Harrod Observer

Internet Mania

2010-12-08T18:33:00.000-08:00

Isn't the web filled with a bunch o' crap? There is a vast number of social media tools out there waiting to waste your time. I have completely forgotton about this blog - something that I was excited about at one point - in favor of Facebook which I don't use all that much either.

Writing about things happening in my life takes time, and since I spend a good portion of my job writing, it seems such a chore to sit and type.

I figure that isn't a bad thing. The web is already full of people that write about themselves too much, usually in 140 characters or less.

A rare entry on political philosophy

2010-03-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

I suppose this is post is due to the current health care brouhaha....

"The object of this Essay is to assert one very simple principle, as entitled to govern absolutely the dealings of society with the individual in the way of compulsion and control, whether the means used be physical force in the form of legal penalties, or the moral coercion of public opinion. That principle is, that the sole end for which mankind are warranted, individually or collectively, in interfering with the liberty of action of any of their number, is self-protection. That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not a sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinions of others, to do so would be wise, or even right These are good reasons for remonstrating with him, or reasoning with him, or persuading him or entreating him, but not for compelling him, or visiting him with any evil, in case he do other wise. To justify that, the conduct from which it is desired to deter him must be calculated to produce evil to some one else. The only part of the conduct of any one, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others.

In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign." - J.S. Mill (1859)

Merry Christmas

2009-12-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

Have yourself a merry little Christmas!

Have a holly, jolly Christmas!

Back At It

2009-09-16T23:49:00.001-07:00

The year is in full swing at Warner Pacific, and I am enjoying my new job for the most part.

I work with some great people, which is nice. I feel more prepared for home events than I did at Cascade, due to more help with set-up and clean up. We did decide to change website providers last month, so that made a pile of work for me. I guess it's nice to be needed.

Same situation, different scenery in some ways. Still trying to achieve athletic success with limited resources, while maintaining integrity. I don't have quite the emotional investment that I did at Cascade, so I think I can enjoy the competition a little more than in the past.

Still feels weird to say "Go Knights!"

No longer on the dole

2009-07-11T22:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I am no longer unemployed. I will be the sports information director at Warner Pacific College starting August 1.

It is only part time, but with the economy the way it is, I suppose I can't complain. I have chosen the wrong career path it seems, if I had planned on getting rich.

The Lord is good, and has always taken care of me and my family. Why would he stop now? (He wouldn't, of course.)

Foot in Mouth Disease

2009-06-02T16:43:00.001-07:00

I read the latest (June 2009) Christian Chronicle in which there is an article about the closing of Cascade College. I am quoted in the article, and after I read it my heart sunk in to my stomach.

As I recall, the conversation I had with the writer from the Chronicle was concerning my efforts in the athletic department at Cascade and the fact that I had yet to find employment. Yet the quote from me that makes it in the article was my opinion on the impact of Cascade on churches in the northwest.

First of all, I am the last person who should be asked about the health of churches in the northwest. I am not a minister, nor do I have any expertise on what makes a church strong or weak. There are many leaders in so called "weak" churches that are doing vital ministry every day. I am not sure why the writer of this article choose to quote an assistant athletic director about Cascade's impact on anything, except perhaps small college sports.

To anyone who works in ministry in any capacity at all churches in the northwest, I apologize. I fear that my comments were disparaging to your work in service to the Lord.

Trip to Multnomah Falls

2009-04-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten

2009-04-06T19:16:00.000-07:00

I have not forgotten about this place. It seems that Facebook has supplanted blogging for a lot of people. I hope to get some pictures up here in the near future.

It's coming to an end

2008-11-13T15:20:00.000-08:00

Well, it is kind of old news now, but my alma mater and employer, Cascade College, will close in May of 2009. This truly was a shock to everyone at Cascade, me included. My reaction was one of sadness, but it didn't affect me as much as I would have expected.

Though this decision leaves me unemployed (in a few months anyway), mixed in with my grief is relief. As I have mentioned many time on this blog, the struggle of finding success in athletics at Cascade was a weight on my mind and affected my life adversely sometimes - sleep patterns, time with the family etc. With the cause of my worry removed, at least my anxiety should decrease.

The irony is, this has been perhaps the best season of Thunderbird sports in many years. Men's soccer finished 11-8-1 and won a playoff game for the first time since 2001. Volleyball finished 8-19 and won several matches late in the season over teams they had previously been beaten by. Men's and women's basketball have yet to lose, (though they just got started) and seem ready to be competitive.

I am just very grateful that the campus community reacted to the news with a determination to make this last year a great one at Cascade, because it very easily could have been the opposite.

