tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82194582012-02-14T14:32:44.293-08:00metaphors and musings from the journeyDanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.comBlogger2821100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-56180329428438601902012-02-09T07:59:00.000-08:002012-02-09T07:59:09.173-08:00

I'd be curious to know just what the percentage of people in this world is that admits to sitting around in public spaces just watching people. My wife and I have a few games that we've come up with over the years to refine our own guilty pleasure in this field. One of them is called "friend or relative" which we usually play at occasions such as weddings or large social gatherings. This one

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-21802827714602450132012-01-12T09:31:00.000-08:002012-01-12T09:31:28.500-08:00

It's amazing what a change of scenery will do. I highly recommend it. It's true that many will not be able to experience the extent of the change that I've been fortunate to experience, but anything is a step in the right direction. A month or so back I made a move from a years old tradition of a beachside Starbucks view to a smaller urban neighborhood caffeinated venue. The change has been

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-59966376083265858982011-12-29T08:33:00.000-08:002011-12-29T08:33:51.553-08:00

What began as the promise to a new day with coffee and A chocolate croissant in my new home away from home quickly turned into an hour long search for the key that would enable me to get to my caffeine refuge. It's interesting that one little piece of a specifically carved alloy can determine one's destiny. When you find the right one you can open closed doors, move inanimate objects and begin

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-29631648005910539312011-12-22T08:16:00.000-08:002011-12-22T08:16:44.086-08:00

Ok... So I've been enjoying the relative peacefulness here for what, 3 weeks??? Guess who just showed up? If you've read my earlier posts you know the answer to this one. That's right... A new group of retired "women" walkers are now holding court in my upstairs sanctuary. Nice...merry Christmas to me. The week just keeps getting better and better. A few days ago our source of video

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-19956188645302560702011-12-14T07:54:00.000-08:002011-12-14T07:54:59.052-08:00

So it's now week 3 here and I'm pretty much settled in on my new place of inspiration. The final push has been made this morning as I finally succumbed to the chocolate croissant...exceedingly good plan. My intent for these next several weeks is actually to simply post things from the past as I wander through my archives and edit along the way for an attempt at a book during 2012. However, the

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-38623844208931132572011-12-08T08:10:00.000-08:002011-12-08T08:11:11.375-08:00

Week 2 in my new neighborhood...I have to say that I'm still liking it. It starts off slowly and then gets busier as the morning progresses...then it's time for me to leave. It's a perfect arrangement...economic success and sanity for me all in the same morning session. As the season marches on I am trying to be more creative in finding the right mix of social and personal time. In the land

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-41991285013910584672011-12-02T08:05:00.000-08:002011-12-02T08:05:37.088-08:00

So this morning I have finally clawed my way out of the routine and familiar and am exploring a new possible source of morning inspiration. I've left The beauty of the beachfront for the early morning serenity of a neighborhood. It's a new place actually that I've had my eye on for the past few weeks as I've driven past on my way to the familiar land of corporate caffeine. There is great

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-56219385845623462752011-11-18T08:13:00.000-08:002011-11-18T08:13:25.071-08:00

Starbucks again on a rainy morning, although I do have my sights on another space in the near future….stay tuned. I’m only really here for the view anymore. Everything else has faded for me here like the last credits of a late night movie. The coffee is not a catch. My chair is gone…and there’s only so many cheese Danish that I can consume before someone will need to break out the paddles.

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-11033803853874413642011-11-11T14:07:00.000-08:002011-11-11T14:07:07.253-08:00

In the Fall I tend to be in a sort of self evaluation mode for one reason or another. It has come naturally for me over the years. Perhaps it is watching the leaves Fall to the ground and being swept off that helps me to wonder which leaves of my past year have fallen and been blown away to insignificance, which have taken seed, and which have been taken home to a place of prominence by an

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-71285301305145978282011-11-04T09:02:00.000-07:002011-11-04T09:02:42.694-07:00

So even though everything was seemingly wrong for it this morning, I’m back here on my blog for a visit. It’s a bit like sitting down with an old friend. Which is probably just code for I need a real life. It’s been more than a month since my last post here. I’ve spent a bit more time with the main focus of my life @ my other blog. I was getting a bit stale so I felt a need to spend some

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-20372126782624514552011-09-20T08:31:00.001-07:002011-09-20T08:31:32.386-07:00

It seems as if the more I feel the need to write, the more I struggle with any sort of coherent flow of thought to put down. Sometimes it seems as if I am just chasing a cursor across a screen trying to catch a fleeting bit of insight or meaning and it never seems that I can catch it. I’ve even put down the Ipad this morning and returned to the old standby to see if that has any effect. I’m

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-54599076711309664352011-09-07T09:49:00.001-07:002011-09-07T09:49:29.483-07:00

So today is my birthday… and to celebrate, I’ve wandered down to the beach to grab some coffee, a cheese Danish, and some time with my laptop to ease into everything else that I need to be about today. As far as days go, let me just say that this one is spectacular. There is not a cloud in the sky as the sun shines over the waters toward the mountains. It is one of those days, as Fall

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-39667140854186346052011-09-01T07:25:00.000-07:002011-09-01T07:27:09.253-07:00

It's a bit early, even for me, to be down here at the beach. Morning came easy for me today, which is just as well since I have 2 days worth to get done in less than one again. The fog, or "marine layer" as we prefer to call it, is still fairly heavy over the water. The buses have just begun assembling to shuttle their cast of characters downtown. The question looms, "what does this day hold?

