Brent and Kat in California

Summer is here!

2008-06-18T19:14:00.000-07:00

Ahh, summer in San Diego. When finally the temperature is... well, exactly like the rest of the year. But the probability of rain drops to about 0.01%, which corresponds to the probability of wildfires being about 50%.

So its summer, and I am out of school and working at a local biotech. Its been awesome to get started working for a great company in an exciting industry. Its all new to me, though ~ My interest in Biotech is recent, and I'm not exactly trying to hide it.

In fact, I've actually done the opposite. I'm playing the "student card" to the hilt, and going with the assumption that "no question is too dumb to ask." I'm finding it to be refreshingly liberating to ask things I would previously be too ashamed to admit.

Example: Upon meeting a person at a networking event who identifies himself as a synthetic chemist, rather than trying to bluff my way into a conversation, I ask, "Hey, what the heck does a synthetic chemist do?"

Ironically, ignorance actually DOES lead to some interesting conversations... even with Synthetic Chemists.

So as I said, summer is here, and hopefully our trickle of blog readers has not TOTALLY dried up during those lean months while I was busting it through school. I'll try to share some of our adventures this summer, and we'd love to hear from you, too!

Two Extra-ordinary Things

2008-06-10T15:27:00.001-07:00

Today was not quite what I expected. It began normally enough, but two unusual things happened:

1. My ears have been majorly stopped up for a couple of days (I have small ear holes, and this happens rather easily), so I called the doctor to squeeze in an appointment. I arrived at 11am, got the right ear flushed out, and then was told I had a "foreign body" in my left ear. After several painful minutes of them trying to remove it, they called down to the Ear, Nose, and Throat specialists. They were off at lunch, so I was told to wait. (Actually, my options were to either wait or make an appointment after July 21st...obviously, I didn't want to leave that foreign body in there for another month and a half.) Anyway, the ENT doctor saw me at 2:30pm and not less than 30 seconds later he had extracted a disposable plastic dome from my hearing aid. That sucker is kinda big--8mm in diameter (see below).

2. After that painful and surprising operation, I went to the gym for a quick workout. As I walked into the locker room, a friend of mine stopped me and squealed, "I-just-saw-Tiger-Woods-he's-in-the-gym!" Faithful readers of the blog will remember I had a sighting of Tiger several months ago, but it was brief. This time, I was on the elliptical machine not three feet away from him for 15 minutes. Then I casually followed him into the weight room and watched him do crunches out of the corner of my eye while I pretended to do bicep curls. I didn't talk to him - didn't want to bother the poor guy - but I did confirm with the trainer that it was him.

So that's my story for the day!

Oxbridge Here I Come!

2008-05-20T12:39:00.000-07:00

This is going to be an INCREDIBLE summer. Brent and I are going to Boston for a week over the 4th of July, and then I'll do research for a couple of weeks at Woods Hole. Then I'll fly to England, where I will attend Oxbridge 2008. This conference is going to be amazing! I am looking forward to seeing C.S. Lewis's home, The Kilns, and seeing terrific speakers like John Polkinghorne and Francis Collins. They have a Science & Theology symposium which is exactly aligned with my interests. Sigh...to make things even more incredible, my super-nice boss is paying for the airfare, while the Foundation has awarded a tuition grant. I'm only responsible for the Room & Board!!!

Check out the ad on YouTube when you get a moment!

The Stache

2008-05-14T08:28:00.001-07:00

This morning marked the end of one era and the beginning of a new. My husband, as straight-laced as they come, has been sporting a beard for the past couple of weeks, and while I liked it, it was kinda scratchy. So this morning he shaved, but I implored him to keep a 'stache for at least a day. I tried to bribe him with Golden Spoon (frozen yogurt) if he would keep it for his internship interview today, but he emailed me moments ago to say he just couldn't go through with it. By 8am, the 'stache went the way of the beard, down the drain. Thank goodness I took pictures!

Confessions of a wannabe computer geek

2008-05-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

I need to confess. I'm a computational biologist, but I don't really know that much about computers. Until recently I didn't know the difference between a 32-bit and a 64-bit machine. I don't know any programming languages except Matlab, which is easy. And perhaps worst of all - I can't believe I'm saying this on the internet - I prefer Windows over Linux. Sigh... I'm sorry if I disappoint you, World!

Why Leisure Matters in a Busy World - New York Times

2008-05-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

NY Times advising on Leisure...

We need to plan for leisure — perhaps by doing one small thing every day, identifying long- and short-term leisure goals, putting enjoyable activities on the calendar — like we do other aspects of life.

Why Leisure Matters in a Busy World - New York Times

My leisure goal is to start wearing more leisure suits. What's yours?

Gummy Joe

2008-04-28T07:54:00.000-07:00

OK, it's countdown to my periodontal surgery. 6 hours... That's a special kind of dental surgery that for some reason gets paid for out of my limited dental insurance plan, rather than my super-generous medical plan. But who's counting anyway?

So by the end of the day, I will be the proud owner of two slightly-less recessed tooth/gum intersections... and one heck of a headache. But that's where the Vicadin comes in... Ahhhhhhhh.....

A hero for our times...

2008-04-21T08:04:00.002-07:00

A little while back, Kat and I had the opportunity to hear Francis Collins speak at a local university. Collins is the the national director of the human genome project and also an evangelical Christian. His book, The Language of God, published a year and a half ago has been a best seller, and has been a really pivotal book for Kat and I as it relates to sharing science, and specifically evolution, with other Christians.

Here is a link to the story and podcast of his presenation: http://www.pointloma.edu/Biology/ScienceEducationPrograms/Dr__Francis_Collins_Visits_PLNU.htm

Anyways, the cool thing was that Kat got to have dinner with Collins and 50 or so professors before the speech. She sent him a follow-up note, and this was his response:

Dear Kathryn, Thanks for your encouraging note of April 15. For a source of information about the history of creationism, Ron Numbers book "The Creationists" is by far the most authoritative and objective. You can find it at Amazon, see http://www.amazon.com/Creationists-Evolution-Scientific-Creationism/dp/0520083938 Evolution may be neutral about our place in the tapestry of life, but God (the author of evolution) apparently is not! There is evidence that selection has continued to operate upon us rather recently (think skin color or the ability to digest lactose), but that doesn't seem to affect the Imago Dei. Blessings, Francis

I can't express enough how impressed I am with this man. He is a solid scientist and grounded Christian. I hope through his efforts, and not the foolishness of movies like Expelled, that common ground can be found between the two camps.

America, fear, and guns

2008-04-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Details of a sad story in San Diego were released today. A confrantion between a mom, Silva, and an off-duty cop, White, turned violent. See the story below.

It seems like the mom, Silva, was in the wrong and is at fault. However, the situation turned lethal when a gun was introduced. It seems in that terrible moment of fear and uncertainty (an adrenalized moment with tinted windows and high tension) that a gun pushes a tense situation over the edge.

This is what the statement, based on a “preliminary investigation,” says happened:
White, 28, was driving with his wife south on Old Grove Road about 9:15 p.m. Silva, whose son was in the front passenger seat, was leaving a Shell gas station onto Old Grove at the same time.

An independent witness said that Silva's car nearly ran into White's, and he swerved to avoid an accident. White continued along Old Grove Road and pulled into the Lowe's parking lot.
Another witness said Silva was “tailgating White's car, revving the engine, and yelling and screaming as she followed” White's black Mercury sedan into the parking lot.
White's wife called 911 “to report an aggressive driver.” White stopped his car, and Silva pulled her Honda to the left side of his car.
White displayed a handgun, and then backed away from Silva's car and stopped.
Silva called 911 and reported that there was a man with a gun. She then “reversed her vehicle in the direction of the Whites' car, sideswiping it.” White then fired five rounds into Silva's Honda.

The statement described the front passenger window of Silva's car as “closed” and “darkly tinted.”

After returning from China, where there are no guns, I am just struck by the ridiculousness of an America where so many insist it to be a good thing for every citizen to be armed with a handgun. If a well-trained police officer, when put in a tense situation, is capable of blasting an unarmed (though seemingly disturbed) mom and her son, should the rest of be trusted to show better judgment.

My conservative friends all point out that while China doesn't have guns, it also doesn't have other things like, say, freedom of speech, expression, or religion. Must we tolerate handgun violence if we are to avoid political repression? I don't think so. Places like Norway, where not even the police carry guns, seem to still encourage political enfranchisement from multiple sides.

So why not us? I'd love to hear what people think. Am I missing something here?

The much delayed China post

2008-04-11T08:12:00.000-07:00

Apologies for my tardiness... I returned from China a week ago last monday, and am just now getting a post up on our much-neglected blog. In my defense, I was holding out hope that I would get pictures from my fellow travelers (still hoping). I do have a few shots that I took with my camera, and I thought I would share those along with my thoughts on China, chopsticks, the Olympics, and more...

China yesterday

China is a country of such a long and amazing history. I find it interesting that their language does not have tenses for when events occured. To the best of my understanding, when people speaking Mandarin describe events in the past, they say (roughly) "Chinese emperors rule huge kingdoms in the past."

In short, past and present seem to coexist in China in a way that I've never really experienced.

Adventures in Chop Sticks

Eating in China was a lot of fun. Very communal and very sociable. The Chinese use little plates and lots of shared dishes on a lazy susan-style rotating table. Dining is all about grabbing food off plates with chop sticks as it spins by. Very indicative of the nation's communal culture.

I especially loved the "homestyle" breakfast place that our Chinese hosts took us to. For about 40 cents, I could get an egg, tray of steamed pork buns, and a bowl of tofu soup. Nice!

China for the future

Beijing is BOOMING. The Olympics are everywhere, including the cute little figures who will mascot the games. While I don't agree with all of China's policies, especially as it regards to freedom of religion, I definitely grieve for them with the turbulent first days of the torch's transit. China is SOOOOOO excited about the Olympics, and they are pouring so much into it.

Anyhow, the growth in China is pretty specatular. We visited a number of companies in a variety of industries, and all were very excited China's prospects. Not sure what I think about it all. I feel conflicted about China's record on human rights and oppression, but I am excited about their rapid rise out of poverty and isolation.

Ultimately, I hope the confluence of east and west will be good for all... Such is my general optimism. We'll see...

We still exist

2008-04-10T11:06:00.001-07:00

Hey there, everyone.

Just wanted to let you know we haven't forgotten the blog completely! Brent still intends to post some pics from his recent Spring Break trip to China, and I'll eventually do the same for my whirlwind trip through AR-LA-TX. Since we got back last week we've been readjusting to a new quarter, hosting a missionary brunch, and doing school stuff.

Tomorrow I am very excited to get to meet Francis Collins, Director of the Human Genome Project, and author of "The Language of God," a book I wish I had written. He'll be giving a talk out at Point Loma Nazarene at 7:30pm (4/11) if you live in the area.

Thanks for checking in! More to come in the near future, we think--
Kathryn

Cat vs. Wildebeast vs. Croc vs. Wildebeast, etc.

2008-03-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

You have to watch this movie. It is worth 8 minutes of your time!

We certainly didn't see this kind of action whilst on safari last summer!

The trip that... wasn't

2008-03-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we were supposed to travel to Ohio and meet our new little nephew, along with his parents, my sister and brother-in-law, and my parents. We had flights booked, hotel rooms reserved, rides arranged, all set to go...

And then good old-fashioned Midwestern winter showed up, and we were once again reminded of the fact that we may choose our paths, but the Lord determines our steps.

In this case, he chose to send a huge blizzard to not only Cleveland, but Dallas as well. Now, I am wagering that to people living in a huge swath of the country, this is not exactly breaking news... But to Californians, the thought that weather could interfere with plans? Huh?

We attempted to make the best of it... Bags packed, work taken care of, mail stopped... We did the next best thing: Head up to Palm Springs! Land of sun, octogenarians in big caddies, and more restaurants than you would shake a stick at.

So while certainly better than being stranded in O'Hare or DFW, we missed our family tremendously. Hopefully we can reschedule soon... Or maybe, THEY would want to come out to Palm Springs....

My New Favorite Animal

2008-02-19T13:34:00.000-08:00

It's not exactly cuddly, but the cuttlefish is cute.

It has incredible camouflage abilities, as described in this article. Roger Hanlon studies cuttlefish at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where I will be going this summer for a couple of weeks to do research. Hopefully I can see them in person!

Love Song for the Semi-Colon

2008-02-19T06:08:00.000-08:00

I read an article in the Times this morning about the semi-colon; that wily but misunderstood bit punctuation that I love so dearly.