I think I will withhold my opinions about the closing of Cascade for a later date. (I have a few believe me!) What Cascade or OC should have done differently is a matter of debate, but I want chew on the subject for awhile so I don't say (or type) something I will regret.

Pressin' On

2008-09-28T20:59:00.001-07:00

Fall sports are in full swing at Cascade College, with the usual goings on. All of our teams are competing well...winning a few games here and there and generally competing well.

On the home front, Preston started 3rd grade and is playing U9 club soccer. (He is scoring goals at will...) Kristen started Kindergarten (Yikes!), and Grayson is the best 3 year old on the planet. Mel continues to make the family run smooth while putting up with me, somehow.

I hope to post a few pictures soon.

Well, Here I Go

2008-08-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

We had our first home event today, volleyball. All of our teams seem to be ready for their seasons and should be competitive, though men's soccer has several injuries to key players.

I'm still having a hard time with motivation for this year. As I mentioned in an earlier post, my friend and boss left us in late spring and I just haven't quite recovered from it.

We don't have quite as many home events, so the schedule is in my favor. "Have you heard of English tenacity? Here's to enough grit to finish the last round." (5 bucks to anyone who can tell me what movie that's from.)

Civil War/DC Trip

2008-06-23T18:57:00.001-07:00

Well, I suppose I can post a few pictures I took of various places back east while on the trip to Gettysburg and Washington D.C. It was a great trip, and went by much too quickly. The only bad part was the fact that I didn't have the right shoes. I bought new shoes for the trip thinking I would be walking on trails and such, and we did, but they were the wrong shoes for pounding the pavement in DC. My feet were just killing me by the end of the trip.

I also was frustrated with my photography. Partly because I am not exactly an expert or have a particular gift for the art, but also because there were just way too many people around everything I was trying to shoot. I want to get the shot of the building, not a shot of 40 junior high kids on a field trip. Plus, winter was still holding on so there wasn't much color in anything. The days were gray and drab. Such is life.

Oh, and I got a B in the class.

Cannon at Antietam

Marker of famous stand of the 20th Maine at Gettysburg

Walking Picketts Charge at Gettysburg

Old Abe!

Washington Monument

Me on a fence at Antietam (Photo by Shawn Jones)

O Brother Where Art Thou?

2008-06-07T16:26:00.001-07:00

Well, for some reason I thought about this forgotton place today. Truth is, even if I would have been thinking about this blog over the last few weeks, I don't think I would have felt like posting anyway. My friend and boss at Cascade College resigned and moved his family to South Carolina. This was a heavy blow. He had done much to turn around our sports programs at Cascade, and our families were very close. I've been in a fog for awhile now, and am just now coming to grips with it.

I am still very hopeful for what lies ahead for Cascade athletics. We hired a new men's basketball coach a few day ago, and our other teams look promising. I think God is teaching me to trust him, or attemptng to anyway. I have always struggled with that, and worry about the future clouds my thoughts.

Mental Health

2008-02-07T15:38:00.000-08:00

A pair of funny/scary incidents recently: A former student at Cascade threatened some people on campus via e-mail, and was arrested and hospitalized.

A few days ago, a ragged looking man knocked on my front door late at night. I didn't answer but he knocked few times more, and then just stood there. For about 20 minutes, just standing on my front porch, staring at the door. The Vancouver Police came and took care of him. (A friend of his came and picked him up, I guess.) I have no clue what he wanted, but there was no way I was going to answer the door.

My wife works in the mental health field. She has seen plenty of people who struggle - depression, anxiety, paranoia, etc. Kinda sad actually. The drugs to treat these things are huge business.

What am I thinking?

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

I have registered for a class at Cascade College - "The Civil War." First day was yesterday, and wow there is a lot of reading. Plus 2 major exams and an 8 page research paper. It has been 10 years since this kind of thing, so I am a little leery.

The highlight of the class will be the week long trip to Washington D.C and various battlefield sites. I am really looking forward to that, and will be taking copious amounts of photos.

I have always thought about graduate school, so maybe this will get me prepared for such an undertaking. (Or perhaps dissuade me from further thought of it, depending on how I perform.)

Where I come from

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

I went "home" for Thanksgiving (At least to my mom's place in Ontario, OR), and took an unplanned visit back to Vale which is where I grew up. I've posted pictures of Vale before, but this time I went back to the farm where I lived for 17 years of my life. It hasn't changed a lot, but it's hard to explain how foreign it felt. Did I really grow up here? It's so......rural.

The House. Not in real good shape.