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-36896122903385482592011-08-24T08:37:00.000-07:002011-08-24T08:37:56.067-07:00

It's low tide this morning. I love low tide. You really get to see what's beneath the surface. Most mornings I come down and everything looks glassy and smooth, waves rippling on the sand in even patterns. Not this morning...today it's ooey and gooey and slimy and green. Tide pools hold little creatures hostage. Crabs scurry for cover to elude the gulls. It's open and raw and honest. In a

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-67392269079121964342011-08-19T08:27:00.000-07:002011-08-19T08:27:12.794-07:00

Yesterday marked the celebration of 27 years that I have been privileged to be connected with someone who really knows how to live a journey. For a good share of the day we were wished "happy" anniversary from various friends across the country. It was a good day. It was actually a "happy" day. It wasn't a blow out celebration that we have enjoyed some years. It didn't cost a great deal of

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-56420260442651809872011-08-12T07:59:00.000-07:002011-08-12T07:59:39.996-07:00

As I pulled in here this morning it occurred to me that it's been 3 months since the last entry in this chronological journey. I'm not even sure why I'm starting back up again, to be honest. I guess that maybe I'm needing a place to process again all that transpires along my journey. It's a way for me to stop and smell the roses along the way. This year there have been so many and sometimes

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-59587702624482057632011-05-06T09:24:00.000-07:002011-05-06T09:24:37.127-07:00

Back again at my home by the sea...ok so it's only a temporary home enjoyed periodically and it's not technically by the sea...but it is salt water all the same. Officially, in all honesty, which is a good trait for a pastoral artist to have, I am once again situating myself down at alki beach, in the great city of Seattle, on the shores of puget sound. The last time that I posted from here was

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-11427096710047987422011-02-02T08:25:00.001-08:002011-02-02T08:25:57.955-08:00

While many of the rest of you are still wrestling with wind chill, snow blowers and shovels, I’m enjoying the view near the fireplace as the sun peaks over the skyline and gleams rose colored on the mountains across the water. It’s a pretty exceptional day for a place rumored to be the gloom and gray capital of the world. Te ferries are making their trek to the islands and the cargo ships are

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-16367978378734181702011-01-26T09:25:00.001-08:002011-01-26T09:25:44.640-08:00

One of the things that I most appreciate about life is that it is different every day. Don’t misunderstand… some days just suck. The promising thing though is that there is always another that might suck less. It also could be magnificent, beyond anything you could have imagined. It could happen. This day is hardly the latter, but it could pass for one that sucks less. In the life of a

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-71811665389521633552011-01-19T08:09:00.000-08:002011-01-19T08:09:00.057-08:00

Did you ever have one of those moments that forced you to question the real value of all of your efforts? What I’m talking about is a moment that draws deep into your motives and methods and causes you to ask the underlying, “why do I (we) do all of this anyway”? It is a profound “What’s the point of this exercise” reality check that helps one look deep into Alice’s mirror and wrestle with

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-91848585677352252002011-01-14T08:25:00.001-08:002011-01-14T08:25:32.945-08:00

Holy crap I am out of sorts this morning….how’s that for a way to start a reflection for the day? One thing that speaks for itself is that it is Friday and I am just getting to sit down and write. I’ve made attempts the past 3 days to keep myself in a balanced equilibrium and to maintain the holy grail of my schedule, but here we are. This week, as school has begun along with some critical

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-16382362503629890812011-01-05T08:37:00.000-08:002011-01-10T08:45:35.752-08:00

It’s dark down here this morning although there is also an unusually large number of people for a Wednesday morning. It’s generally an older crowd which now, unfortunately, I’ll have to admit to belonging to. Some days it still seems as if we’d just moved here, which would mean I was still in my 30’s. Other days, like this day, it seems as if that were a whole lifetime ago. Pink Floyd is in

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-13065739859128031412010-12-29T08:14:00.000-08:002010-12-29T08:14:55.955-08:00

Back down at the beach after a week away. The last week that I was here nearly did me in so I needed the break, but I did live to fight another day. School marches on with this one last semester in my sights. The end is near, crawl if you have to. At the end of another year I’m still having a hard time looking backwards on it. It’s a fatal flaw that I seem to have, not looking back I mean.

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-6904772795264067562010-12-14T08:09:00.001-08:002010-12-14T08:13:43.035-08:00

Well it’s warm and dry in here this morning…which is more than I can say about anywhere else around here. I brought the 4 wheel drive down to the beach just in case. You never know what to expect when the hills are sliding here. I don’t mind the rain as much as I thought I would. At least I’m not out shoveling it. It doesn’t often rain here nearly as much as is rumored, but when it does, it

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-6681416917448171012010-12-07T08:29:00.001-08:002010-12-07T08:29:58.592-08:00

As we bust now headlong into the Christmas season, I am in the paradox of trying to do something deeper than gifts, while at the same time trying to figure out which gifts to buy and for who. It is not a mystery to me why people just dive in and submerge themselves in the pool of consumerism. It is just easier. You might want to argue with me on this, that’s your right, although you’d raise

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-47398834908858887502010-12-01T08:42:00.000-08:002010-12-01T08:42:39.102-08:00

With Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror, it is now time to set our sights on Christmas as I enjoy celebrating December 1st with a sunny morning view at the beach. It all begins for Joanne and I tomorrow as we make the long drive to Mount Hood down in Oregon to perform a wedding ceremony at the beautiful and very snowy Timberline Lodge. We’ll get to enjoy the snow and fireplace for a few days

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-19644468322949529502010-11-24T07:42:00.000-08:002010-11-24T07:46:42.073-08:00

So I love my 4 wheel drive SUV this morning. These past few days its been worth every inch of its gas guzzling carbon footprint. For those of you not from the area, we’ve been dealing with another crippling blast of winter here in Seattle. Snow, ice and 50 mile an hour winds combined with hills, a general fear and unfamiliarity with such occurrences has not been a welcome addition to the

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-79766053461276403542010-11-17T08:24:00.001-08:002010-11-17T08:24:41.427-08:00

It’s still dark out and my eyes are struggling to find the beach. Despite the warning on the cup, Starbucks brew is sliding effortlessly and quickly down my throat and Pandora is playing in my head. It’s an indication that I’m working on launching some type of a productive day. Good luck with that. There’s a whole line of people standing in the mist waiting for an idling bus to open its doors

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-88757916929259463362010-11-10T08:31:00.001-08:002010-11-10T08:31:38.717-08:00

Sun is up…water is calm…air has some Fall briskness to it and I’m watching the ferries emerge from around the point as their journeys are watched over by the Space Needle standing solitary in the distance. I don’t usually have this view, but I moved to the other side of the room this morning… Let’s be clear though, it wasn’t by choice…it was an adjustment. I’ve done well with it though I think,

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-34528482865311172302010-11-02T08:09:00.000-07:002010-11-02T08:14:42.618-07:00

It’s been three weeks since I’ve been back in the familiar world of my Starbucks at the beach. I must tell you that the familiar is not all that familiar any more. While I’ve been gone, some further changes have been completed inside while outside an entirely new building is taking shape. There is new art work hanging behind me and new lighting in front of me. Perhaps it is fitting that home

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-67746243091451395952010-10-20T07:38:00.000-07:002010-10-20T08:23:35.796-07:00

So this morning I’m in a different Starbucks and a different city, but I will say that I’ve found the match to my chair. It feels like a long lost friend, even though it really means that I’m once again contributing to the cooking of my upper thighs. Whatever....You get the bad with the good. It’s a mixed bag. In my headphones, Bruce is traveling down Thunder Road as I get ready to head home

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-21792861138496759202010-09-29T08:27:00.000-07:002010-09-29T08:27:11.637-07:00

Back to the beach today on a beautiful Fall morning. I’m surrounded here on National Coffee Day by the retirement clan, dad’s with kids before school, and the assorted fitness freaks trying to no avail to make me feel guilty for my “just say no to spandex” stance. It seems as if my posts will be rather spotty of the next several months. I am in “finish or die trying” mode when it comes to grad

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-39677521147100968352010-09-14T09:13:00.000-07:002010-09-14T09:13:02.450-07:00

It’s a foggy morning at the beach, making it a bit difficult to see some of the finer features of the Seattle skyline. If you were to drive along the beach here this morning you would not be all that impressed by the images that you were seeing. You wonder about those picture postcard views and impressive claims of snow capped mountains and the space needle and all that. You’d begin to buy

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-20516808818677876432010-09-08T10:16:00.000-07:002010-09-08T10:16:05.848-07:00

It’s just another day in paradise. Even in the rain, there is no place I’d rather be… at the moment. That feeling has a habit of changing, all in a glimpse, in my experience. I’m pretty sure that I’ve felt that way just about every place we’ve lived. Today is the first day of school for many in my part of the country. Even though I’m beyond the days of new clothes, new pencils, and new

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-34272976109470800332010-09-01T08:09:00.000-07:002010-09-01T08:09:35.084-07:00

Well……….. remember what I said last week about “as long as I have my chair and my coffee” that everything would be alright. I have my coffee. Guess what’s missing from this picture? That’s right…tell them what they’ve won Johnny. Crime of Crimes…my chair is gone. I’m trying to be optimistic and think that perhaps it went to some Smithsonian tribute to Starbucks. The whole feel to this place

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-42335886960142016382010-08-25T09:39:00.000-07:002010-08-25T09:48:03.831-07:00

My Starbucks by the beach is being renovated this week and the evidence is all around me this morning. The good news is that, so far, my chair is still here. I’m guessing that they could tear the place down around me and as long as I still have my chair and my coffee I’d survive the change. On week 2 of my sabbatical, it kind of resembles what I might look like on the inside while I attempt

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-79541467242562876712010-08-19T09:31:00.001-07:002010-08-19T09:31:17.769-07:00

Yesterday, I and the love of my life celebrated year 26 of our incredible marriage journey. We relaxed, wandered some of our favorite parts of Seattle and then finished off the day with an amazing dinner on a patio overlooking the water of Puget sound while the setting sun made lavender silhouettes out of the mountains against a clear blue sky. A few tables away a young couple sat celebrating

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-44225757618977587112010-08-12T07:19:00.000-07:002010-08-12T07:19:34.494-07:00

This morning marks the first full day of my one month sabbatical. The marine layer is very thick down here at the beach and I’m finding it a fitting scene for the beginning of this time. If I were to sit here the entire day I would witness a gradual clearing of the skies. Right now I cannot even see the water from my big comfy chair by the window. Soon though the water will appear, and then I