Americans, in particular, prefer shorter sentences without, as style books advise, that distinct division between statements that are closely related but require a separation more prolonged than a conjunction and more emphatic than a comma.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/18/nyregion/18semicolon.html?em&ex=1203570000&en=dc3cd0cc8983eb99&ei=5087%0A

I don't know why I like semi-colons so much, but I do! They seem like a license to splurge in a run-on sentence while providing style and panache. I say, "Hooray for the Semi-Colon!"

Rusty - Part 2

2008-02-15T17:42:00.000-08:00

I too am reflecting on life and death today... I am about 50% through "Hell Week" in my MBA class, with 2 cases and 2 exams over 6 days. All my focus has been inward, on myself, and it takes the death of a fellow church attendee to get me out of my own narcissism.

Self-flagellation accomplishes little, but self-examination and reflection is much more productive. I think about how long its been since I spoke to my grandmother. I consider how little I share of my faith, the very hope of my life, with my colleagues. And I ask myself, "If my life were evaluated today, would I pass the test?"

Only by the blood of Jesus would I stand.

Life is short. Relationships are sweet. God is sovereign. This is the platform I want to build my life upon...

2008-02-15T08:07:00.000-08:00

This morning I read of the death of a man from our church who I never met. Rusty began coming to North City last summer, but he has been in the hospital for most of the time since then. Brent and I never went to visit him. It was one of those things where he didn't seem quite real. I prayed for him, and I always thought we should make time and go encourage him. But we didn't.

In the past few days I have also read about five people getting slaughtered in a lecture hall with a shotgun, and about a NY therapist being butchered in her office with a meat cleaver. A few days ago a woman was stabbed five times in the Nordstrom parking lot of our local mall during broad daylight.

My point here is not to stir up guilt about the Rustys in your life—the people you should make time for, but consistently don’t—or to strike fear in your heart about meeting some gruesome and untimely end. My point is not even to bemoan the evilness of the present age. This is a call to wake up and run. There is very little time!

Most of us live out our days in relative ease, placated with the stuff of this life. (You have struggles, to be sure, but the fact that you have internet access and the time to read this blog suggests you aren’t out fighting for food or clothing or shelter.) We don’t think that TODAY might be the day when our lives will be required. Or maybe the life of that curmudgeonly man in the office next door.

I write now to my brothers and sisters in Christ: we cannot afford to finger our doubts, to worry what other people think, or to put off the really important things. We must not be deceived that our purpose in this life, which is "to glorify God and enjoy him forever" (Westminster Catechism, Q1), can be actualized by anything less than an all-consuming love of God that manifests itself as a radical, operative love of our fellow man.

What’s more, while our salvation does come by grace through faith alone, our obedience to the Prince of Peace is not optional the way nuts are optional when you make brownies: no, action and self-sacrifice are essential. I can say I love the Lord six hundred times in a day, but if I ignore what he asks me to do, I really do not love him. Friends, he has told us to tell the Good News and make disciples of all the nations. What are we going to do?

I said earlier my point was not to stir up guilt or fear. But let’s distinguish between the self-focused, self-preserving kind of guilt and fear that becomes an unproductive end in itself, and the God-centered, holy kind of guilt and fear that moves us to repentance and provokes us to action. This latter variety may feel uncomfortable, but it is good. Hear then my exhortation: let these powerful motivators change the way you do one thing today. Show honor to someone who doesn’t deserve it. Take care of someone who can’t take care of you in return. Open your mouth at the lunch table and tell people who Jesus is. (But don’t ask me tomorrow what one thing I did; I am humbled by my own weakness, even as I write to charge you to be strong.)

God promises that if I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead, I will be saved (Romans 10:9). Let’s do be clear about that: I can in no way contribute to my salvation. But the Lord has wooed and washed me; will I just sit on the sidelines of love? I cannot bear the thought of going to my grave with energy left unspent! I imagine the words "Well done, good and faithful servant" will be spoken only to those who love and trust the Lord enough to attempt the hard things, like voluntarily giving up a particular gift he has given to be able to say, “The gift is good, but it’s the Giver I love.”

At the end of the day, though, I don’t think we need to worry too much about whether the sacrifices we are called to make will be too difficult for us. God’s grace is sufficient for the moment when you hear his voice calling. Also, there is joy in the sacrifice; a man will toil with joy if he knows it pleases his lover. So throw off the warm blanket of apathy that lets you ignore the homeless man on the corner when you don’t have anything smaller than a twenty in your wallet! Who cares if he may not really be homeless? Give the twenty and be blessed.

Only an hour forty five... Not that bad

2008-02-07T05:46:00.000-08:00

Quick Story

I had a conversation yesterday evening with an nice, middle-aged woman at the 10-minute oil change place. We were chatting, as people do at such venues, while we waited for our cars to be finished.

She was exclaiming about the merits of this place, and how convenient it was for her to stop by it on her commute home. Always interested in marketing tactics, I asked her how she heard of it and started coming here.

She went on to explain how, but the REALLY interesting thing was the length of her commute and her description of it. You see, she went on to tell me that her commute is an hour and fourty-five minutes... each way! But, she advised me, "It's really not all that bad..."

She went on to justify her decision based on the priviledge of owning a home, quality of life, etc. I just smiled and nodded, but inside, this voice in my head was saying, "Lady, you are spending 3.5 hours of every day on the road, on top of at least 9 hours a day in an office far from home. That's CRAZY!"

Maybe I'm just too small-townish, but God help me if I ever tell someone in an oil change place someday, "Only an hour forty five... Not that bad..."

3 - 0 - FORE!!!

2008-02-03T21:42:00.001-08:00

It's Monday, February 3rd, and I am just enjoying the last few hours of my 20's... It's quite a strange feeling to be entering a new decade, though I am hoping that there might be some clause like the whole millenium/Y2K thing that would give me an extra year of grace. No such luck, I think!

So far, my birthday season has been superb. Kat asked me for what I wanted to do to celebrate, and did all this research about exciting, culturally relevant activities that we could do... and I said, "Let's take a golf lesson together..."

She has only gone to the range a few times, and I LOOK like I have only gone a few times. But under the expert care of my ever-encouraging pro, Brian, he had us BOTH hitting for the fences in no time. Kat especially was amazing. Glad to see 13 years and thousands of softball swings paying off!

So tomorrow I bravely emark on a new decade of living. Who knows what will happen in my next 30 years.

beefy experiment

2008-01-29T14:13:00.000-08:00

Last night I may have committed husband abuse, though I can assure you it was unintentional. Let me explain. Lately I've been trying to become more efficient in my use of time and dishes in the kitchen, the former because we get home so late on weeknights; the latter because we don't have a dishwasher.

On Monday I made a beef and mushroom dish served over rotini pasta. It was tasty, and I had made a large pot so we would have leftovers. Rather than put the extra beef in one container and the pasta in another (as most would do), I weighed out my portion (4oz meat, 1c pasta) and stored it in one container. I stuffed all the rest in a second.

So last night, thinking about time and dish conservation, and more importantly having a desire to avoid wasting or saving a partial meal, I efficiently dumped the two containers into two bowls. Brent's had a full half-pound of beef and two cups of noodles (2x the recommended serving), I realized while serving, though I didn't mention it at the time. During dinner I gloated about getting a home-cooked meal on the table in less than 15 minutes, but as we all know, pride always leads to a fall.

Shortly after the meal (during which Brent impressed me by consuming all of it), Brent looked alarmed and began to moan about being extremely full. I told him how I may have served him more than usual in an attempt to avoid inefficiency, and he got this accusatory look on his face and said, "YOU MADE ME OVEREAT!" Laughing at the absurdity of MAKING someone eat (that only happens in movies like "Seven"), I tried to brush it off by saying a few extra pounds might not be a bad thing for him.

Well, the upshot is, I had to eat dessert solo because Brent was so stuffed, and he suffered the rest of the evening. Sorry, Brent!

Tiger Tale

2008-01-29T09:26:00.000-08:00

Tiger Woods and company were in San Diego this past weekend for the Buick Invitational. I went to the tournament on Saturday with a buddy and felt pretty good about being able to stand 15 feet away from The Man himself as he teed off on 18.

That is, until Kat told me that she was lifting weights with him at her gym a few days earlier!

OK - Here's the story. Kat's fitness center is literally right next to Torrey Pines, where the tournament was held. Kat was running on the treadmill, and very much "in the zone," as she puts it.

A rather familiar-looking, lighter-complected black man walked in, and started using the lat machine, not 5 feet from her. He was doing low weights but high reps... more like stretching that would be useful for... A GOLFER! The fitness center staff later confirmed that this was an actual Tiger-sighting.

But as Kat told me, she was too "in the zone" to do the obvious thing, which would be to rush over like a crazed paparazi and start snapping photos and asking him to sign anything and everything in her posession.

Nonetheless, it was an exciting brush with greatness... on Tiger's part, of course. I'd say Kat's steely focus definitely rubbed off on him, as he was able to win the tournament by a good 8 shots or so. *grin*

Dilemmas and Distractions

2008-01-22T08:23:00.001-08:00

Psst...Brent is thinking about shutting down the blog. Seems our readership is down, and Blogger's Guilt really isn't fun, especially because blogging should be a leisure activity in the first place. If you'd like to see it continue, please post a comment. Thanks! :) That's my shameless plug.

And now for a different kind of plug. I am curious whether anyone has ideas about how to maintain politeness while avoiding distractions in the office. I'm in a big room with 5-6 other people, and I really need focused time to write my code. Lately I have resorted to blasting classical music through earplugs (yes, that's right: I wear silicone earplugs and put the headphones over them). For a while I was doing that without playing the music, because I found that people would still talk to me if I had just the earplugs in, since they couldn't see them. The earphones also keep me warm, an added bonus. My most recent problem is that when people talk to me, I have to surreptitiously remove the hot pink earplug at the same time as the earphones. Usually that's easy, but yesterday one of them got stuck in my hair, and the whole thing was just really awkward. So I thought about those industrial style earmuffs, but sheesh, they're huge. Any thoughts?

Clone Wars

2008-01-20T17:16:00.001-08:00

San Diego is aflutter about a recent announcement from a small biotech about the cloning of a human embryo from adult skin cells.

Pro/Con/Right/Wrong - Hard to say... It does serve as a reminder of the amazing things that scientists are doing, right here in our town. Pretty cool.

Cloned Human Embryo Created From Skin Cells
ScienceDaily (Jan. 18, 2008) — Stemagen, a privately held embryonic stem cell research company, announced January 17 it has become the first in the world to create, and meticulously document, a cloned human embryo using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT).

Bio-Rad - Scientists for Better PCR

2008-01-15T20:31:00.000-08:00

Bio-Rad - Scientists for Better PCR

Just watch... You won't regret it.

My Favorite Snack

2008-01-15T16:36:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered Pop-Secret's 100-kcal bag of microwave popcorn. The kettle corn variety is the perfect afternoon snack, even though the popping sound and the occasional burnt-popcorn smell must be distracting to my labmates. (After many repetitions, I have found that popcorn left unattended ALWAYS burns, even if you cook it for less time than it usually takes when you're standing there watching it.) The main other disadvantage* to this snack, besides distracting others, is two fold: a) it is harder to type with one hand, since the other hand remains busy transporting light and fluffy kernels from bag to face, and b) the real and perceived gross-ness factor about touching your keyboard after consuming. Nevertheless, these detractors are easily dismissed when compared to guilt-free tastiness factor.

I would like to contrast this variety of popcorn with some recent info about movie popcorn found in the Hungry Girl column on weightwatchers.com:

"If you're used to popcorn being a better-for-you option, you'll probably fall out of your chair when you find out the stats on the movie theater version. A large size with butter packs in around 1500 calories and 130 grams of fat. That's a POINTS® value around 40 and almost two days worth of POINTS values for many people—ouch! Opt for the smallest one, leave off the butter and it'll still set you back around 500 calories and 25 grams of fat (POINTS value around 11). It doesn't seem worth it at all...So sneak in some microwave-popped bags—or just chomp on it at home, because movie theater popcorn + you = larger pants (sad, but likely true)."

Whoa. For those of you unfamiliar with the Points program at WW, I get 24 points a day, where the 100-kcal pack of Pop-Secret kettle corn is 2 points. Don't say I didn't warn you!

* A lesser-known but serious side-effect from eating too much popcorn is Popcorn Lung disease.

One week ...

