I Believe I Can Fly

Another birthday has come and gone. Every year seems to play out the same way. My wife will ask me consistently for weeks what I want for my birthday, and I will avoid the question for weeks. I did the same thing this time until and idea hit me.

I had driven by the newly opened indoor skydiving facility in my area a few times. I was curious, but I figured it would be something I would not do out of the desire to stay frugal. It was, however, a great idea for something the wife could provide for my birthday. I made the request, and it was granted. We went ahead and scheduled it for the evening of my birthday.

I will save you the time of reading the step-by-step details of the experience, but I will share a few photos. These are actually screenshots of the videos that were taken on my phone.

It was definitely harder than it looked. It is sensory overload (or lack of senses overload). It took a while to gather perception of what was happening. Even with earplugs, it was impossible to hear anything going on. Also the feel of the air on the body made it difficult to even determine when the instructor had his hand on me. I do, at times, get motion sickness. I was fine with this experience until the part when the instructor takes you spinning high up in the tunnel (you pay extra for that part). It was worth the discomfort to my stomach. I would absolutely do it again (and I plan to).

The next day I watched the videos multiple times. I even loaded them on our server at work for my co-workers to see. The only downside for a couple of days following was the pain in my ABS. Wow, Tony Little and Tony Horton combined could not replicate this feeling. Okay, maybe Horton could (and has). It was definitely an abdominal muscle workout to say the least.

The bottom line is that I had a blast, and my wife could tell. Therefore, she feels like she provided me with one of her greatest birthday accomplishments to date.  WIN-WIN in our house!

40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World (repost-link)

Those who are close to me know that I enjoy reading and studying maps, graphs, and charts.  In my opinion, there are few better methods by which to display information.  These things can also be skewed to portray information as the presenter wants it to be seen. I am not saying that is the case in the link below, but it is something to keep in mind.

I recently came across this post and had to share - 40 Maps That Will Help You Make Sense of the World.

Busy Week

It has been a busy last couple of weeks.  Just to recap the last several days:

• Friday: My wife's mother and aunts came to visit. They watched the house and dog while we took a little out of town trip.
• Saturday/Sunday:  We were in Norman for the OU/TCU game.
• Tuesday:  Golf tournament for work (Our team placed 2nd NET. It was the first time I have ever been paid for sports participation.)
• Wednesday:  Medical procedure with anesthesia put me out of commission for the day.
• Friday:  Another work golf tournament (Let's hope it goes as well as the last)
• Saturday:  (day) Heading to the state fair for the OU/ut game thanks to a last minute ticket surprise!  (night) Top Golf with small group from church..

And, no, my golf game has not improved that much.  I was lucky to be with some guys who had a good day.

Follow Up To Previous Post - I Need More Time

A couple of months ago I posed the question - Is there enough time? - in regards to some hobbies (and other responsibilities).  I might have found the answer - NO.

After work should be relaxation time.  However, I find myself stressed, especially at the first of the week because I am having to schedule in advance what I will be doing each evening.  That is no spontaneity. Will it be working out, mowing, fishing, golf, small group, or just watching TV.  Of course many involve a second shower on the day, so that plays a factor in decision making.  Essentially, I find myself scheduling my showers several days in advance and scheduling other activities around the showers.  It is strange, but it has become reality.

I do also work some of these activities in on the weekends, but then they get scheduled around certain football games (Saturdays only...I have given up on trying to remain interested in the NFL). 

Part of me knows this is ridiculous.  I should just choose one or two and let the others go.  Let us weigh pros & cons to each.

Working out - This is necessary for health reasons.  I am also beginning to see good results.  Therefore, that one has to stay. (always requires an extra shower afterward)

Mowing - This needs to be done at least once a week.  Nature usually dictates which day is best.  I have to be careful, though, because it can't fall on a workout day.  I won't have the energy for a good exercise sesson after mowing.  I can't work out before mowing because of the diminishing daylight.  Unfortunately, but this one definitely has its place. I don't want a nasty-gram from the HOA. (always requires an extra shower afterward)

Fishing - This is my lifelong hobby, so it will always have a spot in the rotation.  Plus, I have hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars wrapped up in equipment.  It would be stupid to not use it. (sometimes requires an extra shower afterward)

Golf - This is the newest one, but it seems to be getting the nod more often than not.  I have to schedule this one around working out too (otherwise I won't be able to move the next day).  Since my company is supplying the means for lessons, I feel like I need to give this one top priority.  I realize the importance in practice since I have several instances in the near future where I will be playing with others.  If I don't practice, it will be embarrassing and frustrate the others. On top of that, I have spent some money on equipment, so I need to justify its use. (sometimes requires an extra shower afterward)

Small Group (church) - This one is not really a choice.  We meet every other week.  It does not require an extra shower, but it does take up the entire evening.  That is not to be meant as a complaint.  I love our new small group and the time we spend diving into God's word and purpose for our lives.

TV - This one used to be the only one on the list with fishing.  I enjoy this because there is no shower required, and I get to be with my wife.  She is usually engrossed in something on the laptop while I watch our DVRed shows, but she is still in the same room.