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-66252277931081133442010-07-28T08:27:00.001-07:002010-07-28T08:27:58.980-07:00

Some of you will be annoyed as you read that I’m enjoying a nice cool start to the day here at my seat by the beach. The marine layer, known as fog in other parts of the world, is in which only promises another blue sky, sunny and 80 degree day. We have settled into the weather pattern that is the reason I won’t leave Seattle in the Summer. It is, in a word, fabulous. Anyway….enough of the

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-83293956214767083742010-07-21T08:51:00.000-07:002010-07-21T08:54:14.254-07:00

I’m entering the calm before the storm. The grand event takes place 16 days from now. I think that plans are going well, but what do I know…I’m only Father of the Bride. What I do know is that hundreds of people are about to descend upon my house for a week in 11 more days. Ok, so it’s more like dozens…. Well maybe only about 1 dozen, but for a recluse like me it’ll seem like more. I’m kind

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-63612950994310404842010-07-07T07:38:00.001-07:002010-07-21T08:52:24.742-07:00

The beach is the place to be today. The sun is out, the skies are blue, and for the first time in 9 months the thermometer is going to surge past 80 degrees. The retired contingent has decided to place themselves nearly in my lap as they compare today's forecast with their months in Arizona. Even though I’d rather not focus on things like weather, I’ll have to admit that this has been a very

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-31073311168756178572010-06-23T08:23:00.001-07:002010-07-21T08:53:22.832-07:00

It’s a bit brighter down here than it has been in recent memory. It’s also a bit quieter…. Probably because people are getting their caffeine to go in order to enjoy the 5 minutes of sun. I don’t have that luxury today, I have work to do. Specifically, at this time of the morning, I’m engaged in keeping my head above water in my attempt at higher education. I’ve got to tell you honestly that

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-5443876911141599542010-06-16T08:26:00.001-07:002010-06-16T08:26:32.440-07:00

So this is like the 4th week in a row that looks exactly the same down here. It’s gloomy, misty, gray, and damp. I feel like I’m in “Ground Hog Day”. It’s been an unusual Spring, even for the “land of the concrete sky”. I am confident that, any day now, we’ll break out of this and it’ll be Summer once more in the most amazing place to ever spend a Summer. It’ll be none too soon as I have a

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-50049084367930392852010-06-09T09:18:00.000-07:002010-06-09T09:18:00.597-07:00

Sitting here watching all of the commuters running for busses, I wonder where each is going. Are they running because they’re late or because they can’t wait to start their day? It’s graduation time again and I’m wondering how many of them this morning are “living the dream” that they envisioned on the day of their own graduation. This week, in my community of faith, as part of my pastoral

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-12314011641336418442010-06-02T10:14:00.000-07:002010-06-02T10:14:04.051-07:00

Some days are better than others. I can sit and stare at this sentence for the next hour until my grande drip goes cold and no longer holds the potential of a lawsuit, but it won’t change its truth. Even though I know this intellectually, some days seem to go out of their way to drive this reality home. So I come down here where I can get a sense of same and seek to begin again. A seat in

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-81126550128306238042010-05-26T08:25:00.000-07:002010-05-26T08:25:26.190-07:00

It’s a gray morning down at the beach as I get caught up on some of my work that is screaming for attention. I’ve been serving a princess these past few days and these other things have taken a back seat. Like so many others of royalty, she is not as much concerned with my agenda, she has her own. As I would assume it would be in any other circumstance where one would get to serve royalty, it’

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-18755669444057338412010-05-19T11:44:00.001-07:002010-05-19T11:44:24.446-07:00

Another welcome spring morning down here at my caffeinated beach front view. I don’t have much of an agenda after having just finished a required posting along the way of my perpetual quest for higher learning. I’m at about the 2/3 mark towards completion of a degree and it seems as if I’m once again at the “push through” point. It’s the place where you finally step off momentarily to consider

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-57023564567440699802010-05-12T08:05:00.001-07:002010-05-12T08:05:57.427-07:00

It’s another good looking morning at the beach. Spring is here, at least for a day… the coffee is hot… and an Eagles concert is playing on my laptop as I think back over the last two weeks since I’ve gotten down here. Our 3 week DIY reality show “What the Hell Were We Thinking?” has just officially ended last night. I might add that it was very successful and we are more in love than we were

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-67617847105568986142010-04-28T07:30:00.001-07:002010-04-28T07:32:59.018-07:00

Okay, so you know its early when even the newspaper delivery person is yawning. I’m here getting an early start at the beach because I need to fit three days worth of work into one day today. Some of you are weary of 60 hour work weeks. I’d consider that a welcome break right about now. I haven't seen 60 hours in months…. But don’t weep for me, we’re getting a new kitchen. This is week 2 of

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-24494853129814401822010-04-20T07:14:00.001-07:002010-04-20T07:21:08.761-07:00

This week marks the official beginning of our “Extreme Makeover” kitchen edition. Joanne and I are beyond the point of no return on this one. Yesterday we were still in the early excitement phase of the project. You know the phase. It’s the Home Depot, window shopping, dreaming of the finished product while buying some of the lower cost items so we don’t get in too far over our heads, phase.