2008-01-15T07:41:00.000-08:00

One week into the new school year at UCSD, and already I am buried under a mountain of case studies, HBS articles, and things to do. Somehow I had this notion that going back to school was going to be a nice, relaxing way to enjoy a couple of years. What exactly was I thinking?

In better news, our good friends Gord and Lis very recently delivered a happy, healthy baby girl. We got to go over and visit little Madeline Emma just a few days after she was born. I love pictures of Kat holding babies ~

So that is life and all. Pretty much Babies and B-School around here. Hope life is treating you well in your part of the world. Cheers!

End of the Day

2008-01-08T18:00:00.000-08:00

This is ridiculous! I have spent a good 8-10 hours from Christmas to the present trying to solve my grandmother Omie's bridge problem. I've even written a schnazzy algorithm to do it using Matlab, but it's going to be crunching all night and I'm not convinced I'll arrive at a solution that meets the criteria. I'm thus opening it up to whoever else deems him/herself worthy or bored enough to solve it:

There are 28 bridge teams that meet in groups of 4 (at 7 houses) over a span of 8 meetings. There seems to be an uproar in New Braunfels, TX, because too many teams keep playing teams they have already played. The goal is to set up a schedule such that each team has minimal repeats.

Sounds easy, right? It's not. Say team 1 plays teams 2, 3, and 4 at the first meeting. Then you have teams 5-28 to work with for the remaining 7 meetings. But team 2 now can't play team 3 or 4 ever again, in an ideal world. I've gotten to the point where I have around 300 schedules that work so that the average team plays only 6 other teams twice (and no team repeats more than once). Now I'm optimizing those schedules by rearranging the meetings (random permutations) so that none of the repeated teams play in consecutive meetings. I don't think it's possible to avoid repeats at all - a mean of 5.3 teams is the lowest I could routinely get after thousands of random trials.

If you have Matlab and you want my code, email me. :) I would love some help!

New Look for the New Year

2008-01-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

Hi friends! Happy New Year! 2008 is shaping up to be a fun and exciting year. Elections, Olympics, a new Spears baby... Who could ask for anything more?

I added a new little widget to the blog, over on the right hand side. You can enter your email address to get automatic emails of new posts. Its a nice way keep up to date if you don't use a feedreader like Google Reader or something.

Ok, when we last left our Californians, they were heading to Arkansas for a Thompson Family Christmas. The week in Fayetteville was very relaxing and enjoyable. I have to say the time was dominated by either a) Eating wonderful food, or b) Watching to see what cute thing the 1.5 year old nephew would do next.

Here's what you would have seen:

What nerds do for New Years has been a subject of much debate for years. This year, we have shown conclusively that they have more fun than cool people. Witness, the merriment that ensued with the ol' "Post-it on the Forehead, Guess who I am" game. For the record, I was the first person to ask the right yes/no questions to narrow down my guess to "William Wilberforce"

Seriously, our friends Dinah and Raffie hosted us and a friend, Ann, from England for a most enjoyable soiree. The year is shaping up well. We'd love to hear about what you did for New Year's, too!

Best Christmas Present Ever

2007-12-25T09:38:00.001-08:00

Our family is celebrating the arrival of the first grandchild. My sister and brother-in-law welcomed John Alexander into the world after some considerable effort and beckoning.

He was born at 3:58 p.m. on Dec. 20, a solid 9lbs 6.5 oz and 20.5 inches in length.

Life is truly the greatest gift.

The Applegate's 2007 Christmas Letter

2007-12-20T07:28:00.000-08:00

Hey Friends,

We've gone high-tech/low-cost on our Christmas Letter this year. Like Radioheads new album, we are online only.

Please click this link to access our 2007 Christmas Letter

Perhaps when I get a job someday, we can send out those fancy cards again! :-)

Merry Christmas to all. Please keep in touch!

Brent

Passing the time...

2007-12-18T17:06:00.001-08:00

Kat, here. One thing's for sure. When you have mono, you have a lot of time on your hands.
Feel the pace of my day for a moment: First, you wake up about two hours later than you normally do. You get up just in time to have breakfast with your husband before he runs out the door.

You then decide to embark on reading multiple pages of Matthew Henry's gi-normous commentary to try to understand one of Jesus's more difficult parables, but it makes your eyes hurt and so you just sit for a while on the couch. It's ok to just sit. Then you wander into the kitchen for a snack and are pleased to find you still have a much more civilized appetite than normal: half a banana will do.

Let's go check our email. You actually sit down and type several longish emails, because it's only 11:30am, after all, and you still have much time in the day. You check the New York Times for the headlines and read the good science stories, and then you check out the Scripps News & Views (normally you just skim, but today you read--intently--all the articles).

Your husband calls at 12:30pm on his lunch break. You still haven't done anything on your mono-approved to-do list, but hey, you're supposed to be resting. You then suppose that yes, it is time for lunch, so you fix half a sandwich and some soup and start a movie. But you can't actually finish it when there's so much to do!

So you start typing up your travel journal from your August trip to Uganda. It could be a great Christmas gift to your dad and grandparents--basically the only folks who will actually read it. And it's been on the to-do list for weeks. Well, soon your back hurts from resting so much, so you take a walk. And you see this! A frightening sight at first, but you're now getting used to the idea that your neighbor is probably a professional yard man, not a crazy out trying to intimidate the neighborhood with his wide array of torture devices. The air is crisp, the day long, and you've learned how to handle not being...busy. What a gift this holiday season!

Mono-Vision

2007-12-13T09:56:00.000-08:00

First, my apologies for the appalling lack of recent content on our blog. I can only offer two excuses:

1. Brent has been mono-focused on his first round of Final Exams in 6 years. Accounting on Monday summed up nicely, but Econ on wednesday appears to have had the supply of knowledge unequal to the demand of the test. Final exam for Quant is this afternoon...

2. Kat has been mono-ridden. Her tiredness, headaches, and sore throat were finally diagnosed as mononucleosis. :-( Not good, but at least we know what she has. Say a prayer for renewed health and lifted spirits, if you have a chance.

More to come... Merry Christmas!

B

December Showers

2007-12-03T20:30:00.000-08:00

So I entitle this post as such, for two good reasons.

1. It rained this weekend - hard - for like the first time in 10 years or something. OK, not exactly that long but its been a LOOOOONG time. We had to rummage around to find an umbrella, and honest to pete, I had to actually blow the dust off of it before using it (However this could be a function of my housecleaning abilities... Hmmmm?)

2. Kat attended a Baby Shower for our dearest friends, Gordon and Lis

Now, thankfully, this wasn't one of those "couple's showers" that an increasing number of weak-willed husbands are getting talked into. As the ad campaign pounded into our heads, "Just say NO!"

I went with Kat just to pick Gordon up so we could go hiking, in order to allow the ladies to do... whatever the heck it is that ladies do for 3+ hours at a baby shower. Gord was delayed for a bit, and I was the only male present for a very terrifying 15 minutes. I finally elected to go out to their garage, just to feel a sense of solidarity with the paint cans, tools, and other such manly items.

When it was all said and done, Gordon and I went on a great hike, and Kat enjoyed the shower immensely. She praised "the attention to detail, beauty of the mom-to-be, and the individualized attention 'showered' on each guest." That and the cheese. Mmmmmmm...

*********************************************
One week from final exams for me... Here we go!

Thanksgiving Times Two

2007-11-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

So it's now official. The only thing better than Thanksgiving is... TWO THANKSGIVINGS! I am seriously considering observing the Canadian version next year, in the interest of determining whether three could be even better!

After our church's annual grid-iron struggle, aka The Turkey Bowl, wound up with yet another suspiciously scored tie, we went over to our good friend's, the Clementis, for Thanksgiving lunch. Turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, and all that good stuff.

We passed on the pies, knowing that we had an hour and a half drive up to LA for Thanksgiving dinner with Kat's great-aunt Ginny. Thanksgiving round two did not disappoint. Good times with family we don't get to see all that often.

Ginny was as superb of a hostess as ever...

At some time past 9 pm, after ingesting some 5-lbs of turkey throughout the day, I drank a strong cup of coffee, said a prayer, and we hit the road. I did fine through LA, which was merciful to us for a change. Kat had to spell me halfway home, though. I was BEAT!

I just barely noticed Kat as she slid smoothly out at 5 the next morning towards the "Black Friday" sales. You'll have to consult her yourself to find out what she was able to score. I love this holiday!

What's in a name?

2007-11-16T05:20:00.000-08:00

A professor from my program was involved with this research - Pretty tantalizing stuff, though not a drop-dead connection. Still, I can't complain about being a B-rent, A-pplegate!

Psychologists in marketing at Yale and the University of California, San Diego studying the unconscious influence of names say a preference for our own names and initials — the "name-letter effect" — can have some negative consequences.
Students whose names begin with C or D get lower grades than those whose names begin with A or B; major league baseball players whose first or last names began with K (the strikeout-signifying letter) are significantly more likely to strike out, according to the report published in the December issue of Psychological Science.

Save

Lindsey's Visit

2007-11-15T10:51:00.001-08:00

(Preface: I know, I know, I'm way overdue to be writing a blog post. It's my first one! To honor my husband's faithful blogging, I back up the blog each month (using the scrapbooking tool in Mozilla Firefox), but I never write on it. Why? My reservations about writing publicly have been two-fold: 1) it takes time and effort and could conceivably come back to haunt us and/or embarrass ourselves or others, and 2) it feels presumptuous to assume that good people will spend their time reading what I have to say. But, Brent has convinced me over the last few months that I should no longer be just a spectator on a blog that bears my name.)

Here goes, then... My good friend Lindsey came to visit from Dallas last weekend, and we had a fantastic time. While Brent was playing Robin Hood at the Men's Retreat, Lindsey and I took in the sights and sounds of San Diego. On Friday I picked her up mid-day (woo hoo! half a day off) and went to Coronado Island to walk around the Hotel Del and have lunch. Then we bumped up the coast to Del Mar for some coffee at sunset, and then even further up to Solana Beach for boutique shopping.

Saturday we enjoyed walking on Torrey Pines Beach (except for a washed up dead seal), lunching at Old Town, driving around posh La Jolla, and going on a harbor cruise. The latter was probably the highlight for us both, because the Star of India, 144 years old this year, was out sailing. It only goes out a couple of times a year, and it was great to see it with its sails up on the high seas. I half expected cannons to start firing at us and pirates to appear, raising their hooks in defiance! The evening was complete with an enthusiastic viewing of the X-Files movie (VHS, no less). Sigh...David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson will always have a special place in my heart.

On Sunday after church, Brent, Lindsey, and I ventured down to Balboa Park to attend the free Spreckels Organ concert. It's the world's largest outdoor instrument - over 4,500 pipes! You can even walk around inside it and see historic photos and the inner workings. It was a nice time, if a bit overcast and cool. Strange to hear Gershwin played on an organ, though.

Ready, Set, RETREAT!!!

2007-11-13T09:09:00.000-08:00

NCPC had a men's retreat this weekend. The topic was "The Fear of Man versus the Fear of God." I thought this a particularly good topic, especially since it seemed to really be on target with all the guys I talked to. That, plus we shot a lot of arrows and had a lot of fun. Here are some pics:

John says, "Now which end is the business end~"

No foam Javelina's were left standing at the end of the day

No, I can't really add too much about this one...

Snippets...

2007-11-04T20:19:00.000-08:00

of the not-so-secret lives of Brent and Kathryn...

Brent is...
tired from digging a trench at Church on Saturday morning,

feeling a little queesy about his accounting midterm on Monday morning,

excited to be going on a men's retreat for church this next weekend,

still a bit puzzled about how to compete in a contest this week at school for who can deliver the best elevator pitch... Hmmmmm?

Kat is...
amazed at the outpouring of relief efforts after the fires at the center she helped at on Saturday

attending a neuroscience conference these next few days

reuniting with old friends who are in town

looking forward to her friend Lindsay's visit

Resumption of Normalcy

2007-10-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

Normalcy is restoring to Southern California...

Our schools have resumed, and my first midterm is today at 10. 6+ years since I last had to take such a test, I find myself feeling... too old for this stuff! But I digress...

Our community is rallying well together. FEMA has camped out on what used to be our Ultimate Frisbee field near work, and our church is getting involved in the relief effort. Its really neat to see how community and government at all levels can come together to lend a hand to those in need.

Now... I need to do some last minute "cramming!" :-)

Stephen Colbert on Georgia

2007-10-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought Georgia has had enough... Horrible droughts, Michael Vick, the Bulldogs losing to Tennessee (though beating Florida, which is some saving grace), along comes Candidate Colbert.