A caboose that I used to play in down the road.

Our mailbox. You can still make out our name that my brother painted on it. Sweet!

Deer that ran across the road in front of our van.

The grave of an Oregon Trail man named Henderson who died of thirst about 50 yards from the river. Unlucky.

I could spend a couple of days retracing my steps and taking pictures. Perhaps I will at some point.

What makes who you are? This community that I grew up in certainly infuenced me in countless ways. I go back and forth between regretting and embracing that fact. Brian Simmons might say "unpack that."

Maybe some other time.

Any Better?

2007-10-01T18:41:00.001-07:00

I tinkered with the color in photoshop. (a cool program by the way, but steep learning curve.) Bluer blue, removal of shadow. Wish I had more time to use the camera.........

Here's One

2007-09-17T18:31:00.001-07:00

At the prompting of Johno.....

Not sure what to think about this picture. Seems like I just missed something pretty cool. Chalk it up to me being such a novice.

No stopping it now.....

2007-08-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Well, the 2007-08 school year officially kicks off today at Cascade College. It has been a madhouse trying to get the campus ready. The college spent lots of money in improvements on the campus, and it has never looked better. I am also neck deep in various duties for the athletic department. I haven't stopped for a breath in months it seems.

Brian Simmons' sermon at Metro yesterday sure did make me think. Our relationship with Jesus sure can get turned upside down. Paul called himself a slave of Christ. How often do we instead treat Jesus as our slave, asking (telling) him to do this, or do that on our behalf? How many times have I essentially commanded Jesus to help me in some way, because I think I deserve it? Lord forgive me when I act that selfish. I will strive to treat Jesus as what he is - the Master.

Update

2007-07-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

Well, we have coaches in place for our basketball teams. Our women's coach was hired back in April, and we found a men's coach about 2 weeks after the previous coach resigned.

I have been impressed with both men. I feel that both teams will be better than last year, but I am more concerned with establishing some stability and consistency than wins and losses. (Though more wins would be nice!) I plan to do all I can to help these coaches to that end.

Not Again!

2007-06-12T04:24:00.000-07:00

Well, Cascade College athletics suffered a setback, as our men's basketball coach resigned suddenly last week. I hope that it was the right decision for the coach and his family, but it puts us in a bind at the college as our men's team is now leaderless.

Coaching is a hard thing to do well. It takes a brand of leadership that I do not possess. Being a coach at Cascade presents several challenges, and success is difficult to achieve. Difficult, but not impossible. We are praying that God will send us his man to build our men's team into a respected and successful program.

And in case you are wondering......NO, I will NOT be coaching the men's team or any other team next year, Lord willing.

The Upgrade

2007-05-11T23:31:00.000-07:00

I have plunged ahead with Blogger's more user friendly template editing, which has erased all my previous edits. I am slowly rebuilding my customizations with my limited skills. Perhaps it will force me to pay a little more attention to this dusty spot on the world wide web.

One Thing I've Done.....

2007-05-02T17:21:00.000-07:00

It's been a while.....Things were supposed to slow down after basketball season. HA.

One thing I've done is visit my mom in Ontario, OR, and while I was there I went over to the old hometown of Vale, OR. I am glad that I grew up there, but it really is not much to behold. I snapped a few pictures.

Main Street

My House

(I lived here my senior year in HS. I literally would take my breakfast to first period.)

My High School

(Which was literally 50 feet from my back door.)

I always seem to read alot when I'm at my moms place. I read "Snow Falling on Cedars" in 2 days or so. It was an entertaining read. I'm currently devouring "Manhunt: The 12 Day Search For Lincoln's Killer." It is very good. I'll be commenting on this book when I finish it. All for now.

Yes!

2007-03-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

It has finally arrived! Partly inspired by Johno and Jason, and partly necessary for shooting sports photos for my job, I have plunked down way too much money for this behemoth. Let the amateur photography begin! (VERY amateur!)

Sigma 70-200 F2.8 APO EX DG Macro

Well, It's Over

2007-02-28T10:48:00.000-08:00

My second stint as head women's basketball Coach at Cascade College has come to an end. We actually won 3 games in a row towards the end of the season and came within 1 game of reaching the playoffs! An amazing feat really when you think of the adversity this team faced.

Now the search for a new coach begins, resulting in a new frustration for me. The machinations of the bureaucracy are agonizingly slow, even at a small Christian college. We have several highly qualified candidates that are interested in the job, but making it work within the budget is the question.

I certainly have my opinion on what the college can and can't do - or more specifically, what it MUST do in this situation. However, it is out of my hands and I can only pray that God sends us exactly the right person.