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-90296362135720567612010-04-13T07:10:00.001-07:002010-04-13T07:10:53.223-07:00

It’s a miserable day at the beach, but the fireplace is on and Johnny Cash is in my headphones so all is not lost. Just a week ago I was preparing for a trip across the “Misty Mountains” to Boise wondering if my rental agency would come through with my much anticipated convertible. They came through and it didn’t disappoint. Joanne and I enjoyed the trip in a 2010 Mustang that had only 9 miles

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-69801399309585424232010-04-06T07:08:00.001-07:002010-04-06T07:08:53.390-07:00

It’s a blustery day at the beach this morning. I’m feeling a bit like Winnie the Pooh, although most would consider me to be the human version of Eyeore. I’ve got a full day ahead of me as I prepare for a Seattle to Boise run over the Misty Mountains. We optimistically rented a convertible for the trip to warmer weather, but, as it turns out, we’ll have to trudge through the snow in the passes

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-46402577973601917332010-03-31T07:37:00.003-07:002010-03-31T07:37:44.746-07:00

All is quiet and as it should be at the beach this morning. The rain has stopped. The ferries and the busses are doing what they do. My Starbucks chair has my butt in it and the fireplace is still on. This morning kind of resembles the calm before the storm in my world. I’ve just come from a week of mom visiting from the East, a daughter’s wedding shower, a few more days of princess Lily,

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-76205836864662674772010-03-24T07:04:00.000-07:002010-03-24T07:04:14.971-07:00

I’m up and moving just a bit earlier than usual this morning. I’m picking up my daughter at the airport from an early flight. She’s flying in for a Spring Break visit and one of her wedding showers. Another transitional week in my life I would suppose. At least it means that I’ll need to clear out room in the garage to store the gifts until they have an apartment. Let me pause here to give

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-5885350103649162852010-03-16T09:31:00.001-07:002010-03-16T09:36:42.250-07:00

Another fabulous morning is beginning at the beach with some extremely hot (think lawsuit) coffee, big comfy chair, and a fireplace that is actually on. It’s quiet here in my little corner of the world. It’s still dark out thanks to daylight savings. I can still see the lights of the ferries as they shuffle people from the seclusion of their islands to exposure of their city. The 37 is

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-37146799904991350142010-03-09T08:19:00.001-08:002010-03-09T22:57:46.930-08:00

So like Bret Favre, minus the athletic skills and the unbelievable salary, I’m coming out of retirement. It’s not all that its cracked up to be. I went on this sabbatical of sorts a few months back because I found that I had run out of things in my brain to write about. The schooling, the schedule, and life seemed to have taken its toll and I was running on empty. Now I am finding that I need

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-47183449800636707492009-12-01T22:27:00.001-08:002009-12-01T22:27:08.209-08:00

The sun is glowing rose from the snow capped peaks across the water. The ferries are gliding calmly. I should have a camera instead of a laptop, but I’m in my chair and, wonder of wonders, the fireplace is on in Starbucks. December is here once again. It’s time for gingerbread and red cups at my “home by the sea”. All in all, it seems like the perfect day to be writing my final installment of

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-77838678885856498422009-11-18T14:44:00.001-08:002009-11-18T14:44:57.676-08:00

I knew that I had gotten down here later than I wanted when I pulled up across from the beach and there was only one spot left along the curb. That can only mean one thing….parallel parking… not the most enjoyable start to a morning. I handled it quite well this morning thank you. The second clue to my later than desired start was the amount of faces staring out at me from inside the spacious

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-23682049941172508102009-11-02T08:52:00.001-08:002009-11-02T08:52:38.249-08:00

It’s been rumored to be the case for awhile now. I’ve known it and certainly my muscles have known it, but the arrival of a beautiful baby girl has confirmed it. I’m old. I’m a grandpa. Lillian Joy was born 9 days ago as a permanent antidote to denial. I decided that I needed to come down this morning to attempt a readjustment. My chair feels good. The sunlit snowy mountains are amazing in

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-7903494291036582992009-10-22T09:24:00.000-07:002009-10-22T09:27:52.969-07:00

Throughout my time, both as a follower of Jesus, and especially as a leader of other followers of Jesus, I have felt a pressure to engage my beliefs and convictions into the political system. Just as there is a, perceived by some, moral formula to how live my life as a follower, there is also a, perceived by some, moral formula guiding how followers of Jesus should vote. In my part of the

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-49138159254693117892009-10-12T08:18:00.001-07:002009-10-12T08:18:25.141-07:00

So… inspired by the generous act of a friend, I am back on my blog for a momentary return from self imposed exile. My chair feels wonderful and the view, on what’s likely to be the last sunny day of the season, is gorgeous with the sun coming up rose colored and reflecting off of the mountains. I don’t even remember my last time here and really don’t know when my next will come. I’m heading

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-4425115844149335262009-09-14T07:37:00.001-07:002009-09-14T07:37:36.354-07:00

As I was beginning my life transition from an occupier of corporate space to pastoral artist, one of my professors imparted some wisdom which was so subtle it almost was not consciously caught. Not catching this piece of advice would have been tragic for my new life’s calling. Very simply, somewhere in a conversation that I don’t even specifically remember he advised that, for all the

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-88609314979687567692009-09-08T06:25:00.001-07:002009-09-08T06:25:26.349-07:00

Yesterday, being my birthday and a national holiday on top of it, I decided to take the day off from writing…. and most other things for that matter. This morning I am in the comfort of my own chair in what’s become known as my “man cave”. After the calm of the past few days, life is cresting like a wave today. Grad school begins right now as I’m sharing this. There are a dozen last minute

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-56882565045883388512009-08-31T08:30:00.000-07:002009-08-31T09:21:20.402-07:00

The beach front is pretty much unrecognizable this morning with the fog that is blanketing the water. The Alki Statue of Liberty seems to be waving at no one in particular. Everything is a pale gray backdrop to the street side monuments and the people walking by. I suppose it could be a bit like a scene from heaven if you believe that we’ll be walking through clouds in the afterlife. I don’t.

