Posted tons of pictures on flickr. Click one of the pictures below to view them all. Wanna see something else? We were playing with the continuous capture settings on my new camera – it was meant for capturing fast moving objects (sports, etc), but we played a strobe game… Read the rest of this entry »

“The Office” in my office… You will get such a kick out of this if you watch that show, and may even find it funny if you don’t. Read the following, which – I kid you not – came straight from my office email Inbox.

A quick intro: I work in the clinical education department of a hospital group. Our department is made up of mostly instructors, instructional designers (like me), and developers (programmers). In an effort to promote departmental unity, a “Fun Committee” was developed. They’re doing a good job of springing random, mostly fun, events on us to break up the monotony of the work week, and they really are good people. But sometimes, they get intense. And funny. =) The latest fun event: an in-office bowling league. We bowl a hard foam ball into hard foam pins down our office hallways…

Enjoy:

Hello Everyone,

Three pins have been damaged due to Horse play and one pin is still missing. Each pin has a replacement fee of $6. Please return the pin to a Fun Committee member today. I am here until 3:30pm and [another Fun Committee member] is here until 3:45pm. Please do not strike each other with the pins as they are made out of soft foam and not very sturdy. We have attached another set of rules for your review.

Please see a Fun Committee member to pay for the damaged pins. The League will resume, after we have received payment for the damaged pins.

[A member of the "Fun Committee"]

–

Good morning,

I am sorry to report that no one has stepped forward and paid the outstanding money for the damaged pins. The Fun Committee paid a total of $60.00 each, for two bowling sets. Even with payment for the damaged pins, we do not have the funding to purchase another bowling set, but we had hoped to recuperate some of the the funds we spent for a bowling set that we are now unable to sell.

Several people have stepped forward and volunteered to pay for another bowling set, but we do not feel it would be fair to ask this of those that were not responsible for causing the damage in the first place.

We are sorry to announce that bowling has been discontinued pending payment for the damaged pins.

Thanks.

[The Fun Committee Head Honcho]

–

Seriously, it’s okay to admit to juvenile acts caused damage to the pins. We ALL get overzealous and carried away at times. I am sure we can all agree there will be no social scorning of the responsible party!! Just speak up and let’s continue with the league. Otherwise we need to have the office exterminated for the large rats that ate the pins!!

[An instructor]

–

It is sad to know that in our department of adults, no one could respect the materials that were purchased for us for enjoyment. This was a creative idea that the Fun Committee came up with so we could have fun together outside work and someone had to abuse that. Our team was enjoying our Friday morning bowling times and it is sad to know that it is being discontinued.

I hope those responsible decide to step forward and take account for their actions.

This doesn’t help encourage our Fun Committee to create any more fun ideas for us if we can’t even handle this one.

Sincerely,

[Another instructor, after having read the previous instructor's email... so much for no social scorning. =)]

–

Ummm, I admittedly have not seen the injured pins, so please forgive me if I’m just uninformed, but is it possible that some of the pins became damaged (or at least began to be damaged) during normal play? Or during storing them into the box? I’ve definitely seen some laser-rocket bowling, and I can’t be alone in my lack of thorough examination before storage.

I’m just simply wondering if a slight tear could go unnoticed and become worse during storage, transportation, etc.?

[A developer]

–

No. The first week of bowling the pins were fine. I stored the pins and the pins were not cracked. I have also checked for damage and I can tell you that the only damage that had occurred, was a slight tear inside the finger hole of one of the bowling balls.

[Head Honcho, responding to the developer]

–

That was not the case. Prior to storing the equipment we went through the boxes. That doesn’t mean it didn’t happen during normal play, but it didn’t happen during transportation or storage. We would just like for someone to come forward, even if it means putting the money in an envelope and sliding it under a door.

