Day 5 - New Year's Eve

Kim and Robert started the day very early by going down to the taping of the Today show. They wanted to get on TV, but not sure is they did. Did you see them?

Getting back at around 10:00, we then all went to Popover Cafe on the Upper West Side. The food was very good, and we got an unexpected treat as we were leaving. We saw Lawrence Fishburne (you know, Morpheus in The Matrix movies) having breakfast. We decided not to bother him with autograph requests, since he was enjoying New Year's Eve with his family. But just so you know, his voice sounds just as cool in person as it does in the movies!

We then took a stroll through Central Park, and stumbled upon The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine. Wow. Even though much of it was damaged by a bad fire in 2001, we could still go inside and see a lot. It was incredible!

We then went to see the Seinfeld restaurant at the corner of 112th St. and Broadway. Robert was pumped. Then we walked over to Columbia University, which was also incredible. Robert and I both want to go there! Robert for his BS, me for my PhD. We're working on Kim...

Wow...we did a lot today, because after that, we went to Macy's, Bryant Park, the New York Public Library, FAO Schwarz, and finally back to the hotel. And it's only 6:00pm! In a little while, we're going to head to Applebee's at 50th St. and 7th Ave, only 7 blocks north of Times Square. If all goes according to plan, we're going to stay in Applebee's until almost midnight, and then walk outside and watch the ball come down. Hopefully that will work...I'll let you know in the next entry...

Kim and the kids by the reservoir in Central Park

Who knew Central Park had waterfalls?

Altar at St. John the Divine

One of the side chapels at St. John the Divine

Kim and the kids in front of the Seinfeld restaurant

Myles and Robert in front of the Columbia Library

Carolyn and a toy-soldier-guy at FAO Schwarz

Day 4

We spent most of today in Southern Manhattan, beginning with the 11:15 service at Trinity Church at the corner of Wall St. and Broadway. I enjoyed the service, but Robert thought it was "creepy," Carolyn thought it was "awkward," and the incense made Kim nauseous. But other than that, it was cool. Next we visited St. Paul's Chapel just a couple of blocks away, and then we spent more than a few somber minutes at Ground Zero. It looks very different now than it did a couple of years ago, because they are constructing the memorial. According to a Brooklyn native who helped us when we got lost on the subway (we ended up in Brooklyn), things are moving very slowly because of all of the politics involved.

We then headed to South Street Seaport and shopped for a couple of hours. Along the way, we picked up a sausage, hot dog, beef kabob, and chicken kabob from a street vendor from Egypt. Yummy! Somewhere along the way, it started to rain, but we still walked through Chinatown on our way to Little Italy for dinner. We picked Da Nico and had a wonderful dinner. We met a very nice couple at the table next to us who were from Salt Lake City. She was also a social worker, so Kim really enjoyed chatting with her. We went through Grand Central Station on the way back to the hotel, and watched a cool holiday light show in the main terminal.

I can't believe tomorrow is already New Year's Eve, and it's supposed to snow! Watch for us on TV! We'll be the cold Arizonans!

Kim and the kids in front of the giant Christmas tree by the New York Stock Exchange

My lamb chop at Da Nico, stuffed with four cheeses in a white wine sauce

The family at Da Nico

Kim and the kids at Grand Central Station

Day 3

So today we split up and covered different ground. Kim and Robert went to the MET and marveled at Rembrandt, Renoir, Seurat, Monet, Cezanne, Pollack, and of course, Van Gogh. They also saw the $45 million, 13-century painting of Mary and Jesus.

Carolyn and I decided to so some 5th-Avenue shopping. But first, we got Starbucks in Trump Tower and walked to Central Park, finishing our Chai Tea and Peppermint Hot Chocolate on one of the benches there. Then we went to Bloomingdales, Urban Outfitters, and Coach, but decided to just pass by Tiffany & Co.

We met up in time to head to the Circle Line cruise tours for a 2-hour sunset cruise around Manhattan. It was absolutely beautiful watching the sun set behind the Statue of Liberty! The cruise was chilly, but we had a great time. We grabbed some deli dinner on the way back to the hotel and had a picnic in our room. Robert and I ventured out afterwards, and now Kim is in heaven watching the Wildcats play Memphis on ESPN2. The kids went up to the lounge to watch the rest of the Giants-Patriots game, and as for me, I'm heading for bed...

A few shots from the day:

Myles and Carolyn in Central Park

Kim and the kids looking cold

A beautiful lady

Day 2

So, before I tell about our day, let me just note that it is currently 8 degrees warmer here than at home. Amazing...

So, we began our day with breakfast from Pick-a-Bagel and then went on a tour of NBC Studios. It was pretty cool to see Conan O'brien's set and the set for Saturday Night Live - they were much smaller than what you would expect. After that, we picked up our reservation tickets for New Year's Eve at Applebees, and headed for lunch at Mesa Grill, one of Bobby Flay's restaurants. Delicious! From there we went to Union Square, visited Strand Books, and then the FDNY museum. A brief stop at Chelsea Market, and then back to the hotel before going to see Spamalot! Kim and I had seen this on our last trip, and the kids didn't know we were going on this one. So it was a fun surprise for them, and, of course, a great show!

