set at a large group meeting. Perfect!

Lastly, what about this one...a flyover when you need it! Send the Air Force a text message, and you'll get your jets in 30 minutes or less. Like a pizza! Need a way to end a conversation? How about a flyover? Bored between classes? You need some jets. Trying to impress that special someone? Where's the stealth?!? I'm just saying, that'd be pretty cool...

You know you are blessed when...

...your FREE babysitter CALLS YOU and asks if she can come watch your kids...

Thanks Kelly!

The latest kerfluffle...

Fresno has a rep, and it's never a good one. There's currently a local flap about a Toyota ad that played on the East Coast that once again reinforces the city's bad name. Check it out here.

Me? I've already repented of my anti-Fresno bias...

The mathematics of exhaustion

So I got back last night from a three day road trip centered on Fund Development and Staff Supervision, and this morning I could barely get out of bed. Done. Fried. Kaput. And so I thought to myself: "I'm getting old. It didn't use to be this tough. It must be because I'm 35."

But then I thought about it, and maybe there are some other numbers that have something to do with it. Consider these stats from my trip:

59 hours away from home in total
8:45 alone in a car driving the 596 total miles (an average, by the way, of 74.5 miles per hour if my math is right)
2:45 in office time while away (most at a Starbucks in downtown San Fran)
13 hours of sleep (which admittedly is more than average around home lately...)
18 holes of golf on Monday here
101 strokes...my disappointing score
3:15 of downtime (riding on BART, reading before bed, waiting for lunch)
5 black and white hot chocolates from Starbucks along the way

But then here's the real kicker...

25 and a half hours with people. In conversations. Thinking, listening, responding. Staying alert. "On."

Somebody say "introvert!"

Call the band! Get the confetti! Kill the fatted calf! Raise the alarm! Praise the Lord!

Lucy pooped in the potty today...

The Daily Nightly

Amy is off at a Moms Night Out with her Small Group tonight. Here's where we stand:

Josh is asleep. He was done at 7:30. Perhaps it had something to do with him being up since like 5am with no nap?

Grace was down at 7:15. Man, she is a dream going to sleep right now. Just give her her "bankie" and "wawa" and you're good.

Lucy is watching The Incredibles and is (of course) not even close to looking tired. Even money that she'll outlast me and Amy will come home to Lucy pounding the rest of the Halloween candy and watching some rerun of MTV Cribs...

Me? I'm watching the Fresno State-Hawaii football game right now and it's not pretty. Toward the end of the first quarter and it's already 24-7 with Hawaii driving again. Quarterback Colt Brennan has already passed for like 6,000 yards. Looks like a long night on the island for the 'Dogs...

You gotta love it when...

...you think, maybe, that that voice in your dome is the Holy Spirit...and then you speak it out and it turns out that it totally was. Love it. Good times.

Hallo-what the heck?!?

About this attempt at a family picture, you could notice several things:
1. How Amy and I are steadfast in our determination to take a good picture...
2. How Lucy is just as steadfast in her determination NOT to take a good picture...
3. And then there's Grace and the candy bucket...
Props to Uncle Jeremy for capturing the moment!

And a special "Fly in the Soup" shout-out to our friend Supervisor Praveen!!!

My 3 year old Dell Inspiron has been limping along for the last month. Bad power chord, sometimes it couldn't read the wireless modem, and then the on/off button was so sporadic that it seemingly took an act of Congress and 5 quiet times before it would boot up.

And then came Praveen. Praveen was the Dell dude on the other end of my live tech support chat last week, and when I presented my three issues, he said this:

Agent (Sup_Praveen_127748): "Rob, I have consulted my Technical Supervisor and we need to pull up the system to Depot for repair. A team of technicians will work on your system and will replace the required parts to make sure that the system is working fine before sending it back to you. It would be a special service there would be no charges to you."

From there it went like this: Praveen magically arranged for DHL guy to show up at my door 3 hours later with a ready-made box for me to put my laptop into. This was Tuesday. The package was then shipped to Memphis next day air. They fixed it that next day, on Wednesday, and then sent it back such that it was on my desk ready to roll on Friday morning. In the process they replaced the system board and the modem. And, they threw in a new power chord as a bonus. All free. All quick. All easy. Thanks be to the Praveen!

Some of you may have heard me thinking out loud about drinking a glass of that Mac kool aid, but this experience decides it. I'm a Dell guy now from here on. And next time I'm in India, I'm taking Praveen out for some tea...

Impact1 at Cal Poly

I'm off to SLO in couple of hours (in a sweet Chrysler 300 by the way) to visit the Impact1 AIDS awareness tent. The staff and students have done a GREAT JOB of creating an experiential learning station right in the middle of campus (Dexter Lawn for you Mustangs out there). It's tremendous. As of Wednesday night, they had poured almost 1500 students through the tent and had gathered tons of response. One person is already in the Kingdom because of it, and we are very hopeful that many more will respond tonight at the "Night of Impact" event in Chumash. Pray with us please! Here's a shot of the tent from the other night:

What does it mean lately...

...when Josh calls me the "bonus parent?" And is it a good thing or a bad thing?

Thoughts?!?

"So with the fire now 2 miles away, let's finish up with one more song...and close up the book table while we're singing..."

As advertised Fall Conference was an amazing weekend, this time with a new twist. On Saturday night we welcomed some new brothers and sisters into the Kingdom. On Sunday morning we left early because of the Malibu fires. Below are three pictures from the festivities. First, the Fresno State crew rocking their "justice" t-shirts. Then two Cal Poly students with cardboard Jesus. Finally, a shot of the fire from our friend Tina. Thanks to those of you who were praying for us!

Fall Conference this weekend!

Every year God does his holy thing right about this time of the Fall. He mobilizes the staff to their roles, he makes the logistics happen, and, most importantly, he calls the students to pony up $99 to get their spiritual worlds flipped upside down! I love Fall Conference! This year we are going to try a "live prayer blog" of the weekend, so if you are a hard core prayer monster (or even you aren't), check here throughout the weekend and intercede for/with us! I'll let you know how it turns out!

Disco Fever

You'll watch this twice!

That sound you hear is me smacking my head against my desk after reading...

...this.

Off again

Hittin' the road today, this time in a rental minivan from Dollar off of Priceline. I'll be in Glendale/Pasadena/San Juan Capistrano for two different sets of meetings. Mom and Dad, Black Cow today at noon for lunch!

And, yes, I'm going to the bathroom BEFORE I leave this morning...

A short quiz...

It's a lot of fun having Josh in an under-6 Clovis Junior Soccer League, but I have to say that he rarely kicks the ball, and especially when someone else has it or is around it. Like he'll touch the ball 5 times over the course of 30 minutes. Lots of yelling, plenty of running around but not a lot of action. So let's take a short quiz...
What is keeping Josh Dixon from kicking the soccer ball?

a. He's afraid of the ball.
b. He's not a competitive person.
c. He doesn't get how soccer works.
d. He has wonderful parents who have taught him not to take a ball away from others without asking, and he's simply reluctant to disobey by kicking the ball when someone else is around it.

The answer is "d." Surely "d." Without question "d." Anyway, here's a shot that pretty much typifies the action:

Multi-tasking?!?

We'll give her a pass this morning because she's sick, but I just watched Lucy SIMULTANEOUSLY (and with the same hand) suck her thumb and pick her nose.

It's wonderful to have such gifted children...