[Another Fun Committee Member, responding to the developer]

–

I haven’t run this idea past the Fun Committee, but think we could solve this problem for a small additional cost to each of us. There are about 30 participants in the hallway bowling and $120 has been spent for the equipment. That works out to $4 each to cover the entire cost. I know we have already paid $1 each leaving $90 outstanding. I suggest we each kick in an additional dollar for this round and plan on paying $2 for the next round?

[A designer]

–

[A round of people, at this point send emails to the tune of "I'm in" or "Let's just do this so we can get back to bowling"...]

–

Hello Everyone,

This is the final email about Bowling. It is absolutely canceled for this week. If you would like bowling to resume, anyone who would like to VOLUNTEER funds towards a replacement set, is free to do so. The cost of the replacement set is $60.00. We will not be splitting up the cost of a replacement set amongst the bowling league. There is a deadline for volunteer donations towards the replacement. The deadline is Monday, April 23, 2007 by 3pm. Turn in your donations to a member of the Fun Committee.

Signed,

The Fun Committee!

Isn’t that hilarious? We’re back to bowling, so I guess the volunteers shelled out the cash. =)

Last night, we had some good friends over (11 total?) to watch Jesus Christ Superstar with us.  Our pastor talked a little about it before we actually got around to turning it on.  There were a few kinds of people there – one kind had never seen the movie, so it needed a little introduction, and another kind had seen it many times and was likely to be silly throughout.  The pastor saying something at the beginning put everyone into a somber enough mood that we could watch the movie and think about its subject rather than its execution.  (No pun intended.)

Dave’s Dad, David tells me, has listened to the record/CD every year on Good Friday for as long as he can remember.  I like the idea – we might watch this DVD every Good Friday.  It was a good way to spend the night.

This storm is great.  =)  Lots of thunder and lightning, not too much rain, and a twilight-colored sky at 3 pm.  I LOVE “bad” weather.

Remember how my camera was broken?  Well, I can’t fix it and I’ll bet I couldn’t pay anyone to fix it (it’s an old model digital point-and-shoot).  I loved that camera, but I’m moving on.

I just bought a Canon EOS 350D (a “Digital Rebel”) online.  I’ve been wanting a camera like this for ages, but they’ve always seemed too expensive for someone like me (not a pro).  Now that I have a good job (I’ll be working some overtime to even out the expense) and now that they’ve come out with a newer model of this camera, it’s finally worth it for me to buy it.  I’m so excited – I should get it by next week, and definitely in time to learn how to use it for Hawai’i!

In other news: my dog loves popcorn and soy sauce.

… was a GREAT day.  It was a good day at work (I got a lot done, I got assigned a couple of fun projects, I got to relieve my boss of a little bit of pressure and take on a task management role, and I got a couple of overtime hours).  It’s been a great evening at home (it’s gorgeous, and we’ve spent the evening relaxing outside on our fabulous deck looking at our fabulous lawn – which David just mowed for the first time).  And, most importantly, today is Friday.  The first day of the weekend.  =)

On another note, my dog looks almost human (in an alien sort of way) when he stands on his hind legs.

It’s smelly in here.  =) 

I’m dogsitting for the Gardners, and Jake and Chopin have been playing for over an hour.  They’re both hot and panting, and our house smells like dog. 

Not that I mind.  It’s fun for me – the more the merrier, as long as they’re not trying to kill each other.  These two are getting along well (as long as Chopin doesn’t eat or drink in front of Jake). 

I’d take pictures and post them so you could see these two playing, but my camera is broken.  Don’t know what’s up, but I can only take or look at a couple of pictures before the camera’s software locks up.  Nothing I try fixes the problem!

=(

We’re back from Kaua’i. =)

Pictures here.

We went to church this morning.  My parents’ church recently split when their pastor left, so the remaining members are in the middle of a pastor search.  The interim pastor gave the sermon today and at the end gave an invitation.