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-20037032564282068132009-08-24T08:04:00.000-07:002009-08-24T08:08:42.070-07:00

The Monday after a 2 week break can be a bit of a surreal experience. I’m back at Starbucks on the beach, perhaps for the final time. I think that it’s time for a change once again. I’m getting restless. Mile posts are passing and they seem to be picking up speed. I just brought my youngest back to college. I celebrated 25 years with the greatest gift ever given to me and in two months am

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-59968471475752180032009-08-03T08:32:00.000-07:002009-08-03T08:33:19.713-07:00

I stopped by Hotwire this morning since I’m running behind again. It’s been a profitable stop since there were still some of my wife’s scones available. I’ve never been into the scone thing since moving out here….that is until my wife began her baking company. I don’t like scones because I don’t like dryness coating my mouth like a blanket. Really…if I wanted a mouthful of baking soda, I’d

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-11127357140415247042009-07-27T08:14:00.001-07:002009-07-27T08:20:33.520-07:00

In the midst of a Seattle heat wave, I’ve taken a break from the beach for a moment and am getting caffeinated in another chair in the secret garden of Hotwire Coffee’s outer courtyard. The perpetual plant sale and conveniently placed fencing are providing some good cool relief. It’s just me, the plants and Pandora out here at the moment. Pandora has been a constant companion over the past

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-90328310439390009592009-07-20T08:18:00.000-07:002009-07-20T08:30:31.715-07:00

I pulled a shoe out this morning from under our shoe rack near the front door. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I keep sweeping and cleaning, cleaning and sweeping and it still somehow seems to live on. I find it in cracks, in vents, behind the magazine rack. The fact that it has found its way into our living room in this past year has been almost too much for me. It’s the worst part of

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-22621430963511690392009-07-13T09:50:00.000-07:002009-07-13T09:54:06.179-07:00

This morning, in the early morning hour on my way to the beach, I saw a familiar vehicle parked nearby…. and I avoided it. It was in the parking lot next to my house. You might wonder why I’d bother avoiding a parked vehicle, especially one parked nicely in a lot. It’s not like I’m not used to them, except for the fact that this one was actually between the lines, which, I’ll admit, can be a

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-17025965979435591382009-06-29T07:52:00.001-07:002009-06-29T07:52:50.622-07:00

On the beach one more week….my chair was calling me. So here I am with the chair, the sun, the mountains across the water and perfect families pushing their children in baby SUV’s . I wonder if kids who spend their early years being pushed in these huge contraptions will be predisposed to driving Escalades when they are older? Whatever happened to the umbrella stroller? I don’t see those much

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-74477193437485647172009-06-22T09:13:00.001-07:002009-06-22T09:13:43.965-07:00

This morning I’ve changed up my routine. My daughter needed a vehicle more than I needed to go to the beach. Don’t weep for me because, as this is Seattle, all I had to do was walk out my door and I’m in another purveyor of caffeine. This morning, I’m not just in some old substitute. I am in the one and only Hotwire Online Coffee drinking my favorite caramel latte highlighted with cinnamon.

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-24462771352381432942009-06-17T08:20:00.000-07:002009-06-17T08:21:19.945-07:00

And so begins day 29 with no rain here in Seattle. If we make it through the day, we’ll set an all time record for this time of year and possibly severely damage our reputation as a rainy, gloomy, fleece and umbrella haven. And yet, Al Roker continues to talk about “clouds and showers in the Pacific Northwest”. I wonder if he’s ever been here? My lawn would whole heartedly disagree with

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-33536597313410296982009-06-08T09:38:00.000-07:002009-06-08T09:39:17.467-07:00

Some days are more “Monday-ier” than others. I know that I’ve shared this sentiment before, but today it has come to pass once again. Arriving down here at the beach quite a bit later than usual, the first sign should have been the lack of parking. It’s a gorgeous day, to be sure, but it’s easier to enjoy when I can park. The other sign was the “retired bunch” beating feet to get their

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-48065901603244757772009-06-01T10:56:00.001-07:002009-06-01T10:56:54.475-07:00

So yesterday afternoon, after what has seemed like years, I finally began to feel like I was getting my bearings. You know what that it is….it’s your internal balance and sense that all is right with the world. It’s been a long haul in the weeks since our house was broken into. I’m not sure if that was the start or not, but at least that is as far back as I can remember at this point. I haven

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-53587693783747143662009-05-12T08:34:00.000-07:002009-05-12T08:35:31.849-07:00

I tend to use my writing as a barometer of how life is going for me. As I look back over the years of these posts, I can usually tell what general frame of mind I was in. Whatever seemed to be the general tone of my existence usually leaked out through my keyboard to leave a permanent recording of my mental state. Someday, someone could come along and trace my progression into madness….