Watch out, Georgia!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQgq_11XbO0

Safely home

2007-10-26T07:57:00.001-07:00

Kat and I are very thankfully back in our home in Rancho Penasquitos. We actually were allowed back on Wednesday afternoon. The smoke is clearing in San Diego, and life is returning back to normal.

Its a bit eerie to drive around neighborhoods like Rancho Bernardo and to see them so... normal. On the TV, it looks like the whole place is some type of hellish inferno, but in reality, the firefighters did a tremendous job of minimizing the exposure.

So far, none of our friends that we know of have been directly affected by the fires. It's still early, but praise God for his blessings on our community! It really makes you appreciate the gift of safety each day.

Smoky but Safe

2007-10-22T19:39:00.001-07:00

Hey Friends,

Just a quick update... Our neighborhood was evacuated this morning... We turned nomad, spending part of the day with Kat's aunt and uncle before finally landing down in UTC with Katie.

Say a prayer for poor San Diego. Its so hot, so dry, and there are just so many fires...

San Diego Sizzles...

2007-10-22T05:33:00.001-07:00

Ahh, San Diego... The running joke you hear when you move to Southern California is that we have two seasons: dry and fire. Unfortunately, we have entered the latter.

Maybe its the proximity to Halloween, but its just spooky out there. Large fires burning east of here fill the air with smoke, so the sun and moon have a blood red tinge. The hot desert winds, called Santa Anas, are fanning the flames and howling through the inland valleys. Our temps are expected to be in the 90's with less than 5 per cent humidity. Not good!

When I was a kid I read a story by John Steinbeck about how a community went kind of nutty during a Santa Ana storm. Now I can understand why. Please say a prayer for SoCal, and especially the brave men and women who will be battling these blazes.

Can you find the bad phishy?

2007-10-16T06:03:00.000-07:00

Cause I sure couldn't! I saw this little quiz in the WSJ today. Phishing always concerns me, and as you can tell, its not so easy to detect. How did you do?

Phishing is a technique that hackers use to steal information. Here are five Web addresses. Can you tell which are real and which are run by a hacker?
1) http://ebay.verification.com
2) http://www4.da-us.chase.com/cgi-bin
3) http://secure.citibanking.net
4) http://pages.ebay.com/services/forum/feedback.html
5) http://www.secure-account.com/regionsbank

Quiz answers: 1) Fake, 2) Legitimate, 3) Fake, 4) Legitimate, 5) Fake
The part of the address that matters comes just before .com or .net, so in the first example, the site is really verification.com, and has nothing to do with eBay. Many legitimate sites have letters other than www before the company name. Anything that comes after a / just represents a page on a site.

Why I love football

2007-10-11T05:58:00.000-07:00

Could it get any better than this?

NEW YORK -- The New York Stock Exchange threw the yellow flag on a floor broker from a famous football family -- over back-and-forth taunting that got out of hand.
The NYSE Euronext unit imposed a two-week suspension on Stephen Mara, whose family is part-owner of the New York Giants football team. His infraction: pinning another broker to a trading post for several seconds in December after the victim chided him after a Giants loss.

The floor broker/victim -- not identified by the NYSE, but disclosed in earlier news reports as a fan of the rival Philadelphia Eagles -- approached Mr. Mara on Dec. 19 with "a gesture and comments mocking " the Giants, a NYSE hearing board panel wrote. Two days earlier, the Giants had lost 36-22 to the Eagles in a key game. The other broker imitated the Giants' celebratory "jump shot" ritual.

Mr. Mara threw no punches, but his illegal procedure caused "minor injuries" and violated a rule against "acts detrimental to the interest or welfare" of the NYSE.

"I'm glad that this regrettable incident is behind me and I'm happy that we can all move on," said Mr. Mara in a statement through his lawyer. Mr. Mara recently completed his suspension, said lawyer Paul McCurdy.

Swearing Is the Best Way?

2007-10-09T05:59:00.001-07:00

I read this in the journal this morning... Interesting, especially in light of my new peer group at school which uses the F-bomb as a rejoinder for, well, just about everything.

There is no better way to capture human feeling or describe situations with humor and attitude than by swearing, says Steven Pinker, a professor of psychology at Harvard University.
Swear words have emotional power not simply because they refer to offensive things, says Mr. Pinker. Brain scans suggest that profanity's impact stems from the way vulgar language taps a part of the brain that links memories to emotions, investing expressions with a sense of dread. "An expletive kidnaps our attention and forces us to consider its unpleasant connotations," says Mr. Pinker.

Is there a Christian response to such an argument?

Internet like water?

2007-10-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

Kim Jong Il reportedly told visiting South Korean President Roh Moo- hyun in Pyongyang last week that he is an "Internet expert." If so, we'd love to see his "favorites" list. That makes him about the only Web maven in North Korea, where Internet service is banned and possession of a VCR or DVD player is also a criminal offense. Even radios that aren't permanently tuned to the official government station are illegal.

I just find it so amazing how important information is to the freedom of people. It is so interesting to me to see that it is shut off when a leader lays siege to his own people. Could it be more important than, say, water?

Applegates, Apple Days

2007-10-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

Kat and I got out of town this weekend, up to the nearby mountains of Julian. Its a pretty little mountain town, kind of old-westy in a very tourist gift-shop kind of sense, about an hour from our place.

We went up for the Julian Apple Days festival, which we learned has a long, albeit spotty, history up there. Basically it comes down to "Apples in season + San Diego people yearning to experience even the slightest NIP of Fall = $$$"

We duly did our part and joined in the fun!

Lots of good stuff going on up there. They had the pumpkin patch and beer gardens, polka music and bratwurst, and lots of eccentric people hawking antiques. Our favorite part of the day had to be talking to the vendors and hearing their stories... It takes a lot to start a business selling solar powered decorative wood lamps.

That, and pie. Mmmmmm... Warm apple pie on a cool day. A Julian must. Kat and I got the crumb topping. Is there anyone who could convince me of the superiority of patry topping on Apple pie? I challenge you to do so!

Marketing the church

2007-10-07T22:07:00.001-07:00

So the other day I got a flyer in the mail for a new church in our neighborhood. Now, I generally view this as a very good thing. California is notoriously anti-religious, and so there is definitely no lack of opportunity for churches.

But I found myself... well, shocked and awed at the marketing chutzpah on display at this new outfit called "the hills."

I'm a Christian who identifies very strongly with the Reformed tradition. The Reformers, in grossly simple terms, put forth a model for justification that I believe is very Biblical: It says that God calls us out of our heredity and nature of Sin. When we are finally fed up with our inability to live right, we turn and repent and discover the new birth of life in Christ.

So I cringe a bit when I see a flyer that promotes, among other things, having a blast, be whoever you are, and short services.

But the marketer in me has to admire these folks: Lead with a topic like sex, use attractive models right out of a Viagra commercial, and make it as appealing to as large of an audience as possible.

What do you think? Am I way off base? I do thank God for sex... Hmmmmm...

GRAMEEN

2007-10-04T17:07:00.003-07:00

I went to a talk on campus yesterday by the CEO of the GRAMEEN Foundation. GRAMEEN was the organization begun by Dr. Mohammad Yunus to provide micro-finance loans to primarily women in 3rd world countries.

The approach was groundbreaking and innovative, in that it involved lending small sums to individuals, and not large sums to governments. Furthermore, accountability to repay the loan was guaranteed by a group of women, and not just the individual.

I've always thought that the "group dynamic" facet was the most intriguing. It seems like peer pressure has always gotten a bad wrap! Think kids smoking, making bad decisions, etc. But so often, the gentle (or not so gentle) persuasion of a peer group can really make a positive impact.

It makes me think of other applications in modern-day life. Admittedly, as an American, I hold a pretty high regard for the individual. However, I could see interesting applications of this positive social pressure in a number of areas, from driving the speed limit to going to the gym. The challenge is of course, one of economics and incentives. How to provide the right impetus to "do the right thing."

Not a whole lot of answers, but it does raise up a number of good questions...

What's going on...

2007-09-30T15:01:00.001-07:00

What's going on with Brent and Kat...

Well, for starters, Brent is a student again...

I have to say, its been a pretty smooth transition back into the realm of fulltime student status. After a 2-week orientation, we had our first two days of classes last week. I am taking Quantitative Analysis, Economics, Accounting, Leadership, and Introductory Interpretive Dance. *GRIN* OK, nix that last one. But I would love to squeeze in a golf class somehow.

The biggest adjustment is the number of group activities. These business schoolers could give AA a run for their money on focusing on group activity. Speaking of AA, that's another adjustment to be back in the collegiate environment where if your peers look bleary in the morning, its not because of some dire family emergency, but rather its more likely its due to a late night at the pub. I'm glad that chapter is closed for me...

And for a change of pace, Kat has been hanging out with Nobel Laureates and writing a book chapter

In between very long days trying to wrap up a book chapter for a Biology textbook, Kat went to a talk from James Watson. Watson, as you geeky types will recall, was the co-founder (co-stealer if you ask me) of the structure of DNA. Kat said his talk was... well,... quite unique.

I suppose you get to a certain age and station in life, and it is easy to say whatever the heck you feel like. If what you say might be offensive to, say, women, minorities, or the memory of Francis Crick, who cares? You won the Nobel Prize, doggonit! And don't forget it!!!

I really shouldn't even talk... My Nobel chances are looking pretty slim these days. But the Pulitzer for this blog... *grin*

Have you seen this phone?

2007-09-24T09:14:00.000-07:00

So... It's Day 3 of the phone hunt. Kat has "temporarily misplaced" her cell phone, which is definitely a shame, but I am trying to view it as an opportunity for change.

We have a shared plan through ATT, and have the minimal minutes, but it is still a good 70 bucks a month and we NEVER use anything close to our monthly minutes. Do you have a "pay by the minute" cell phone service you would recommend?

We're all ears! Oh, and if you tried calling Kat on her cell phone, she's not being rude by not returning your call. Drop her an email instead.

Another Google Earth gem

2007-09-24T09:11:00.000-07:00

I just saw this in the paper... Nice to see that the Navy Seals are going to invest in some "camouflauge" for their building to avoid the appearance of evil from above... The benefits of architectural review, I guess!

SignOnSanDiego > News > North County > Logan Jenkins -- Building design comes back to haunt Navy

Uganda Presentation… Courtesy of Heidi

2007-09-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

Heidi helped us out with this great link to our Uganda presentation that we made to the church last week. Enjoy

San Diego Hatchers » Link to Uganda Presentation…

Soreness...

2007-09-19T20:53:00.000-07:00

So, Kat has been waking up an hour for me and doing a new workout... Today, my guilt and curiousity overcame me, and I decided to join her. So little did I know, I was in for 59 minutes of pain with a sadistic chipmunk named Debbie Siebers.

This workout program utilizes elements of yoga, tai-bo, and the Spanish Inquisition. Wow! Kat warned me that I had missed all the warm-up episodes, and that this was the hard one. I, with the same bravado that allows middle-age men to think they can play football once a year on Thanksgiving, thought, "No problem!"

So... now I am sore. Tomorrow... Well... We'll see about tomorrow. "-)

First day of School

2007-09-12T21:46:00.000-07:00

So I had my first day of Orientation today for B-school... Kat took a picture of me when I realized that I looked like the Uber-prep with my coffee mug, paper, multiple bookbags, etc.

The cheezy grin completes it... Still, this is a far cry from my first day of kindergarten, which I remember because it was so traumatic. I wanted my breath to be really fresh, so I used way too much toothpaste, swallowed a bit of it, then went outside to play on the jungle gym at my house... and threw up. Why do we only remember the bad things? Hmmmm...

So relatively speaking, today was awesome! *grin*

Oh Baby!

2007-09-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

When I was back home in Indiana, I got to go down to Noblesville to see my good friends Sean and Jenn, who are the proud parents of a beautiful baby girl, Callie, circa 5 days ago or something. Aside from the visit taking place unexpectedly back at the hospital (Callie was looking a little yellow, so they took her back in to go under the special lights) the visit was great!

It is such a trip to see friends I grew up with put in charge of another life... I look forward to telling Callie stories about her parents someday! *Grin*

Proud parents

If you can't do anything else, you might as well make yourself useful as a pacifier

Adorable... simply adorable!

Back home again...

2007-09-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

in Indiana...

Well, it has been a lovely visit back home in the great state of Indiana. Kat is regrettably not along for the ride, as someone has to support my deadbeat you-know-what! She is missing out on:

Weather!