It really, really bothers me when preachers ask to have “every head bowed and every eye closed” when they give an invitation.  There was nothing private about what Christ did for us.  If you’re making a statement of belief in Jesus, it should be bold and unapologetic.  Christianity, true Christianity, will change your life dramatically – it’s not a lifestyle to step into half-heartedly, it’s a worldview change, a paradigm shift.  I think it’s inappropriate for a pastor to minimize the gravity of the decision to follow Christ by allowing people to slink into the relationship.  I think it undermines the importance of the commitment and makes the relationship seem like it doesn’t have to be THE priority of your life.

That said,  I think the “close your eyes” approach can be appropriate in youth ministry because kids are so wrapped up in what their friends and peers think of them, but adults should be able to make decisions – especially such important decisions – without basing them in vanity.  If you’re not ready to stand up and stand out for Christ, are you ready to commit to a life in him and for him?

I sound judgemental, and this is something I struggle with – snap decisions about things I hear and see, and the people that say and do them.  I need to think more, but I wanted to post my initial thoughts here so I could hear what some of you think.

So, what do you think?

It’s finally warmer here.  After a week and a half of snowstorms and blizzards and snow showers and icy roads and snowed-in garages, it’s finally warm enough that the sun is making things drip.  And I can drive again!  I had to try to pull out of the garage a couple of times (the garbage trucks they turned into snow plows have plowed the alley, creating walls of snow in front of all the garages), but I finally made it out!

Snow really freaks me out.  Dave’s been the driver – when the roads look like they have for the past couple of weeks (Indy STILL hasn’t cleaned up our residential streets), I don’t drive unless I absolutely have to.  I slid off of then back onto the road a couple of years ago and was very lucky that I only hit the guardrail instead of the other cars around me.

The dog likes the snow now that it’s softer – for a while, there was an inch-thick layer of ice on top of the foot of snow.  Jake would take a step and fall through, take another step and fall through.  It was funny.  =)  Today, though, because the sun was actually out, the snow was soft enough that he jumped around and cavorted and chased squirrels.

…

Tomorrow is my last day here - I fly out very early Wednesday morning, and I’ve got a lot to do (taking a break from work now) before then.  I’m doing laundry and packing most of my things tonight.  Tomorrow night, I’m going shopping for the things Leah said she wanted me to bring (among other things, Colts caps – she’s a fan!) with me.  She called last night with a list.  =)

I can’t wait – except for the leaving David for two weeks part.  I’m glad to be seeing my family, though – twice a year is just not enough.

I’ve been shamed into posting again.  =)  But guys, now that I have a dog, it’s more fun to spend my spare time OFF the computer.  Especially since I work on one every day, all day long.

I think the only really interesting and out-of-the-ordinary things we’ve done lately happened the last couple of weekends.  We had a couple of football-watching shindigs – for the AFC Championship game and for the Super Bowl – where 25-30 people (at a time) crammed into our house for dinner and the game (or to play games – turns out we had several games of chess, some Jenga, some Fluxx, and some Cities & Knights of Catan going on).  We ended up bringing two extra TVs for the big game because there were so many people here that we just ran out of chairs, sofas, floorspace, and standing room in the living room.  (Jake LOVED the crowd.)

Before the games, because I got a raise, David and I were, then weren’t, then were, then weren’t, then were, then really weren’t going to and so didn’t buy a bigger TV.  We just had folks watch the games on our 15-year-old, small, but perfectly fine, TV. 

I loved having people over, even though it was a lot of work.  I like being surrounded by the people I love – it makes me feel connected in a way I need.  I think I get that from my Mom.

Anyway, that’s pretty much it.  It’s been blisteringly cold here, and it looks like the temperature will just keep going down.  It started snowing this afternoon and already there are 2 or 3 inches on the ground with no sign of stopping.  David had class in Anderson today so he’s staying the night.  I have a deacons’ meeting later – it’ll be fun getting out in that mess…

But, on the plus side, Jake loves the snow.  He short-haired and skinny so he gets cold quickly, but he loves running around out there.  Check out my flickr pictures (flickr.com/photos/taukerman) to see a couple of new dog pictures.  I’ve finally been able to take a few that show you what he’s really like.  =)