This all contributes to my ongoing struggle with the role of athletics in the higher education setting. Cascade is a unique situation, but probably not unlike many other similar colleges. I see the excitement generated and support given at other places and I think, why can't we do the same thing? What is holding our campus back? Perhaps someday soon athletics at Cascade will be embraced by our community, and increasingly seen as a legitimate and valued part of the educational experience for our students.

Hey Coach!

2007-01-23T13:56:00.000-08:00

Well, it's happened again. I am now the head coach of the women's basketball team at Cascade College (on an interim basis). I coached the team in 2003-04 as well.

I won't go into details about how this came about, other than to say it was not the desired result, for me or the college. Losing a coach in the middle of a season is never good, even if necessary.

And so, here go I, once more into the breach. Please pray that we will be able to find a permanent head coach who will provide stability and leadership for our women's program.

Alive

2006-12-02T23:37:00.000-08:00

Hello to those few souls who browse here on occasion. I've been very busy with work at Cascade. Basketball is in full swing.

And there lies the rub. Our teams are not doing well this year, which unfortunately is nothing new. I've been helping coach the women's team, and there is some talent there. We've lost several close games but can't seem to get over the hump.

The losing has been getting to me more than usual this year. The players are competing hard, but it's the same old thing. The college just is not concerned with wins and losses right now. How long can I strive for success when none is coming? The emotional investment is taking its toll. It gets to the point of affecting other parts of my life, which I hate.

I try to tell myself that it's not that important in the grand scheme, but it's not helping at the moment.

New Toy

2006-09-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I broke down and purchased a Canon Rebel XT the other day, then rented a sweet Canon 70-200 2.8 IS lens for the day. I really need to practice, but here are a few of my first trys.

Rocks

Sand

Header

Forward

Vision

Spike

Back To The Struggle

2006-09-12T03:18:00.000-07:00

Another year has begun at Cascade College, which means the struggle of finding success in small college athletics is renewed for me. The last few days have been rough for me as feelings of hopelessness crept into my mind. Of course, it is not really hopeless, as progress has been made in many ways this year.

I sometimes wonder if working for a place that I didn't care about would be better in some ways. Just punching the clock and not thinking about your job one second more than you have to often sounds appealing.

Men's soccer is 4-0, women's soccer is vastly improved, and the basketball teams are showing promise. What it comes down to however, is whether I am impacting our athlete's lives in a positive way. That really needs to be my goal. The competitor in me makes it difficult to see the way Christ can change lives, regardless of whether we win or lose.

10 Things I Learned On Vacation

2006-08-20T21:34:00.000-07:00

10. Valparaiso, IN is a nice place, with much cheaper housing than Portland. Also, despite what Brian Simmons says, Indiana is a beautiful state in its own way.

9. Milk production is a major business and tourist attraction.

8. Cows are creatures of habit. (And smelly too)

7. Nascar fans are absolutley fanatic about racing. I've never seen so many people in one place before. Hundreds of thousands of people to watch cars go in a circle really fast.

6. Those cars are LOUD!!!!! I needed ear protection and I was 30 rows up in the stands at least.

5. Nascar fans drink beer. Lots of beer. The Indy raceway didn't even bother with trash cans. They just let it pile up and cleaned up after the race was over.

4. My son loves baseball.

3. My daughter loves her cousin Juliana.

2. My father-in-law is a Godly man.

1. My wife is a gift from the Lord.

10th Anniversary......Finally

2006-08-15T05:12:00.000-07:00

At last, some pictures of our 10th anniversary getaway. Mel and I treated ourselves to a nice dinner and room at Skamania Lodge out in the gorge. We left the kiddos with friends and had a great time. Time for just the 2 of us is pretty rare, and we would have liked to have stayed another night.

Skamania is a really nice place, though a little pricey in my opinion. The seafood buffet that they had on Friday night was so-so. Lots of food, but I suppose you really gotta like seafood to get your $19.99 worth. A nice surprise was the 20% off we recieved because we knew a chef in the kitchen (Sid Astin). Thanks Sid!

My wife is the greatest!!!!!

Tweaking the Blog

2006-07-21T16:15:00.000-07:00

Using my limited skills, I have tweaked the look of the blog. I widened the header and text, plus added a librarything (a very cool site bt the way) list of books I've read recently. I hope to change out the picture behind the title eventually.

Work is progress..........

10 Years

2006-07-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

Today makes 10 years of marriage to my wonderful wife Melanie. I have been so blessed in the last decade with her by my side. She is the greatest wife a guy could hope for. (I'll post a picture soon.)