Wow! You start to forget that the weather in this place is more mercurial than even the stock market. Rain, sun, wind, rain again, now some humidity, now sun... WHEW! We forget about this stuff out in California. I wonder what it is we actually talk about out there?

Expectant Sibling and Sibling-in-Law!

Talk about your exciting stuff! Mom is more than stoked about the first grandbaby along the way for our family. Julie and Jim drove over to see us, and Jim and I played a round of "value" golf, as in, get the most shots for your money kind of value. *grin*

Boilers score 30+ in a half

The fam went out to root on the Boilers against the ever-tricky Eastern Illinois "Eastern Illinoisers" (OK, maybe they are called the Panthers, but who really knows) Basketball on grass never lets one down, unless one is playing a halfway decent team...

But it does make for a lot of exciting points, 33 to be precise, in the first half before that torrential rain showed back up again. But I got my yearly fix of Black and Gold, Boilering Up, and Purdue pride.

1st Anniversary

2007-09-05T13:52:00.000-07:00

Kat and I celebrated our 1st anniversary on Sept 3rd. Highlights of the day included:

Brent cleaning toilets (ok, so that wasn't a highlight but was necessary)
Romantic breakfast at sultry sidewalk cafe in Del Mar
Tantalizing kayak excursion at La Jolla Cove
Exciting airport recovery of Kat's aunt and uncle
Alternating grins and grimaces as we watched our wedding video for the first time in its entirety... (Man, that dance number was HOT!)
Satisfyingly sweet enjoyment of our wedding cake topper

It really has been a blessed first year of marriage, and Lord willing, I look forward to many more! - B -

Facebook is Amazing!

2007-08-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know this is not news to most, but today, I FINALLY set up a Facebook account. All I can say is, WOW! Who knew that networking could actually be FUN? It is amazing how interactive they make it, in a non-foolish teenager way... I am impressed.

So if you are on Facebook and you see this post... Would you be my friend?

*grin*
B

news @ nature.com - Hydrogen fuel goes liquid - Nitrogen unlocks the possibility of convenient clean fuels.

2007-08-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070820/full/070820-14.html

Good article in Nature about ways that liquified Hydrogen might power our cars... I did like in the closing paragraphs how the researcher referred to the all-important "bonfire test" for gaseous hydrogen tanks... Because if I have a hydrogen tank, the first thing I am going to try to do is to put it on a BONFIRE! :-)

Maggie's Grueling Walk

2007-08-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

OK, Just to preface this post, I took Maggie the Pug who we are ,... errr,... dog-sitting for a BRIEF walk around the block (less that 1/10th of a mile) on a day that though sunny, was only about 80... and there was a breeze.

Here's the result:

Don't worry! She perked up a moment or two later! But I thought this was pretty funny! Pugs aren't exactly likely to be winning any speed or agility contests, I don't think...

San Diego Finale

2007-08-27T15:46:00.001-07:00

Kat's good friend and former roomate Sara is doing her farewell tour of all things good in San Diego before she departs for bigger and better things in Palo Alto. We helped her enjoy some tasty BBQ over at Phil's at Point Loma... Sara models the 2007 bib collection in this shot!

Phil's has a good thing going down there... It is constantly busy and has zero competition. In my humble opinion, it is no match for even the most marginal Texas joint, but at least you leave with your clothes smelling a bit smokier and your arteries a bit more clogged! Good times!

Uganda in pictures

2007-08-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

Please allow me to preface this picture parade from our Uganda trip with a caveat: Pictures cannot do the experience justice!

Pictures can't capture the warmth and openness of the people. They can't express the daily challenges and unexpected events. They are not able to convey the stench of a pit latrine, the fear of Kampala traffic, or the panic that seizes you when you are told to share your testimony with a large group of men in prison.

Most importantly, they can't share the genuine love and admiration that we now feel for our many new Ugandan friends. But pictures CAN give you at least a glimpse into life in what seems like another world. Thanks to all who helped us get there! We are so grateful!!!

Our missionary cover story was that we were dorky tourists... Convincing, no?

Dave Eby is in his element in Uganda!

70% of Ugandans are under 30. There is a tremendous need for education and children's ministries

Katie T and friends in Kifimbura

Kat bonded with this woman, Sara... It was amazing how quickly cultural barriers could be overcome in this type of relational ministry.

Chris and friends in Kifimbura

Life at the Eby's started so peacefully and tranquilly each morning...

.... Only to give way to the scariest, smoggiest, and most aggressive traffic I have ever experienced!

Between the 2 weeks of ministry we were able to visit the Nile River and Murchison Falls

Our van driver was bribing the boat captain to let us on at the time... This is Africa!

Rowr, Crocodile!

Big snake... which we very narrowly avoided running over

Graceful giraffes ~ I love how they just seem to glide around

John Mugabi is a man of vision. He was a tremendous host for our 2nd week of ministry!

Can you see the future?

So many new friends!

We found that songs were a VERY helpful way to round out our teaching lessons

Someday that will be a lion... It IS Africa, you know!

Homecoming... It was so hard to say good-bye!

How I spent my summer vacation

2007-08-22T17:33:00.001-07:00

OK, this one is going back a bit... Before we went to Uganda, I helped out at the church VBS by playing a broadcasting butterfly each morning during the puppet show. The wisdom of posting this picture on Google (They of the "We save everything" persuasion) remains to be seen. But it was a hoot!

We're Home... But Home is on the Move!

2007-08-18T05:38:00.001-07:00

Kat and I made it back safely from the wilds of Africa! Praise God!

We have a million pictures and stories to share, but at the moment, life feels totally chaotic as our entire apartment has been put into boxes as we prepare to move today. Just an in-town move, but still, it takes a lot of effort.

The trip to Africa was tremendous! I promise pictures and more stories, but just to wet your appetites, here is a preview of some of the highlights:

Helping a church get started by going door-to-door to invite people
Eating more root vegetables than a sane man would ever care to!
Doing a VBS with kids who are so happy despite living in a slum that I can scarcely fathom
Seeing giraffes, pythons, huge bugs, hippos, crocodiles, and most excitingly, a couple of elephants sharing a special moment
Sharing our testimonies with 400+ men at a medium-security prison
Teaching school and handing out 500+ dental hygiene kits
Leaving Kat an extra night in Minnesota to recover from a painful ear infection

Like I said, much more to share and report. We are so grateful to all our friends and family who supported us in this great adventure. It was so neat to see how God used the circumstances and events to grow us in our faith and reliance upon Him! - B-

Fun with Mr. and Mrs. T

2007-07-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Kat and I have enjoyed a nice visit this weekend with her mom and dad. Jan and Craig came all the way out to California for some summer vacationing.

We had the pleasure of hosting them for a few nights at our little condo, which is rapidly accumulating way too much stuff for our trip to Uganda! They didn't seem to mind too much~ Such wonderful houseguests!

We did get to do some neat stuff, too! On Saturday we went to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the San Diegon Natural History Museum.

If you could tell those Assene monks that their parchment was going to someday generate such a hub-bub... and at 28$ a head!... they would have thought you crazy! But it is neat to see such broad interest in these ancient religious documents and commentaries, especially in a community like San Diego that is not exactly known as a part of the Bible Belt.

It does seem a little bit weird to see one's faith on a wall as if it were a mounted butterfly at a science fair. As I read the timeline of religions, I got to 30 CE and read, "Jesus of Nazareth arrives and brings new interpretations to Hebrew scriptures." Talk about understatement!

But nonetheless, it was neat to see such an important work of scholarship. I was aghast to find out that the original scholars pieced together the fragments with... scotch tape! Ever try removing scotch tape if you mess something up? Yikes! Hopefully they didn't botch anything up too badly.

The rest of the weekend was a rush of hikes, shopping outtings, and very large margaritas.

We are so blessed with loving parents on both sides who have all come out to see us this summer...

My first crack-pot, strongly-worded product letter

2007-07-22T15:24:00.000-07:00

It must be a rite of passage of sorts... I wrote my first crack-pot, strongly-worded product letter today. A whole exciting world of being a cantankerous old geezer is opening up in front of my very eyes!~ Enjoy...

July 22, 2007

Newman’s Own
246 Post Road East
Westport, CT 06880

Dear Sir or Madam:

A pleasant Sunday lunch. I had just downed the last bite of mixed greens salad, topped with my favorite Newman’s Own Light Honey Mustard dressing, when I noticed a story printed on the back-label, just above the list of ingredients.

“Oh, look,” I said to my wife, “How neat! The Great Salad Dressing Balloon Race.” Delighted by this discovery of a bit of wit on the normally staid confines of a condiment label, I began to read the story aloud to my wife.

We followed the starters gun through the zany race, and laughed with El Piloto as he “quaffed mucho quaffs” of Newman’s Own. The story danced with silliness until we arrived at the line, “A medium light Italian starlet, daughter of Butch Cassidini, named Bitch Cassidini, leaps into the balloon basket,…”

Our smiles and laughter faded away. “Heh, heh,” we tried to chuckle, “How weird?” But we both knew: Newman’s Own had crossed the line.

Newman’s Own, you introduced a derogatory, misogynistic, and thoroughly unnecessary term into our Sunday lunch. You betrayed our trust and the sanctity of our dinner table. And to what end? To complete a weakly amusing pun on Paul Newman’s Butch Cassidy character? For shame!

We have little leverage over you. All we possess is our buying power, and with that we will be forced to buy an inferior product from Kraft or Wishbone until you recognize your wrongs and make amends.

At a minimum, you should put an apology on your website and change the label on all future production runs. But if you really cared about your customers, you would take the initiative to also do a full product recall of all the bottles that bear this offensive phrase.

It’s a shame to see a company that is so charitable in its operations do something so uncharitably offensive in its marketing. I hope you will take this opportunity to recover and do what is right.

Sincerely,

Brent Applegate

Responses from 21 High School Interns: Kat speaks AGAIN!

2007-07-19T18:06:00.000-07:00

Responses from 21 High School Interns at The Scripps Research Institute to the question, “Do you think science and faith are contradictory? Why?”

***Please note that prior questions were, “In your own words, what is evolution?” and “Who was Charles Darwin?” This explains why most of the students’ answers center on evolution and creation, rather than on science and faith as a broader topic.***

I believe they can both coexist if written religions are not taken literally. But I do believe they are contradictory.
Yes to an extent. Faith in general believes in things that are unprovable or have been proven wrong by the scientific method.
To me no, I believe that in some way science and faith work together. (This person noted on another question that he or she “not so much learned but read about the controversy of evolution in Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.”)
Not contradictory both are ideas that people have stating their origins.
Yes, I feel that creationism is a product of the ancients that needs to be exterminated
Nah, they have different ideas but not contradictory. Except for the one where ‘poof’ god made humans.
Definitely, creationism contradicts with evolution because that means all animals, plants, etc. spontaneously existed.
Yes – science shows evolution where some religions just are based on faith alone and have no facts.
They can be depending on how serious you are in your faith.
No. I think they’re two different entities that may never be reconciled, but one can be Christian and a scientist. They are different levels of explanation.
For most people, yes, but personally no. I’m a devout catholic, but yet I continue to throw myself into the science world and I accept both worlds.
It depends on people’s perspectives but science and faith, I believe, are not contradictory.
No, because I’m catholic.
No, they’re the same but faith has fable.
It depends on the type of faith.
Somewhat because religion does not believe that humans evolved from monkeys.
Yes and no, depending on what is said.
Science and the Christian interpretation of faith are contradictory because the Bible is so detailed, but not necessarily faith as a whole.
Yes because both sides have different beliefs of how life evolved. However, it seems that religion is molding itself to science now.
In regards to Christianity it is b/c the book of Genesis says one thing while science says another.
Yes, because humans according to science weren’t created exactly as we are now nor came from Adam and Eve.

Brent's 2-cents: My favorite is the one who said "No, because I’m catholic." I love it!!!

Kat's Uganda Update

2007-07-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

Thank you for keeping us in your thoughts and prayers! We need it all the more, as we leave in less than two weeks.

I am amazed to report that the gifts from our church alone to the group have totaled over $7,000 so far - almost $1,200 per person! In addition, Brent and I are coming along very well in our fund-raising and others on the team have received significant external support as well. God has provided more than we expected.

Not only are we receiving funds for travel, but as a church we quite possibly wiped out the entire Staples inventory of pencils and pencil sharpeners during their recent sale! They were selling those items for a penny each (limit 3), and LOTS of people from our church stopped by. We are putting together tote bags of school supplies for the orphans we will visit. The kids at North City's Vacation Bible School will decorate and fill the bags next week. Hopefully that doesn't qualify as child labor!