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-5644045299379467942009-04-20T12:34:00.000-07:002009-04-20T12:35:32.592-07:00

This past week we had the, quite unplanned, unwanted, unnecessary, uncool, opportunity to know what it feels like to be a victim of idiot thieves. We joined the thousands who have been victims of “forced entry burglary”. Our house was broken into on Wednesday afternoon within the one short hour that we were across the street at the office. The general theory is that we were being watched…..

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-24828224074522580342009-04-06T08:27:00.000-07:002009-04-06T08:29:08.285-07:00

In my early days of existence, I can remember being asked if I had woken up on the wrong side of the bed. I came to understand that as a social commentary about the mood that I was in. I didn’t really know what that meant, I mean really, as long as there is floor on both sides for me to step down on, I don’t see what difference it makes which side I wake up on. Unless it has something to do

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-84788391815494235432009-03-30T09:21:00.000-07:002009-03-30T09:22:49.880-07:00

I just put my youngest on a plane back to Boise at the end of her Spring break. A few weeks ago I find out from my oldest that I’m going to be a grandpa this Fall. A few nights ago we celebrated my honeys birthday with a bowling party. If all of these things don’t send me the message that I’m not as young as I’d like to think I am, then maybe the arthritis in my elbow will help reinforce the

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-16430431060281014142009-03-24T10:01:00.000-07:002009-03-24T10:02:23.359-07:00

I’m enjoying a few days way from reality while I recover from a mystery illness that has annoyed me for the past few days. As it is completely possible that one of the causes may have been stress related, I’ve chosen a few days away from the source of said stress, namely my office. Anyway, something within me thought that perhaps a trip to the beach and a grande drip from the new purveyors of

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-46437211567298871182009-03-16T08:45:00.000-07:002009-03-16T08:47:31.847-07:00

You’ve heard the term “dream job”? Some of you are living it no doubt. I can appreciate the idea of having a dream job. There are some days, most actually, that I think that my existence as pastoral artist within my community o’ faith is a dream job. After all, how many of the rest of you get to do research and study time at coffee shops and cafés? If you do, I hope that the fireplace is

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-38218071543041242782009-03-09T08:06:00.000-07:002009-03-09T08:07:05.413-07:00

Being the morning person that I am, I have to tell you that I’m not a fan of the Spring version of daylight savings. It doesn’t help that the first two days of it have come cold, dark and snowy. Part of the benefit of moving to Seattle was to get away from those places where it was still snowing in March. It didn’t happen for the first few Spring times that we were here….just long enough for

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-42750802519825492382009-03-03T08:17:00.000-08:002009-03-03T14:19:50.142-08:00

It’s morning at the beach, Bruce is in my headphones asking if Rosalita is gonna come out tonight and I’m mourning the passing of another great ideal gone with most of the rest of the credibility and self respect that our economic system once held dear. It’s like listening to the great big flushing of a toilet as you watch all manner of honor and dignity swirling down the hole. Listening to

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-6584101530236301782009-02-26T09:29:00.001-08:002009-02-26T09:29:51.450-08:00

It’s so interesting to me, if you live life slow enough to pay attention to it, that you can wake up one morning in one part of the country and then literally wake up the next morning in an entirely different experience. I’m back in Seattle, by the beach….again, in the snow….again, with a cold dark fireplace….again, when only yesterday morning I was waking up in a Portland hotel ready to wade

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-47457438853430619052009-02-17T06:38:00.000-08:002009-02-17T06:39:24.836-08:00

A new week has managed to manifest itself right on schedule. It seems as if I’m still in the last one. In fact, it seems as if I just blinked and 5 years has gone by. I’m heading today for round two of my grad school marathon week of classes. I’d swear that I just left round one, but according to the calendar that was over three months ago. It is startling how fast time flies when you hadn’t

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-21417253737732588832009-02-09T08:31:00.000-08:002009-02-09T08:32:06.271-08:00

So who said that I’ll never see any more snow once I bought my 4x4? It didn’t take long. Waking up this morning to the little bit of crippling white dusting that unexpectedly came overnight, I said a prayer for those in parts of the country with real weather struggles this morning. After all, I’m still down at the beach, the coffee is hot and wonder of wonders, so is the fireplace. Maybe that

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-33608297980716769222009-02-03T08:51:00.001-08:002009-02-03T08:52:30.016-08:00

I’m in another crossroads kind of setting this morning. You know the kind….dusty flat fields that you can see for miles around, somewhere in the Midwest undoubtedly, four way intersection of 2 country roads, no sign markings and no one around to ask for directions….like I would anyways. Let me clarify….it’s not like its 7 am Tuesday morning February 3rd, 2009 and I have to turn right, left, or

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-20675621395684615472009-01-26T15:13:00.001-08:002009-01-26T15:13:48.436-08:00

It’s been an interesting day so far, maybe not so much for a Monday. It’s kind of like the Twilight Zone. I woke up this morning to clear skies….that should have been a clue right there. I came outside and started up a new, for us anyway, vehicle that we just bought yesterday. Down at the beach, there’s plenty of cars and even plenty of buses, but not many people at all. Inside Starbucks,

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-37796363678184413992009-01-19T09:40:00.000-08:002009-01-19T09:42:11.646-08:00

Starbucks early on a holiday is fairly mellow. Fewer buses are running, fewer people are running, the fireplace is still not running. Anyway…..I’m sitting here in this subdued atmosphere and thinking about what everyone else is thinking about, change. I have to confess to a certain level of apathy with regards to the national hype. I know, I know, the inauguration is tomorrow and I’ve already