The World Needs a Union

2006-06-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

The long awaited, highly anticipated reunion of that legendary a capella singing sextet, Fishermen's Union happened last Thursday the the Cascade College/Columbia Christian College 50th year celebration.

Jared, Ike, John, and myself were joined by Boone Langston (filling in for Doug) and Andrew Martin (filling in for Tony) and sang 4 of our classics to a standing room only crowd.

Seriously, it was a lot of fun and it took just a few runthrough practices to pull it off. I feel priviledged to sing with such talented musicians. Who knows? You may hear a few things from us soon, with our songs given the proper recording treatment they deserve.

More Busyness

2006-06-23T16:59:00.000-07:00

Another month of "where does the time go?" I've been spending gobs of time helping get the campus (Cascade) ready for the 50th reunion that is happening as I write this. It has been a great weekend so far, with a good turnout of alumni.

The reunion chapel was good where Dennis Evans gave a wonderful speech about connecting the alumni of Columbia and Cascade. It was heartfelt and right on target. Nearly brought this stoic old boy to tears.

I am looking forward to the reunion banquet tomorrow night. We are expecting 600 people! Sweet! I hope this will continue the momentum that that Cascade is enjoying.

Now if we could only get some momentum going in the athletic department at Cascade!

More Painting

2006-05-27T23:20:00.000-07:00

Well I finally got around to painting the kitchen as mentioned in my last post. The color we selected was "Sprig of Sage." Going with green in the kitchen is a little risky I'm told. But that's the Harrod way.....bucking the trends. HA!

Bought the paint from Wal-Mart this time as The Home Despot paint department was jam packed. Good ol' Wally's World! Now, on to the hallway..........

You Thought I Was Kidding?

2006-04-20T09:37:00.000-07:00

As promised, I recently painted our living room, with Preston's help. After 6 years of stark white walls, Melanie and I decided on "Feather Taupe" for a color to apply to the room. (Well, Melanie decided really.) I think the result is satisfactory. I describe the color as "chocolate milk."

Now, on to the kitchen.............

Harrod & Sons Plumbing

2006-04-08T22:06:00.000-07:00

After 6 years of tolerating a troublesome leak, I finally headed down to the Home Depot and purchased a new faucet for the kitchen sink. The old one didn't leak all the time, just at the base of the handle when turned on. Bad gasket I guess.

The job did not go exactly as planned.

Thinking that I had turned the off the water supply under the sink, I proceeded to take apart the old faucet. It promptly started shooting HOT water all over the kitchen. While my wife held a cup over the geyser, I sprinted to the garage and turned the crank on the outgoing pipe of the water heater.

After we mopped up the new lake we created, I headed to The Depot, and bought a new faucet made by Delta. I went ahead and chose one that was slightly more than I wanted to spend, hoping that it would be a little higher quality.

Halfway through the installation I realized that the conntecting pipe I bought was too short, thus a second trip to the store was needed.

As my ego swelled with pride at a job well done, I turned the water back on only to see a steady stream of agua coming down fron the underside of the faucet. I slapped my forehead and set to work connecting the hose for the dish washing nozzle. For the life of me I couldn't figure out how to get the darn thing to attach correctly. A third trip to Home Depot to look at an example enlightened me, and I finally finished the project.

It now works, with no leak.

Now I must paint the living room.................

You Want Your Tots?

2006-03-24T12:13:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the Clarks who recommended it, I have seen perhaps the worst movie ever made, Napoleon Dynamite. I did laugh on several occasions, but funny does not necessarily mean good. I suppose I'm exaggerating when I say "worst," but in my opinion the movie was less than stellar.

In case you are wondering (Ron), dropping 15 lbs would get me to my fighting weight of 185. 200 is the heaviest I've ever been.

Still Alive

2006-03-23T18:43:00.000-08:00

Wow how time flies. Yes I'm still here. The usual stuff is occupying my time, family, work, church, and NASCAR. More transition in the athletic department at Cascade, we'll get it figured out one of these days!

I am currently in first place in the office pool for the NCAA tourney. (Don't worry, no money will be exchanging hands.)

I am also on week 4 of hitting the gym for some cardio and throwing some weight around. I'm feeling pretty good about it actually. I'd like to drop about 15 pounds when it's all said and done.

In The Books

2006-02-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

Another season of Cascade College Basketball has concluded, and it was an interesting one. The ladies team finished with just 2 wins in a tough year to say the least. I don't feel like commenting much about this team, but the difficulties started the first week of school - which I already blogged about if you want to peek at the archives.