In addition to the school kits, we will take over 350 dental hygiene kits (each with toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, and instructions) that have been generously donated. Africa has a big need for education on dental hygiene, since the diet has included more sugar in recent years without a corresponding growth in dental care. We will teach primary school kids at Nkumba School how to properly take care of their teeth, while at the same time emphasizing why we take care of our bodies - to glorify God by caring for his creation!

As if these things weren't enough, we're hoping to bless the long-term missionaries in Uganda by fulfilling some of their requests for things like books (sheesh - they'll be heavy), blankets, pillows, eyeglasses, nuts, and chocolate chips.

Add in to the mix sports equipment (soccer balls, frisbees, etc.), two laptops (donated), two cameras (also donated), and our own personal luggage, and we'll be fully loaded down! You may wonder how we'll get all this over there...all I can say is very carefully. An extra bag or box (up to 70 lbs) costs $150, but shipping it would cost over $800. That's why when teams go, they take as much as humanly possible!

Ok, so enough about the stuff...beyond prayers that we can successfully pack it all, we would cherish your prayers for the preparation of our hearts. The team is beginning to feel more cohesive, and we are thankful for that. Brent and I still find ourselves getting caught up in the logistical prep more than the spiritual. All the toothpaste in the world won't stop our bodies from death and decay; we must bring the Gospel clearly, in faith and love.

The other day in Walmart, I had to apologize to an older couple behind me for separating my things into two piles, one personal and one Uganda-related. When I told them I was going to Africa with my church, the woman said, "Oh, are you a missionary?" It took me a minute before I said, "Well...yes." I am too small for this task, but I am grateful for God's choosing me to go and making it possible. Pray that we would represent Him well!

Moon larger near horizon? NO!!!

2007-07-17T10:00:00.003-07:00

I've been saying this for years, but nobody ever believes me!

http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020130.html

Micah will like this Checkershadow Illusion

2007-07-17T09:58:00.000-07:00

Checkershadow Illusion

Pretty cool stuff... Do you believe?

San Diego Stroll

2007-07-10T17:03:00.000-07:00

I've been on Jury duty for 6 days thus far, and have at least 2, maybe 3 to go...

One of the few perks has been the hour and a half lunch and stroll around downtown San Diego. These are some of the things I have been seeing:

Knowledge is Power

2007-07-10T16:57:00.000-07:00

I don't claim to be a real fix-it kind of guy...

Never have...

But a recent experience with my somewhat less than trusty '99 Camry Solara got me thinking. Here's how it went down.

1. Driving to work and notice check engine light is on. Panic, as I have no way of knowing if the car is going to konk out at any moment.

2. Knowledge Power #1 - Coworker tells me that AutoZone will lend you the tool to read the code for free.

3. Knowledge Power #2 - Autozone helpfully reads code and then recommends 300 O2 sensor to replace. Grudgingly, I pay the money.

4. Knowledge Power #3 - Come home and after a few minutes of internet searching, discover instructions for how to replace the sensor and an online site where it can be ordered for less than half.

5. Take part back to AutoZone.

************

Cars have traditionally been one of those things where knowledge, held by the few, has been used to exploit the many. I love seeing what the information age has done to blow this whole thing up! Knowledge is POWER! Now, if I just knew someone who could help me change this part...

Brent

Fourth and Forrest

2007-07-06T05:03:00.000-07:00

Day 6 of my seemingly infinite service to the court system of San Diego as a juror is just dawning this morning ~ After 5 full days of jury service, I have come to the following conclusions:

1. I am SOOOOO glad that I didn't follow that dream of being a lawyer (Always a big fan of lawyers since Mrs. Huxstable made it cool on Cosby)

2. I am so blessed to have lived a relatively peaceful life

3. See #1!!!

But we did get a day off for the 4th of July, and last night Kat and I had relatives come by for dinner, so that was pretty cool. On the 4th we went to a pool party with church friends and then watched the Del Mar fireworks at our "secret spot" that only we and 1.3 million other people know about. Great views of the fair and fireworks, but a few too many bitey ants and sugar-overloaded kids at this year's edition.

Kat's aunt and uncle Forrest and Judy, with their two youngest kids, stopped by last night for dinner. They are on vacation down here in SoCal and were kind enough to stop in for dinner with us. You start to feel like an ex-pat out here in California sometimes, so it's great when family comes to YOU!

So... Day 6 of ??? is almost upon me... Gotta drink a pot of coffee and try to get psyched for... more endless testimony!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

Uganda Trip Update

2007-06-30T13:09:00.000-07:00

Our trip preparations are STEAMING AHEAD! We are 1-month away from Uganda. YIKES!!!

Not to worry, folks. God is good, and I feel like we've got things going in a good direction. Here are some updates about what is happening with our trip, and some items for which we could really use your prayer:

Ministry development

Thankfully, we have been able to make great strides in gaining more clarity about what we (think) we are going to do over in Uganda. Our team members have been hitting the phones with our little Africa calling cards (gotta figure out that Skype thing someday) and making plans with our ministry partners over in Uganda.

We are at the point where we have a day-by-day schedule established. Our planned activities include door-to-door evangelism, sports ministries, home and school visits, and worship services. Now our team is working on collecting all the SUPPLIES we will need for these tasks. Big job for sure, but I know we are up for it!

Safari

While the ministry is certainly the focus of our time, we are very thankful to be able to spend a portion of our trip enjoying the beauty of Africa. Our team is going to go on a 2-day safari trip in-between the two weeks of work.

We will do a cruise on the Nile, watch an early morning game drive, and see beautiful Murchison Falls. I know that we will NEED the relaxation time. Everyone is telling us to be prepared for long-days, difficult conditions, and constant change! Oh, boy!!!

Support Update

Praise God and thank you all for your generosity! Kat and I are within $500 of our full support amount. At least one of our other team members has met and exceeded her goal! We feel so privilidged to be blessed by the people who have made it possible for us to minister in Uganda...

Prayer requests

We would really appreciate your prayers for the following:

One of our team members, Chris, has an application in for his passport, but has not received it as of yet. Pray for expediency of the passport office!
Our team is still coming together and trying to "gel." We will need to work well together in these times of packing and preparing. Please pray for our tempers to be held, our patience to be infinite, and our love to be sincere.
Praise God for blessing us with such an abundance from you and others.

With our warmest thanks,

Brent and Kat

Life Hacker

2007-06-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

I saw this site featured in Time, and thought it looked really cool:

http://www.lifehack.org/

I thought it was a wonderful mix of geekiness, short-attention span, and self-improvement. Because who knows when the need is going to arise for me to know How to pimp out my desktop for productivity???

The Jury is... coming about

2007-06-29T05:53:00.000-07:00

I've been fulfilling my civic duties this week ~ That is, I have my 2nd day of jury duty this week. It is really hard to complain about this one, lone thing that Americans have to do. Especially when you consider other countries that have requirements about mandatory military service, size of family, and more...

But it is exposure to a world that I so often just forget exists. I'm waiting to see if I will be selected for a criminal/civil hybrid case. As a result, they've been asking all the jurors if they have ever been the victims of certain types of crime. It's just astounding to hear what people have been through!

I find that more than anything else, I am struck by my need to pray more thankfully that God has blessed Kat and I with such a peaceful life thus far, and to remember what we are being protected from each day that we are given...

Parents, Parents, Parents, and Parents

2007-06-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

Mom and Dad Applegate have been staying with us since Thursday. It's been a great visit thus far ~ They went to the company picnic with me (Mom embarrassed me by putting me in my place in front of my work group ~ :-) ~ at least there was no paddling), we took them to a Farmers Market, and we all went to church together.

Cool highlight was getting together with Kat's parents, who also came into town for a conference. Nothing like having TWO sets of parents sitting across the dinner table... I'm still working on transcribing all the parental advice! *grin*

It's good to be loved...

B

Friends, Fairs, and Frogs

2007-06-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

Its summertime in San Diego, and that usually indicates two happy things: 1.) Lots of concerts and events, and 2.) Lots of visitors. Fortunately, we love both!

Kat's college friend Mamina and her boyfriend Steve came out to San Diego to celebrate the completion of their medical board exams. Now this thing sounds INTENSE! I got the impression it was like every exam you have ever taken all stuffed into one grueling session!

So they were really ready to relax. We took them to dinner and then over to Del Mar, where there was a neat little outdoor concert at Powerhouse.

Nothing like a reggae plus harmonica version of "All along the watchtower" to accompany your sunset. I thought the helicopter swooping by was a nice touch. Jimi would actually have approved of that, as opposed to the harmonica.

That was Tuesday, and on Wednesday I talked Kat into going BACK to the San Diego County Fair (which faithful readers will recall she went to last Friday) - I had never been to this fair, and also country artist John Michael Montgomery was performing.

So we spent a couple hours taking in the sights and sounds of the fair. It is definitely a people-watcher's dream; you've got mulleted hillbillies from the east county walking around with bleach blond surfers from the coast. Only in San Diego!

I especially appreciated the volunteers at guest services (which we visited like 5 times for various reasons), the oh so tasty funnel cake, and the great flowers. The big draw HAD been the John Michael Montgomery concert that was included in admission.

Ol' John was a little... well... low on energy at this particular show. Perhaps it was a let down to be playing the Fair Freebie show, or too much sun during the round of golf that he alluded to, but he just seemed kinda... Sleepy. He did some good ballads, but I found that everytime he tried to fire the crowd up I got all smirky. Some of his moves were right out of WWF/Hulkamania... But I shouldn't criticize... Free show. Nuff said.

Frogs - So we slept in the guest room in anticipation of my parent's coming and staying in our room. The alarm, which also doubles as an IQ test, somehow got set to frog sounds to wake up with. I tell you, it is a wierd sensation to be woken up by frogs blaring right next to you. You feel like this might be one of those "plagues ala Egypt" kind of days. We'll just have to see what kind of day a froggie morning will bring. Cheers!

Highway to the Grunion Zone

2007-06-17T21:12:00.001-07:00

Kat and I have been blessed with a nice, leisurely, sunny, and enjoyable weekend out here in America's Finest City... It feels a bit like the calm before the storm ~ Next week we will have both of our parents in town, plus one of Kat's dear college friends...

So the fridge is well-stocked, the house is a bit cleaner, and hopefully we are ready to roll! Now, not to say that nothing good happened this weekend! Here are three cool things worth embellishing:

1. Kenny Loggins at the Fair!

Kat went to a Kenny Loggins show at the SD County Fair with Sara, Sara's Mom, and Katie on Friday night. They did the required Fair gastrointestinal workout of eating deep-friend and then scooted in to see what they described as "a pretty good show" from 80's icon Loggins. Never realized until now that the immortal Top Gun ballad Danger Zone is from Kenny Loggins... "Highway to the..."

2. Grunions at...errr... not at Torrey Pines Beach

So the Grunion (fish, I am told) live off the coast of California and have the somewhat bizarre mating practice whereby, "At very high tides the females come up on sandy beaches and dig their tails into the sand to lay their eggs. A male then wraps himself around the female to deposit his sperm. For the next ten days the grunion eggs remain hidden in the sand, but at the next set of high tides the eggs hatch and the young grunion are washed out to sea."

This bizarre fish behavior engenders even stranger people behavior, often involving frying pans!

The Grunions were supposed to be spawning on Fridy night from 10-midnight (conveniently just after Kenny wrapped up on his show)... We showed up, armed to the teeth with frying pans and buckets, and all set to scoop up these unsuspecting and twitterpated fish. The purpose for which we were to collect the fish was never quite clear to me... No matter, the grunion didn's show by 11, and so we (along with a good quarter of San Diego) dejectedly started heading home...

Sigh... No grunions... but a neat night out on the beach for sure!

3. Horshoes are in the HOA

Last cool thing! We went up to the new home of our friend's John and Heidi for dinner on Saturday. The food and conversation were both delish, but the highlight of the evening was the Applegate's come-from-behind victory in horseshoes, which the developer was forward-thinking enough to recognize as a GREAT thing to put in the little park in the middle of the development.

The action was fast and furious, with John and Heidi getting out to an early points lead with a couple of solid ringers. Kat and I had to dig deep forevery ounce of our collective midwestern Americana to overcome these two southern dandies. In the end, VICTORY! Or at least that's what I recall, but Heidi may have a different viewpoint.