Miscellaneous - One evening a month, I have a commitment to a municipal board in my city.  I also like to work in a game of pool every once in a while to try to sharpen those skills.  This is not even mentioning the other necessities of helping keep the house clean, laundry, meal preparation, etc...


I state all of these hobbies, responsibilities, and obligations only to say that in a few months they will all be priority #2 behind the baby that is currently in development.  Maybe I find myself scrambling to get as much accomplished as possible now because I know that my golf clubs and fishing rods will gather some dust this spring.

Definition of a Hero

I was recently asked to write an opinion entry for my company's blog.  Here is the link and the entry:


At ICS, we take great pride in our mission of empowering and supporting HEROES with our products.  This week really brings the term HERO into perspective. 

Across this great nation we see hundreds of ceremonies of all sizes remembering those HEROES who stepped up on September 11, 2001.  Although it has been 12 years since that tragic day, stories of heroism are still coming out.  I get an overwhelming feeling and usually tears every single time I hear of another firefighter or police officer who rushed into those buildings without a second thought in an effort to rescue others.  I appreciate that some news outlets are still telling those stories.  Although feelings of sadness and horror are resurrected in all Americans each time one of these stories is shared, it is important that we as a nation do not forget these heroes and others like them all over the country.

The ICS office is full of former and current public safety officials.  We know and understand what firefighters and law enforcement officers go through every day.  As part of my role to continually understand the changing needs of those in public safety, I have the privilege of spending a day each week riding with a patrol officer from varying agencies.  Not only does this give ICS an opportunity to see what we can do better in our present software, it gives us constant feedback as to possible enhancements for both current and future ICS users.

Sure, I have seen a few exciting things in my time on the passenger side of patrol car.  Seeing how these officers react in a heartbeat to someone in distress makes me proud to know them.  They often put themselves in harm’s way for the greater cause of making the day safer for a person they do not know.

The ride-alongs, however, can be monotonous at times.  No one ever said police work is exciting 100% of the time.  Those downtimes, though, allow me to pick the brain of the officer.  I enjoy getting to know them and also love hearing what made them go into law enforcement in the first place.  The reason is pretty constant.  They want to help people.  Is that not the simple definition of a HERO?  The same can be said for nurses, teachers, and firefighters.  These men and women hold a position that is never going to get high praise or make them rich all because they want to help us in our times of need.  That is heroic in every sense of the word.

As we see ceremonies and stories of heroism connected to September 11^th, let’s also remember other heroes who are in our own back yard.  Let’s also not wait until a holiday or significant day in history to make our appreciation shown.  If you see some firefighters at lunch, go up and thank them.  It would not be much to ask to pick up the tab on a cup of coffee for a police officer working the late shift in order to keep your community safe.

A simple ‘Thank You’ can go a long way.

Need A Laugh? Need A New Appreciation Of Your Family? This Post Accomplishes Both.

I was just directed to this site by a friend on Facebook.  I had to share.

We have all seen those emails and posts of the most awkward family photos.  Well, we have some new contestants.....http://words2vomit.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/walmart-called-your-photos-are-ready/

Happy Friday!

The World of Golf Welcomes....THIS GUY

I posted a few weeks ago about taking on new hobbies.  Well, the undertaking of learning golf is in full swing (no pun intended).  I have always had a respect for golfers.  I have followed the sport a little and have a decent understanding of the game (as much as anyone could have without actually playing).  My company participates in a couple of charity scrambles each year with customers and prospects.  It is important that I can participate.  Without lessons, it would be hard for me to do so.  I didn't even know how to hold the club properly.

Last week I had my first lesson.  Most people take lessons after they try to teach themselves for a short while or when they want to improve a specific area of their game.  Not me...I took my first lesson with no experience at all.  Sure, I had been to the driving range just goofing off with my father-in-law, but I had never really taken a serious swing with the intent to become skilled at it.

Overall, the lesson went pretty well.  My instructor is a young pro at the public course close to my house.  He was very patient with me and seemed to like that I did not already have some established bad habits that we would need to overcome.  I was a blank slate.  I am a curious person, so I ask a lot of questions.  For the most part, I just took every thing he said to heart.  It showed as I improved over the course of the lesson.  I also went this past weekend to hit a bucket of balls with my father-in-law.  He said it was night & day difference compared to the last time he had seen me hit.  I went ahead and signed up for a 5-lesson plan (every Friday at 7 am).  Since it is benefitting my company for me to learn to play, they agreed to pick up the bill on those.  Anything beyond that will be on me.

Maybe a course like this would help my game.

Anyone who knows me well is aware that I do not just casually pick up a new hobby.  I am serious about bass fishing and my budget shows it.  I have invested thousands of dollars in fishing over the years.  I can see, though, that I am going to have to ration out my hobby budget to include golf.  Luckily, my first set of clubs (and a few accessories) was a gift.  They are decent enough to get me started.  At some point in the future, though, I know I will have to invest in a custom set.  (There goes getting the latest Abu Garcia reels.) 

Not only will the finances be affected, but so will my time.  I have a child on the way scheduled to be here in March.  Obviously that is priority #1.  As of right now, fishing is going to take #2 just ahead of golf.  We will see if that changes as I progress in the latter.

These courses all seem to have ponds on them.  Maybe I can cater to both hobbies at once.

If Natalie Gulbis can do it, so can I.