The men's team managed 7 wins including 3 in conference play. One of the wins was an unlikely victory at Oregon Tech. This team played hard all year, and the players were great guys. They had their issues as all teams do, but they were really playing well together towards the end. Plus this team had the highest GPA ever for a men's basketball team at Cascade. Well done!

The struggle of achieving success in small college athletics continues for me. Brief moments of triumph are countered by maddening stretches of frustration. I have determined for now to "see the big picture, and make a difference." (Quote from Stephanie Neilan)

Steel Curtain

2006-01-27T14:14:00.000-08:00

The mighty Pittsburgh Steelers (my favorite team) are in the Super Bowl. Of course, they are matched up versus Seattle, who I would root for if they weren't playing Pittsburgh. I am a Northwest homer, so if Seattle wins I won't be too disappointed.

I'm not sure why the Steelers became my favorite team. I think it's because they were the first team I saw on TV as a kid. They were a very good team back then as well, so they must have won that day and whammo!........my favorite.

One thing I hate are fans that all of a sudden are sporting Steeler gear after a successful season. I was a fan back in the Cliff Stoudt and Mark Malone days, so you know I'm no bandwagon fan.

As Promised

2006-01-06T21:18:00.000-08:00

Here's a Christmas picture of the kiddos. Good looking threesome, huh? This picture was taken with my mother-in-law's camera, not our new one. Oh well. Sure would like a fancy camera like Jason's. Gotta save some money first.

Hap Hap Hap Happy New Year

2006-01-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great Christmas. I got a few books and a gift card to Wal-Mart that I used to buy an mp3 player. My kids made out like bandits. Gotta love grandparents.

We also purchased a new digital camera, so hopefully a few pictures will make it up soon. Looking forward to another stupendous year in the 'couve. (And Portland too)

Stupendous, what a great word...

What a Fine Life

2005-12-11T21:36:00.000-08:00

Last Friday Mel and I were treated to a dinner by the Doctor Mel works for. The restaurant was called Bacchus, it's in Vancouver. It's in a strange place, basically a strip mall but you wouldn't know it after you walk in. Very nice.....upscale really. I'd heard it was good, but it surpassed my expectations. After the delicious coconut prawn appetizer, I ordered the blackened halibut and it was the best fish I ever had.

Post meal, a band started to set up for live entertainment. This surprised me, because the atmosphere for our meal was relaxed, but still rather formal. The vibe I got from the band and those waiting to start dancing was almost like a night-club. Ah well, what do I know. Still, it was a very enjoyable evening. (The doctor spent over $500 on our group, Yikes!)

Just Don't Call Me Reverend

2005-11-25T20:34:00.000-08:00

I had a conversation over Turkey with a friend of mine that turned to matters of religion. He has a similar background; we both grew up in the Christian Church branch of the Restoration Movement. Anyone familiar with the Restoration Movement can tell you that each church is different. Instruments, kitchens, women's roles, elders, deacons, missionaries, ministers......they each have their own views about all of these and more.

We bounced off each other the question of what being a "pastor" means. At his Christian Church, the "pastor" is essentially the head minister, but is also an elder. Now, our Minister at Metro is not an elder. In fact he has had to correct his soon to be published book that identifies him as the Pastor of the Metro C of C. I'm not really concerned about the scriptural implications here. It just made me think about the role of a "pastor" in the church.

I was watching TBN today (sorry, I was bored) and saw Pastor Rod Parsley there on the screen, larger than life. Of course it was most every televangelist cliche rolled into one half hour, and I thought that this could not possibly be what being a "pastor" means. So now I know what a pastor is not, I'll start looking for what a pastor should be.

Thieves!

2005-11-16T18:22:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't been very motivated to post lately because I am unable to add pictures. My Fuji Finepix camera was swiped a few days ago. Right out of my office at work....at least I think it was. I could have set it down somewhere, but I doubt it. I don't want to spend money on a new camera, but a Canon Rebel XT is an expensive temptation.

The Thrill of Victory

2005-10-30T00:51:00.000-07:00

I'm feeling pretty good at the moment as I just witnessed our volleyball team at Cascade defeat Evergreen State in 5 games. It's win #5 against 17 losses, so any win is gratifying. As the struggle to find success in college athletics continues, I often reflect on my part in the struggle.

Our American culture puts such a premium on winning in sports, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. The goal is often not just to beat your opponent, but to humiliate them. What is my role in developing the character of the athletes I interact with? Is there an opportunity to be counter-cultural in our approach to sports?

I'll file this away for awhile, but hope to develop some concepts concerning this as the year progresses.