So that's a weekend in San Diego... Can't complain! See yaz

Uganda Prayer Support Update

2007-06-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a brief update to those of you who are supporting Kathryn and me in preparations for our two-week mission trip to Uganda from July 30th to August 15th. We really appreciate your prayers and encouragement!

Some bumps and bruises, but the team is beginning to “gel”

Our little team of 6 had our fourth group meeting this past Tuesday. To be totally honest, it didn’t go as well as we would have liked. After some reflection, we see that the culprit was mainly our lack of spiritual preparation. I think that I (Brent) in particular am learning that for an activity like a mission trip, having a full agenda and everyone completing their homework is just not enough. If we, and especially I, are not prepared spiritually, then things just won’t work very well!

Still, I think this is part of the process of “getting real” with each other. We must learn how to forgive each other and resolve our conflicts, or we will never be able to survive in Uganda!

Parent’s Night Out - first real chance to work together

From an emotional low on Tuesday after the meeting we came to a euphoric high on Friday at Parent’s Night Out. The event was a HUGE success! Our Uganda Missions Team was assisted by some 15-20 volunteers from our church. Together we took care of 34 kids on Friday evening for 3+ hours. The purpose of the event was both to raise funds for our trip and to give parents a much needed “night out!”

The event went off without a hitch! We split the kids up into groups by age. They had counselors who stayed with them, and rotated through stations in which they did crafts, played games, enjoyed snacks, and learned about missionaries.

The kids seemed to have a TON of fun, and I don’t think the volunteers were too far behind. As a team, we raised close to $500 that we will share to cover our trip costs. But I think that for our Uganda Missions Team, the sense of unity and trust that starts to develop after successfully completing such a project far outweighs the monetary gain. I was so encouraged to see how we rallied together in service for God!

An abundance of blessing!

We have been blessed by a tremendous outpouring of generous giving, both by those in our church and by our own friends and family. Praise God, Kat and I are well on our way to covering the cost of the trip!

It brings to mind Malachi 3:10: "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."

When we are faithful with a little, God blesses us with a lot! Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Prayer requests

Our hosts for the trip, Dave and Darlene Eby, wrote recently to tell us that a tragedy has occurred in their midst, involving their good friends and fellow missionaries in Uganda, Scott and Laura Scheffer, of Woodruff Road Presbyterian Church in Greenville, SC. Laura and one of Scott's workers, George, were killed after being struck by a car outside a restaurant. Laura left behind Scott and four children, and George left behind a wife and two young children. Please pray for these families and the Ebys, who are most distraught.

Please pray for the development of our ministry and activities. Over the next month we need to work with the Ebys, a team from Connecticut, the Mission to the World (MTW) staff in Atlanta, and our contacts with Ugandan nationals to put together an itinerary. The communications challenges are daunting! I take solace in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” God knows what is going to happen, even when I may not see the whole picture!

Closing

Thanks to all for your love, support, and encouragement! It has been humbling to plan this activity, but in a good way. Every time we get puffed up and feel like it’s our work, God most courteously smacks us back down. But every time we rely on Him alone, we see that He is faithful.

All blessings,

Brent and Kat

Brent's new email address

2007-06-07T22:59:00.001-07:00

I am slowly weaning off my old yahoo email. I finally got fed up with the filing system and the annoying ads with gyrating people... Now, I'm all in favor of gyration, just not when I'm trying to write a dang email!

So my new address is:

brent.a.applegate@gmail.com

THX

Texas - Part 2 through a bunch

2007-06-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

Ahhh, memories of those days gone by from... last Saturday. How I long for those days when life was simpler... *sigh*

Yes, folks, we're back in Cali again (there are certainly worse places to be) after our lovely jaunt through the big state of Texas. We came back from Texas with a few extra pounds from an endless procession of cakes, cookies, and glorious dinners that began with the words "chicken fried..." We also came back with a 37 lb stone carved in the outline of Texas (more on that story later.)

But MOST importantly, we came back with wonderful memories of friends and family... and absoulutely no armadillo statues dressed as wild west sherrifs. None! Kat whined a lot, but I had to say no!

Part 2 - New Braunfels: After our time in Ft. Worth, we drove down to New Braunfels to see Kat's grandmother, who the family always calls Omie. Omie is the best. She is a huge Spurs fan, visciously competitive at all board games, a pretty good mini golfer, and a provider of great cookies and hugs. We checked out the sites, took walks, and just had a grand time!

Part 3 - Austin: After Omie's, we spent one night in Austin. We have been thinking that Austin might be a good potential home for us someday, as it is known as a tech-friendly, science-friendly, creative sort of place. We stayed downtown and went to a really nice dinner at the Driskill... But on the whole, the place just left us feeling like it was really... gritty

Now, don't get me wrong! It's got some great stuff. We loved the Bob Bulloch State Museu, the State Capital, and the LBJ Library on the campus of UT...

But 6th street was all bikers and hippies and wierdness... I know I sound so much like Hank Hill right now, but we just never felt really settled in the downtown. Though we did get to see an Alfred Hitchcock thriller in a classic movie house, which was a plus. Ah, I'm just too conservative, I guess...

So Austin is not out of consideration, but its previous lustre has been dampened considerably.

Part 4: Sherman, TX: In order to ensure we would enjoy the true Dallas Metroplex experience, we left Austin at just the right time to hit Dallas at 5:00 rush hour on Friday. Loved watching the heat waves rise up off the asphalt as we inch forward... But we made it to Sherman (12 miles south of Oklahoma) by nightfall to see Kathryn's friends Jenn and Micah, and their baby Noel, at her Mom's place.

I'll say this much about the trip: I have no complaints about the level of cuteness of the babies we met! Great fun catching up with old friends and making new ones. Felt like a real Texan tooling around with Jenn's Mom's husband, Randy, in his 4wd buggie in their cow pasture. Sitting outside at night watching the lightning bugs and listening to the night sounds is such a treat after California, though I think I lost a pint of blood to the mosquitos.

All in all, this part of our visit was short but oh so very sweet! Before too long we found ourselves packing up to go... and faced with the dilemma of trying to figure out how to transport this 37 lb souvenier we had bought (for 10 bucks at Home Depot, so we weren't super-worried).

In the end, we wrapped it in bubble wrap, put it in a flimsy quilting bag, and I hand-carried it on the plane. Nobody even looked twice at me! Feel safe, fellow travelers! I've got this huge rock under my arm, but I surrendered my toothpaste at the gate! *grin*

But who am I to complain?... The rock has made it back to california... and so have we! Cheers!

Texas, Part 1

2007-05-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

Kat and I are in Fort Worth, Texas, with her sister, brother-in-law, and incredibly adorable nephew. We've enjoyed a weekend full of family, play time with the baby, not an insignificant amount of thunderstorms, really good barbecue, and that famous southern hospitality.

Today we are off to New Braunfels, TX to see Kat's grandmother... I have to say that I really do feel at home here in Texas. The people, the accents, the wide open spaces... It just warms my heart to be here! Cali is home for awhile, but this place definitely has an appeal that seems to defy logic or explanation. Cheers!

Happy Girl!!!

2007-05-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

Kat passed her quals on May 23rd with FLYING COLORS! Here's what she has to say, in her own words!

I am pleased to report it went really well this morning! Honestly, it was all God these past few weeks upholding Brent and me, and keeping me on track for this day. The oral defense was very smooth (no technological difficulties, no unreasonable questions that I couldn't answer), and the Committee had lots of positive things to say. I wasn't even that nervous! It has been a whole month of learning that I am not in control, that God is trustworthy and sovereign over all my ways, that I must daily repent of fear of man.

We've learned a ton, about ourselves and each other, during this last month. We approached it with sort of a "work trip" mentality, so that Kat pretty much focused exclusively on the exam. Now we're off in Texas, enjoying the feeling of completion of a job well done!

Tres Uganda

2007-05-23T11:20:00.000-07:00

Our team met last night for our 3rd of 6 team meetings in preparation for our trip. Its been beaten into my head through corporate trainings that teams have to DEVELOP... and that there is a natural and healthy process of Forming, Storming, Norming, Conforming, etc. that all go through...

Yet it IS always so nice to see that those trainings are actually RIGHT! Last night it felt like our team was finally starting to hit the "conforming" phase ~ Interesting how at first everyone is kinda shy and awkward ~ We all knew each other in the sense that we go to the same church... But it is a whole different ballgame to be either working closely together or planning something substantial.

So things are good- We are doing a Group Fundraiser on June 8th called Parents Night Out where we will encourage parents to leave their kids with us for an evening and have a nice night out. Our two youngest team members are in charge, which is SUPER! Gives me a chance to ... let... go... of... the control... So... hard... to not want... to control everything!!! WHEW! But I'm learning~ Oh how I am learning!

Kat's quals are today... We'll find out in a few short hours whether or not she is an OFFICIAL candidate for the PhD at the Scripps Research Institute!!! Woo Hoo!!!

And I just couldn't resist...

2007-05-21T08:30:00.000-07:00

Pretty natural looking, eh? Borrowed baby of a fellow Scripps-er~

Passages

2007-05-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

Kat has been putting incredible hours in at the lab as she prepares for her Qualifying Exam on May 23. The quals are kind of like the midpoint of the PhD. It is the point at which you declare your thesis and plan for the rest of the program.

She was able to take a much-deserved break on Saturday when we went to a going-away party for one of her colleagues, Jonas, who is graduating and moving to Montreal with his wife (Note the lab gift of lots of warm, wooly clothing in the picture below)

Its really neat to see scientists get together to drink European sodas you've never heard of, talk about subjects which are actually making more sense to me (scary), and to celebrate the accomplishments of one of their fellow researchers.

I think this recent season has given Kat a lot more hope... One day, Lord-Willing, it will be US wearing funny clothes in the park with a bunch of grinning scientists gathered round!

Cracked...

2007-05-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

So, let this be a lesson to you... And don't say I never warned you!

Pop Quiz: If you should happen to one day walk out to your car, and see that a small crack (say, smaller than a dollar bill) has developed in your windshield, is the proper response:

A.) Ignore it - Chalk it up to one of many things on a 1999 car that go wrong which you don't really want to spend money on to fix

or

B.) Drop everything you are doing and call the window repair guy, or else pretty soon the crack will exapad and you you will have to call the window replacement guy (who charges substantially more than the repair guy)...

Which one do you think I picked?

*Sign* - I don't recall reading about this in the "How to be an adult" manual... Oh well!

Add to my X-mas list: Off-Road Commode

2007-05-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

Off-Road Commode, Model# ORC Towing Accessories Northern Tool + Equipment: "When you're out in nature, you never know when nature will call."

Where has this been all my life???

Otterson Hall 1

2007-05-16T14:19:00.001-07:00

Otterson Hall 1
Originally uploaded by Rady School.

It's a bird... it's a plane... it's... my new B-school...

Though it may look a bit like something out of Star Wars, this is Otterson Hall, where I will be going to school this fall. The grand opening is June 1st, and I will start orientation on Sept 14

Movin' right along...

2007-05-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was "Move Central" - Two couples in our church were moving into new homes, and I was fortunate to be able to help out both for a bit. I love helping people get into new homes. To me, the oft-scoffed "work party" really is the truth. It is so neat to be able to come alongside your friends to help them in that most basic of need... to get a roof over their head... and a 400 lb armoir in their living room! :-)

On Friday I painted doors at Brandon and Abby's new place. Some might tell you that the doors are left to the most talented artisan. Those people are liars. It's the easiest job on the planet, but I was happy for the low-stress work!

Saturday brought our friend's John and Heidi moving into their new place. They got a good crew together, provided the necessary staples for any move (Doughnuts and Pizza), and made the day a lot of fun!

A crew that was Unstoppable...

Thankfully... No casualties

Pizza will get you everywhere with people!

I topped off the evening by heading downtown to the Padres game with my buddies from work. Padres lost 5-nil in an anemic performance, but the game was a sell-out and being San Diegoans, nobody really cares THAT much about sports, so they were doing the wave, having fun, etc. Good times!

Tee-shirt night at Petco - gotta love that!

So you might be saying to yourself, "Hey, isn't this Brent AND KAT in California? Where's the better half?" Alas, my dear wife was slaving away at the lab all weekend. Her qualifying exam is on May 23rd, and she is working so very hard on her proposal. Say a prayer! It's due to her committee on Wednesday!

Late nights with Golden Spoon and Good Coffee

2007-05-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

It's cool! Last night we felt like real students again. Kat is working really hard on her Qualifying Exam, which is like the mid-point of her PhD program. She has to put together both her actual thesis, and an alternate proposal for something not related to her field.

