so I set up TallHalls.com to keep updates as Kallie and I plan our wedding.  That domain name is too great to let slip away, so it will probably be around for a while.  subscribe to the feed there and check back often to see how we're doing!

In recent sports news, Grapevine Faith played Gainesville State School in football, but the fans from Faith rooted for the other team.  The formed a line for the other team to run through at the beginning of the game, the made a sign for them to bust through, and cheered for them throughout the game.  Was this some kind of reverse logic to the Yale "We Suck" prank?  Nope.  This was a good deed, since Gainesville is a correctional institution, and even those players deserve to have some cheering.

Why does something so right, seem so upside down?

Some text is clearly written. We consider this normal and expected.
If I wRiTe In AlTeRnAtInG-cApS oN a ReSuMe, It WiLl MoSt LiKeLy Be ReJeCtEd.
Some text we italicize to whisper quietly, but words never make a sound.
Underlining words makes sure what we've written is found.
When Jesus spoke, he apparently spoke in red.
All 2 cmnly, we abbrv. what u said.
I can ^say something without you knowing, by changing the <font color> to white,
Maybe a secret, an "easter egg", or just something to spite.
I'm fascinated at the replacements or tools we have in place,
To relay the intonations, hand gestures, or looks on a face.
Text to symbols of <3, :), :(,
But love, happy, and sad, aren't as simple as that.
Just different people using different ways to express differences.
Whether boldly, quietly, OSTENTATIOUSLY, or whatever the variance is.
There's no point here, or "." as some _say.
I hope I chose the right way(s) on the right day...

I watched this video about why never to talk to the cops, ever, even if you're innocent, and I wonder how many people have been self-incriminated.  Then I look at a carton of goldfish snacks, and it says, "DO NOT PURCHASE IF CARTON IS OPEN OR TORN" and I chuckle at the thought of someone being that dumb to risk their health or life for a box of goldfish.  There are tons of stupid product labels and warnings out there, and I wonder what happened to make these necessary.  Usually there's a lawsuit involved, but sometimes, like the 82 childlock tylenol bottles, companies recognize a problem and resolve it.  It just boggles my mind not how stupid people can be, but how much help people need to save themselves from themselves!

My family is the most important thing in my life.  Period, end of sentence.  This weekend, I missed a weekend with all of them because I had a project at work fail last weekend, and we needed to finish it this weekend.  It was suposed to be a minor inconvenience.  We'd start at 9am, be done and on my way by 1pm.  Everyone we needed was aware and ready to go; full exposure for success.  We can't get the server to come up.  I was up until 4am last night on this call, had an 11am call with the Chief technology officer about how to proceed, and now we're working on it again until 4pm today.  This whole time my family is together, exchanging presents, and spending time since we won't be able to get together for a while.

I will never let work cross my family again.  I have a picture of my whole family on my desk here at home and the thought had crossed my mind to take it into work so i have it there to keep me happy.  I think that logic is flawed.  The hyperboly of that situation is to bring family to my work, and I don't want that to happen.  I think I'm going to keep my bare gray cube walls as a sign of my temporary state at the office. 

At this point in my life, my work doesn't do anything to help my family.  I'm not getting supported, paid, or encouraged enough at work to take time away from my family.  This is becoming an increasing concern to me, and I think it needs resolved.

Corporate whore no more.

"And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name."

 - Acts 22:16

Note to self - Call off work the month of December.  You will not be able to get anyone to do any work, even if they are in the office, so just avoid the frustration completely.  That's basically how I feel right now.  I had my first project fail last Saturday, and now I have to finish it tomorrow, when I was supposed to be off.  and when I say "have to" I mean, failure is not an option with this project.  I coined a new phrase with this project, "Screw dotting my i's and crossing my t's, I'M JUST GOING TO WRITE IN ALL CAPS."

How about that open mic that Ben and I were supposed to play last week didn't happen.  The BBT, or Bloomfield Bridge Tavern actually had a fire back in October and they've been closed for repair, even though they still have shows booked on their site.  Oh well.  We ended going over to Jordan's and just playing there for some friends.

Speaking of going over to Jordan's, we had our first Beer snob Christmas party this past Tuesday.  I think there were 12 of us total, all brought a case of a micro brew or import beer and we went around swapping bottles to build our own mixed case.  Lots of fun.  I took a mix case of Left Hand Brewing.  I had an ESB at in philly and really enjoyed it, and come on, it's a left hand.   You had me at "Hello."

I'm off to Kallie's Mom's place near Sacremento from the 24th until the 30th.  So crazy to be in a relationship where our families are across the country from one another.  It's sure fun at times, but there are certainly downsides.  Not sure of any plans yet, just spending time with family in San Francisco, Palo Alto, and probably Lake Tahoe too.  I'll be sure to take lots of pictures.

Aside from that, I've been getting involved with a small group from Bellefield and going to the Open Door.  Probably look to get baptized (finally) in the new year.  Keren just got baptized last week, and it was a pretty emotional thing for sure.  I'm so blessed to have such a great family and great support structure.

1. When did you last sleep in a bed outside your home? - hehe, umm...the night before last?  SCANDAL!
2. When did you last drive someone else’s car? - Hey, my truck is in the shop!  >:(  I have been driving Kallie or Deirdre's car a lot.  I need my truck in all this snow though!
3. When did you last cook in someone else’s kitchen? - Define cooking.  I think i helped a little here or there with dinner at Kallie's last week.
4. When did you last care for children who aren’t yours? - That aren't mine?  that scares me.
5. When did you last do someone else’s job? - If we're talking strictly work/career, than I have no idea, because no one knows who does what anymore!  As a project manager, it's just my job to make sure it gets done!

 

Here's a first time truth story for you.  when i was 13 or 14, i was big into BMG music service.  I would sign up at my dad's house, refer "Jay Hall" at my mom's address, and I'd get 5 free CDs on top of the introductory offer.  I think it worked out to 12 CDs for $45.  That's great.  Anyway, one day I got a trial offer flyer in the mail for Playboy magazine.  It had my BMG music info on it for my mom's house.  You had to be 18 or older to sign up for the service, so I guess they're just allowed to send you stuff like that.  I took it in to show my friends at school how cool I was.  Dallas and Travis and everyone were trying to convince me to fill it out and send it back in.  I wouldn't do it.  Then Dallas said he would do it, so he took it from me, but I didn't think he had the guts to do it.  We were at that age where we just taunted eachother to do bad things.  Dallas actually did it though.  If I remember correctly, Travis had a car at that time and he drove Dallas home from school that day and they dropped it off then.

Few weeks go by I guess, my dad and I are out running errands and he says we need to stop at my mom's for something.  I actually don't remember how it all unfolded, but it just so happened that Dallas and Travis and I were planning on going to a concert, X-fest a week or two later.  My punishment was that I would have to leave the concert early.  Total weak sauce.  I missed Green Day, and them lighting their drums on fire, the bassist from Jimmies Chicken Shack running on stage naked during someone's set, and another band or two I think.  I also just missed out on the bonding time with Travis and Dallas.  I didn't even do anything...but sometimes, it's the lack of action that we end up paying for.