Call Me The Professor

2005-10-10T11:26:00.000-07:00

I had the priviledge (or misfortune depending how you look at it) of teaching Dr. Darren Williamson's American Political Economy class at Cascade last week. It went pretty well I suppose. I was a little nervous, and didn't have a lot of time to prepare. The class period was on "The bureaucracy." Exciting stuff. I actually do enjoy political science. The climate of politics today with its extreme partisanship is tiresome, but interesting none the less.

I have looked into Master's programs in the area of government/public affairs. With job, family, church etc. responsibilities, I'm not sure how I could ever pull it off.

What Can We Do But Go On, You and I?

2005-09-19T09:44:00.000-07:00

My apologies to those who stop by this blog occasionally. School has started at Cascade, which means many athletic events that I'm responsible for. Time is a precious commoddity these days. It hasn't helped that our women's basketball team at Cascade has dwindled to 11 players (From 15). 2 ladies decided the week before school started that they would not be returning, and 2 of our new recruits decided to leave after just a few days. Pretty discouraging really. What can we do but go on? Can't feel too sorry for myself. Hurricane Katrina put alot of things in perspective.

You can follow Jason Hill's mission of service to the Gulf Coast on his blog. His link is on the right!

Inspector Gadget

2005-08-04T16:17:00.000-07:00

I just had central air conditioning put in the house (just in time!), and the work needed to be inpected by the city after the install was complete. First the building inspector came by and was there for literally 2 minutes, then signed off on the permit. Then the electrical inspector came by, was on site for 5 minutes and signed off on the permit as well.

You know these guys were probably paid quite well for their "work." All I can say is that I work in the wrong industry.

Game On!

2005-07-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

Cascade College is hosting the Christian Game Developers Conference this weekend. It's mainly for computer games, but board and card games are covered as well. Plus they are trying to break into games for Xbox and Playstation. They got some national press too. I certainly admire what they are trying to do.

Oh, The Humanity

2005-07-14T11:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a while, and you can imagine why, but the family is great. In my brief moments of spare time I've been reading mostly, but I did find a great site you should check out. Well, you should check it out if you lean to the right politically. What a great idea. protestwarrior.com

Hello World

2005-06-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

And introducing.........

Grayson Lowell Harrod

Proud Papa

Man my wife is TOUGH!!!

The Kiddos.

Swap Meet Louie

2005-06-11T16:06:00.000-07:00

We participated in a neighborhood wide garage sale today, and managed to sell quite few things. I sold my old VHS tapes, some software, and many old books. My wife sold a few picture frames and prints, plus various sundry things. (Sundry, is that a word?) The final tally.....$244.00. Not too bad for a Saturday hanging out in the garage.

You Put the Lime in the Coke You Nut.

2005-06-02T04:54:00.000-07:00

Man I'm addicted to this stuff.

Wish it had some nutritional value.

The Left Turn Only Circuit

2005-05-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

"It's official, I'm a "Nascar Dad." I have this unexplainable fondness of watching cars go around in circles really fast. My son (who is 5) got started watching it last summer and I got sucked in. I used to work for UPS and they sponsor the 88 car driven by Dale Jarrett so I suppose he's my favorite driver, though I usually pull for the guys who have no chance to win.

Kinda cool: Morgan Shepherd's car is sponsored by "Racing With Jesus."

I guess Nascar is a little like life. You leave going as fast as you can, but end up right back where you started. How profound.

So Much Fun

2005-05-21T23:43:00.000-07:00

Learning how to tweak the template for this blog has been really fun. I'll be changing the title background picture eventually, just wanted to see if I could do it. A special thanks to Tim Lewis who has been tutoring me on various changes. I enjoy his blog, so will you. So go visit it already. HERE

Genius of Van

2005-05-10T21:37:00.000-07:00

Our family will be expanding to 5 very soon and our trusty Ford Escape seems headed for the trade-in lot. Whlie it will seat 5, baby seats make it a real pain. The logical solution is to purchase a minivan, but my wife refuses to own a van.....ever. I guess true adulthood has descended upon me with a vengeance because I would gladly drive a minivan. 7 seats and plenty of room. However, it doesn't help that we are stuck in last year of our 5 year lease with the Escape. (5 YEARS! What in the name of Henry T. Ford were we thinking?) I'm thinking that a slightly used Chrysler Pacifica or a Ford Freestyle would satisfy my wife, but could break the bank.