Being the ever-overachieving person that she is, her alternate proposal (which in most cases is not going to actually be acted upon) is for nothing less than to cure malaria... No problem! :-) It's actually really neat to see her so fired up about science. She's working long and hard, and that's where I come in with the encouragement of a late night visit to her lab with Golden Spoon, which I have come to learn, is the brain fuel for all great scientists!

As Kat has been working, I have been playing (Fair? Hmmmm?) My ever-ready buddy, Hank, and I went to Sea World this past weekend.

I never thought I would live in a place where Sea World could be a spur of the moment outting. You should see the humble little zoo in my home town... I think it has like two gold finches and a pet goat or something.

Africa - Our effort continues to come together. Right now we are sending out support letters, which is always a kinda weird feeling. I know there is a biblical justification to give the burden to God, and then to let others know of it. I think this is just one of those times to be reminded of the fact that, contrary to all notions of American idealism, we are called to be dependent on God and others. This trip is stretching us both in ways we never imagined!

The Uganda Trip... From the pen of Mrs. K

2007-05-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Here is an excerpt from Kat's letter to her prayer partners for Uganda. She did a GREAT job of summarizing the team (and our) state of mind and current progress about Uganda. And now you can't say that Kat never writes in the blog!

:-)

Brent

Hello, Prayer Team!

I wanted to send a quick update on the progress we are making towards the missions trip. The group had our second team meeting last night, and we covered a TON of stuff. First we addressed and stuffed envelopes to send out support letters to folks within our church. We thought it would be good to send one letter on behalf of the team to people in the church so they don't get 3 or 4 letters each. (We each will then have a more personalized one to send to friends and family.) The purpose of the letter is to ask for prayer and financial support, so please pray that people would give joyfully and generously. There are so many demands on the church body right now, like the building fund, Faith Promise (which supports many missionaries), the Uganda Children's Sponsorship Program, the Deacon's fund, and the regular tithe. So we are trying to be sensitive to this and learn how to walk by faith.

At the start of our meeting we had a great time of praise. We are blessed to have a beginning guitarist among us - a college freshman named Chris - who was brave enough to play for us. Between his playing and my missing the high notes, we had a good laugh about how the Bible says "Make a joyful NOISE to the Lord," not "Make beautiful music to the Lord!"

We covered a lot of logistical stuff about vaccinations and insurance during the meeting, but we also had a devotional on the importance of giving and worked on the team goals part of our Team Covenant, which we'll continue to develop as the meetings go on. To tell you the truth, this was the hardest part of the meeting, since each member has different expectations about what the team should be like. We really need prayer for unity and open communication in our group. Brent and I talk SO much about the trip together, but we rarely get feedback from the other group members in response to the dozens of trip-related emails and phone calls we send. I think that's been particularly challenging to Brent, since it's difficult to trust people with big things (like planning fundraisers) if they don't follow through with small things. So please pray that our team would encourage each other and not resent all the work that goes into planning a trip like this! Pray that each person would be diligent and fulfill the roles we have taken.

One cool idea for a fundraiser we discussed: First Aid training! The Red Cross will come and do training at NCPC for a group of 8 or more for a fixed rate. We were thinking that if we opened it up to our church and other local churches and got a group of 25+ (when the 10% discount kicks in), we could charge people less than or equal to what they would pay for a First Aid and CPR training course at the Red Cross location ($70), but more than the per-person cost to run the on-site program. All the proceeds would then be split between our group members. Please pray for this and other ideas to be carried out, to help relieve the financial burden. Also, if YOU have ideas for group fundraisers, please let me know!

Another item: Brent and I have proposed to a visiting colleague that she rent our spare bedroom for the month of July. She goes back to Connecticut July 31 and is currently staying in a hotel. It would be fantastic for us to bring in some extra cash for the trip, and it would be cheaper for her as well. Not only does she seem kind and interesting, it turns out she is a Christian, too! Something of a rarity among scientists. So, please do pray that Juliet would take us up on our offer, if it is God's will.

Whew! Thanks for reading to the end, and for your prayers and encouragement. Oh--perhaps the biggest thing you can pray about for me, in particular, these next few weeks: I have my Qualifying Exam on May 23. I am working really hard for it, and Brent is trying to do more household things to help me out. God give me the grace to accept help gracefully and show my appreciation and affection towards him, and for him to sacrifice for me and be assured of my gratitude and love. And may God give me success on the writing and defending of my proposals!

Love,
Kathryn

The Weekend Report

2007-04-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

Whew! It's Monday morning, and I am just trying to sort out how exactly the space between Friday evening and now could have vanished so QUICKLY!?! Not sure where it all went, but I have at least a couple of suspicions:

1. Friday night - Scientist Acting Troupe - On Friday, Kat and I went with some non-scientist friends into the dangerous world of "Scientist-Thespians" - This was a first for me. The TSRI playwrights presented 5 Short Plays for the Attention Deficit to a packed crowd. I've got to hand it to them... For people who spend 12+ hours in the lab, they really had their stuff together on this acting business.

2. Saturday - MBAs and Amillenialsists - Kind of a strange combo, right? I started the day with Admit Day for the MBA program at UCSD, and finished it at a debate about Amillenialism vs. Postmillenialism out at a house in east county. (For those who were similarily as fuzzy as I was, these are two similar but different views held in various Christian circles about the "end times")

I've got no proof of this, but statistically, I think it very unlikely that anyone else on Earth on Saturday attended both an MBA session and an Eschatology debate. Prove me wrong!

Kat worked hard in the lab, and then had a middle-eastern FEAST with some of her fellow scientists... I was fortunate to be saved some leftovers, which were divine!

3. Sunday - Day of rest... Once we get past the busy Sunday morning, with kids to teach, announcements to make, and stuff like that, the day did finally relax a bit. We had a visiting scientist named Juliet over for dinner, too. It is so neat to hear biologists talk about their research. I bumble through the terms and terminology, they smile and correct me, and then use the dinner napkin and their hands to try to explain what the cellular membrane is doing. I LOVE it! So neat to have a view down to life at its most minute level.

Anways, that brings us to today! *Sigh* - Vacation in just 4 weeks... We can make it!

You start to forget...

2007-04-22T21:35:00.000-07:00

"... that this is really happening." Or at least so go the first few lines of the Al Gore documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth," which we watched this weekend. It has really been one of those weekends where life seems so idyllic out here in the fun and the sun of San Diego, but is so menacing everywhere else.

First, the film. I am developing a growing interest in climate change. The data is, quite frankly, pretty horrifying. As the level of CO2 in our atmosphere climbs further and further into uncharted territory, our summers get hotter, storms get fiercer, droughts get fiercer... and this is just the beginning. I find myself really fired up to do something about this, even if it means in the short term just reducing our carbon output. Longer term, I think it would be great to target clean technologies for post-MBA employment. Its a pretty hot (no pun) topic around UCSD. I think there will be lots of opportunities there.

Yet, on Saturday night with friends at a Beach BBQ in Encinitas it is easy to forget that such environmental horrors loom, as we bask in nature's splendor on a rather chilly evening at the beach.

Kathryn, with Sara and Katie

Humans seem much better at dealing with imminent, immediate threats, as opposed to longer-term, slower-developing threats. I wonder when we will collectively realize we can't be just "business as usual" about climate change?

And this horrible news from Virginia Tech, and to a lesser though still chilling extent, the NASA command in Texas. Back in San Diego, I watch the kids run around on the lawn after church and shake my head at the thought that any kid could grow up to do what the gunman in Blacksburg did.

Yet it happened... and will undoubtedly happen again. Its interesting how our reactions to such a tragedy are so varied. I read a recount of the violence and felt... anger. I felt that sense of bile rising in my throat, as my thoughts flickered to somehow delivering vengeance. Kat said that she felt a wave of grief, followed by just sadness.

The presence of evil in our world is one of those most uncomfortable things, for both Christian and secular humanist alike. For the humanist, it seriously undermines their theory that all people are really good, and just need the right circumstances to show this. The college educated shooter seemed to have the advantages and opportunities necessary for success, yet was trapped in such darkness. For the Christian, the question we must ask is how a loving and supposedly sovereign God would allow such an event to occur.

Our pastor preachd on this subject this evening, from Romans 9:9-22, when Paul writes of how God's power and glory are shown most clearly when His wrath will be delivered to the evil. "Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord."

So back to my reaction. I realize how foolish it is for me to steam about such things. God is a just judge, and this gunman in Virginia will experience the awful consequences of justice. And God is a great god, who can use even something as dark and dreadful as a mass murder, to show his glory and power to a world which, if nothing else, for at least one news cycle has been reminded of how little we truly control our own lives and how blessed we are to have faith in a sovereign God who does.

Vaccination Quiz

2007-04-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

OK, folks... Let's see how well you know your world travel trivia... Or at least, how much paranoia you have to be checking the CDC website!

Question: In order to travel to Africa, it is either required or highly recommended that you receive a vaccination for: (Choose all that apply)

A.) MMR (Booster)
B.) West Nile Virus
C.) Hepatitis A
D.) Meningococcal (Meningitis)
E.) Whooping Cough
F.) Tetanus, Diptheria, and Pertussis
G.) Typhoid
H.) Yellow Fever
I.) Green Fever
J.) The Gout

Want the answers? Scroll below

Answers: A, C, D, F, G, H

Whew! I tell you what! These CDC cats don't mess around! Our trip is coming along well, though. We met as a team for the first time this week, and we are hard at work getting ready to raise support, develop our project, get those vaccines out of the way, and more!

The Stegosaurus on the Ark

2007-04-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

It's Monday morning, and I am sipping my third cup of coffee, working up the motivation to head into work today, and reflecting over the course of events this past weekend...

All in all, relative to Midwestern tornadoes and Eastern Nor'easters, our mild, partly sunny weekend was superb. We were fortunate enough to see some good friends, visit a new place, plant some flowers, and do a great deal of prep work for the Uganda missions trip that we are involved in...

Not to say there wasn't any wierdness for me to ponder this morning along with my third cup of joe. We had plenty. The main source of befuddlement was our "couples date" on Saturday at the Institute for Creation Research with my former landlord and current friend, David, and his girlfriend Lisa.

Now, this ICR place is something truly exceptional...

It is located in East County San Diego, and according to their website, they do the following:

The Institute for Creation Research equips believers with evidences of the Bible’s accuracy and authority through scientific research, educational programs, and media presentations, all conducted within a thoroughly biblical framework.

It all sound well and good until you find yourself deep inside their labryntine museum staring at an illustration of Noah's Ark with a stegosaurus in one of the bays of the hold. It's at that point that you realize you aren't in Kansas anymore!

I think the thing that felt the wierdest to me was that I felt like... the enemy there. We walked in and got latched onto a tour group, and from the moment I arrived I felt like a total outsider. I should say that I embrace more of a "Theistic Evolution" perspective. Though I am certainly not an expert in the field, I recently read Francis Collins' wonderfully readable book, "The Language of God" and really resonated with the compatibility he outlines between modern genetic biology (which owes much to the theory of evolution) and Christianity.

Alas, such compatibility is not to be found anywhere in the winding passages of the ICR museum. I only made it through Day 3 of the 7 days of creation with the tour group, before the leader's bandying of that most horrid of Christian-ease aphorisms, "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve" drove me over the edge and I had to flee for fear of becoming unhinged. Kat made it to Day 4 before fleeing in similar anguish.

We somehow escaped from the museum that day with our sanity and friendship with Dave and Lisa still in tact. After further prayer and reflection, Kat and I were able to come to a conclusion about why we were so disturbed in there. We realized that the people who run this institute, while certainly well-meaning, have become so totally fixated on this one non-salvation related facet of Christianity that they set it up on par with the cross. "You must believe on the Lord Jesus... and a literal 6-day creation... to be saved.'

We serve a bigger God then that, one who didn't crumble when scientists in the 1600s showed quite clearly that the Earth revolved around the sun, and not vice versa, and won't crumble now if we see that He works His sovereign will for us through the means of seemingly random genetic mutations over many millions of years.

Or at least that's what my great, great, great grandpa Mr. Bojangles told me the last time I stopped by to seem him in Gorilla Tropics at the San Diego Zoo... *grin* - B -

Our new neighbor

2007-04-10T08:18:00.000-07:00

This handsome footballer just appeared the other day at our complex. We're working on bringing him cupcakes as a welcome gift.