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-92077491741980289152009-01-12T15:39:00.000-08:002009-01-12T15:40:49.634-08:00

My wife and I, along with some friends, had the opportunity to see “Frost/Nixon” this past weekend. I’d highly recommend it. It seems as if, at least according to movie scripts and directors, that one of the biggest difficulties that Nixon faced was the knowing of when he was “done”. Getting back into “the game” was something that apparently consumed him. In the end, an interview concluded

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-14330817087307001162009-01-06T09:45:00.000-08:002009-01-06T09:46:00.354-08:00

I’ve just spent the past 45 minutes staring at a blank screen and a blinking cursor. You’d think after a few weeks that I’d be able to come up with just an ounce of something, but the only thing moving is my battery indicator. It’s running down like the witch’s hour glass on the Wizard of Oz, counting time before it shuts down completely and leaves me alone. Speaking of alone, I’m quite that

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-75159399794872089032008-12-22T06:30:00.000-08:002008-12-22T07:04:15.550-08:00

No Starbucks today. No beach. No comfy chair. No travelling at all actually at the moment. I do have coffee….my own, and I do have a fireplace…that is actually working, so all is not lost. Outside of my window, we seem to be locked in a snow globe that some persistent preschooler keeps shaking. If I was back on upstate New York right now, this would just be routine for an expected Christmas

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-6298054651846535922008-12-16T09:49:00.000-08:002008-12-16T09:50:47.229-08:00

A day late due to the ice, but I’m just glad to be back down here this morning, even though the fireplace is not on. I promised my wife that I wouldn’t complain this morning about it, so it’s really just an observation. I wonder how it would feel to be enjoying this morning in Starbucks on the coldest, iciest day in 18 years with a fireplace that is actually working. I’m just wondering….

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-60494461176039995652008-12-08T10:13:00.000-08:002008-12-08T10:15:04.810-08:00

I’ve returned to the beach this morning. Hearing the familiar sound of the waves and seeing my corner chair unoccupied helped me to feel that all is, once again, right with the world. If I could remove anything from this Starbucks experience and take it home, it would definitely be this chair. If I had one there I’d almost never leave. I can get better coffee and I can even get a better view,

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-666975753361520792008-12-01T07:01:00.000-08:002008-12-01T07:04:45.123-08:00

Our tree went up on it’s appointed day. While others were doing battle in far off places like Wal Mart and Target, I was engaged in my own with boxes, lights and bows. It was a much different experience transforming this place into it’s Christmas wonderland. With my wife’s still limited mobility, she became the foreman and chief designer and I became the laborer. I would have to say that the

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-10960008766689826312008-11-26T07:11:00.001-08:002008-11-26T07:11:46.273-08:00

Words aren’t coming very regularly these last few weeks. Even these ones have been stopped and started and deleted and continued several times this morning. I guess that I could come up with all kinds of excuses. Most of them might even be legitimate. I’m still not back to any kind of routine after my wife’s surgery. I thought about trying Starbucks this morning. I haven’t even been to the

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-67243916145254327112008-11-18T07:24:00.000-08:002008-11-18T07:25:05.465-08:00

It’s been a few weeks since Starbucks. It may be a few more, I don’t really know at this point. Right now I’m sitting in front of my own fireplace (electric), drinking my own coffee (Hotwire), and looking out at the world from my own window. I’ve spent the past two weeks living as a shadow of sorts. Now living as a shadow can be seen in a very negative light I suppose. We’ve all heard the

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-12062190023695691882008-11-03T09:59:00.000-08:002008-11-03T10:00:58.220-08:00

I’m a statistic today. I’m one of the undecided. I’m not very politically astute. I do attempt to be informed, but all of the misinformation clogs my arteries and muddles my mind. Do I really care which candidate has which solution to the current crisis, whatever it might be? I don’t. The reasons are fairly simple. Number one, I’m not naïve enough to believe that either candidate actually

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-16311611955741594682008-10-27T09:41:00.000-07:002008-10-27T09:42:25.786-07:00

Something has been on my mind for quite awhile now. I’ve tried to resist it. I’ve tried to ignore it. I’ve tried not to engage it. I just can’t take it anymore. I am about to take on, once again, an old enemy that I had thought I’d outgrown. For any who have history with me, I’m sure that you’ve noticed a quietness about me on this subject. But now, it’s overcome me and the voices are loud

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-59276978302044526972008-10-20T15:23:00.001-07:002008-10-20T15:23:50.868-07:00

Today has been a stretch for me. It began with my alarm not going off, me sitting straight up in bed 90 minutes beyond my intended launch time and muttering the first word that came to my mind in the moment. It wasn’t a word that, most generally, one would imagine coming from the lips of a pastor on a Monday morning at 7:15. It was my word nonetheless . I really wasn’t bothered by it, as it

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8219458.post-91572950808620275692008-10-14T08:58:00.000-07:002008-10-14T08:59:56.016-07:00

I’ve been wandering all week attached to a little magnetized card that identifies me as a guest in a Portland area hotel. It lets me in the building. It lets me in my room. It lets me in the hot tub room and the work out room. It is my lifeline into my home away from home this week. This morning, the magnetized part of my card failed. I lost my identity somewhere in between my complimentary

Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10365312480897293530noreply@blogger.com0