Year is Over, I'm Goin' Fishin'

2005-05-03T21:02:00.000-07:00

"Well, graduation was last Saturday and another year at Cascade College in the books. I am certainly glad it's over. Don't get me wrong, I love college. In many ways, my college years were the best years of my life. Returning to work at the college I graduated from, I realize that it is a different place than when I attended. That's not a bad thing. In fact it's a good thing. But the break that summer affords is most welcome.

Wendy's Finger Was a Hoax

2005-04-23T08:28:00.000-07:00

You knew it was. C'mon, a severed finger in a bowl of chili? She must have been hoping Wendy's would pay her off before anyone was the wiser. I seem to remember that people tried something similar quite a few years back by claiming they found needles in their Pepsi cans.
I guess some people treat life like it's some sort of of hustle or parlor game, working the system to their advantage. And what's funny is some people work very hard at it....harder than they would if they had a "traditional" job.

Finger Lady Arrested

Go here now!

2005-04-07T09:55:00.000-07:00

Everyone appreciates a well done website or blog. This one is exceptional. Go check out this quality site from a quality person. (It's in my link section as well.)

TNT - My Religion Music Review

2005-04-01T10:32:00.000-08:00

I recently rediscovered my old collection of TNT discs, and was pleased to see they are still soldiering on despite the inglorious downfall of hair metal music in the early 90's. Their latest effort entitled "My Religion," is absolutely fantastic. Well, fantastic if you were a fan of this kind of music in the first place. TNT was regarded as one of the more musically talented metal bands, though they enjoyed only moderate commercial success. I also appreciate the fact that they avoided (for the most part) the blatant sexual machismo found in the music and image of their peers. The TNT brand of rock is very melodic, and I suppose a word to describe the sound of the band is "crunchy." Why these guys never broke big, and less than stellar bands like Warrant and Poison did, remains a mystery.

Personal Memoirs, Ulysses S. Grant - Book Review

2005-03-17T22:54:00.000-08:00

I recently dove into the Personal Memiors of Ulysses S. Grant. Written by the former President as he was near death, it was a challenging but enlightening read.

Most of the book is Grant's recollections of his military service, both in the Mexican and Civil Wars. Very little is written about his childhood, and even less about his civilian life. It is also remarkable that none of the book is dedicated to his two terms as President of the United States.

Grant's style of writing is very simple and straightforward when describing military movements or actions of battle. He also gave credit to certain officers he found favor in. Describing a fellow officer Grant writes, "Warren was an able man; and he was beside thoroughly imbued with the solemnity and importance of the duty he had to perform." He is aslo complimentary of his foes from the Confederacy, even though he regarded their cause, "one of the worst for which a people ever fought."

Though a portion of the book was quite tedious, I would recommend the book to anyone with an interest in American history. I found value in exploring the perspective of such a great man during such an important event in our nations history.

What's in a name?

2005-02-24T22:59:00.000-08:00

My wife Melanie and I are expecting our 3rd child in June. Once again we are contemplating what to name a baby. After the usual suggestions and rejections, I began to realize that naming a child is really quite monumental. After all, he or she will be hearing this name for 75 years, give or take.

What causes names to fall out of favor? Gone are Martha and Irene, replaced by Kaitlin and Jennifer. Extinct are Harold and Norman, supplanted by Braden and Austin. My personal favorite old-timer name is Mortimer, but no sane parent would choose that 10 dollar handle today.

Where is the angel that will appear before me and say "He will be called John!" I suppose I'll keep looking through the baby name book, hoping that both Mel and I will come to an agreement.

Time of the Season

2005-02-16T22:08:00.000-08:00

Another season of Cascade College basketball comes to an end this weekend. I must admit that I will breathe a long sigh of relief at this conclusion. It has been a difficult season for both the men's and women's teams. Wins on the scoreboard have been few, which bothers me of course, as I am a pretty competitive person. More discouraging than losing on the court is struggling off the court. I won't air our dirty laundry in this forum, but attitudes and behavior from our athletes have not met our expectations.

Coaching has never been a strength for me. Leading athletes successfully is a rare gift that I do not posess. What does it take to motivate and mentor young student-athletes? Is self-destructive behavior just a part of the game with college athletes? As a player in my younger days, I never entertained the thought of doing some of the things that athletes do today.

Competing in a very tough conference as a small Christian college is a challenge. I firmly believe it is possible to be successful, despite the obstacles. We will strive to build a program where our players have a great experience, excel in the classroom, and develop Christian character. Not to much to ask, right?

Well here we go.....

2005-02-11T10:55:00.000-08:00

I'm a newbie, no mistaking. I guess we'll see what becomes of this space, especially as I have more time in the near future.