Here are a few shots from the day:

Kim and I at Mesa Grill

Carolyn and Robert in Chelsea Market

Carolyn and Robert after the show

(yeah, Robert liked it - he just doesn't like to smile in pictures)

I Love This City!

Wow! What a beautiful night to end a long day of travel! We arrived safe and sound and only about 15 minutes late - not bad for going across the country. After a high-speed shuttle ride to the Manhattan Club, we quickly unpacked and then headed for our traditional "first night in New York" dinner at Serendipity. Great chile, the ultimate BLT, the "best hot dog I've ever had," and a bowl of clam chowder got us primed for the frozen hot chocolate - a Serendipity specialty. Ah, and it was heavenly. Then we took a little stroll by St. Patrick's Cathedral (it was closed, though) and Rockefeller Center to see the tree. Wow. LED lights and white sparklers made it amazing! That was enough to call it a day. And, our room at the Manhattan Club is wonderful. It's on the 22nd floor, and is much bigger than we anticipated. Ahhh...now for some much needed sleep...

Frozen Hot Chocolate and a Hot Fudge Sundae at Serendipity

Myles and Bob by the tree in Rockefeller Center

Headed for the Big Apple!

This time tomorrow we will be on an airplane on our way to New York! This will be our second trip to Manhattan for Kim and I, but the first for the kids. We'll be there for a week, doing the whole New Year's Eve Times Square thing! (well, kinda) We're staying at the Manhattan Club through a timeshare swap, only three blocks south of Central Park between Broadway and 7th: a perfect location!

The schedule is quite full, but includes things such as Lion King, a Knicks game, a Circle Line cruise around the Statue of Liberty, museums, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, an NBC tour, Ground Zero, Trinity Church, St. Patrick's Cathedral, South Street Seaport, Little Italy, and so on and so on.

So, I'm hoping to blog throughout the trip, assuming I can find free WiFi somewhere nearby (chances are good, I think). I hope the weather cooperates tomorrow as we fly through Chicago.

And here is the weather forecast for New York:

A Beautiful Christmas Eve

With a full moon rising in the east, presents under the tree, family and friends near, I wish you a very Merry Christmas!

Wow - no entries since Monday?

It's been that long? Wow...I guess it's been a busy week. But it's been good, though.

Tuesday was a good, productive day at work with very few people around. Tuesday night I finished my prep for Wednesday's talk. Wednesday I left work around 2:00 and got to church about 5:00 for the concert. And the concert was awesome! My brief talk went well, and had a couple of nice comments afterwards. I took off Thursday, which means I'm off until Jan 7! YAY! So, I spent Thursday finishing some shopping and just generally hanging out. Thursday night we went to dinner with C&M and then went to see American Gangster. It was pretty good: I'd give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. This was our traditional New Year's Eve dinner with C&M, but since we're going to be gone on New Year's Eve, we decided Dec 20 would suffice!

Yesterday's highlight was taking the concert donations to the Community Food Bank. Wow, what an amazing operation and service they provide. The director was floored that we had collected that much money ($632) from just a handful of people. She said everyday she is overwhelmed by people's generosity. What a great thing to be able to help them...and we need to find ways to do more.

Last night, we had a dinner party at our house with three other families (plus Don Julio from Mexico). It was such a fun night - we should make that a tradition!

And today, I'm working on Christmas presents and awaiting the arrival of my sister from Texas.

And even through the busyness of the past few days, I have not felt rushed or hurried at all. So much of that is an internal attitude and approach to life. I think all of the intentional slowing of the past several weeks has been really good for me. I feel relaxed, and I've even been sleeping better. I have a little bit of anxiety over our trip next week, but not very much. And most of that is just about getting there. I'll have to write about that in the next day or two...

So as the season of Advent draws to a close and we begin the season of Christmas, I'm thankful and grateful for the true gifts in my life - my family and friends. Thank you, God, thank you.

Getting Ready for Wednesday

This Wednesday our church is hosting a free concert by Galixy and The Galilean Project. We're asking for donations which will go to the Community Food Bank. It should be a good concert, because I know these guys and they are very talented musicians. They asked me to speak in the middle for a few minutes, so I've decided to talk about "waiting." Much of what I've been contemplating over these past few weeks will make its way into this brief talk. So tonight, I've been working on that and will finish up tomorrow night. It's good because it's causing me to consolidate and summarize what I've been thinking and feeling. Some of it hasn't made it to words yet, but that's ok. I've got 45.5 hours left...

Third Sunday of Advent

Looking back to look forward:

The Gospel not only reminds me of what took place
but also of what will take place.

In the contemplation of Christ's first coming,
I can discover the signs of his second coming.

By looking back in meditation,
I can look forward in expectation.

By reflection, I can project;
by conserving the memory of Christ's birth,
I can progress to the fulfilment of his kingdom.

From Nouwen in Eternal Seasons

I think this is such a key aspect of Advent that we often miss. Remembering enables us to anticipate. Reflecting allows us to look forward to the future. Certainly we cannot live our lives only looking back or only looking forward. We must live in the present moment. But, living in the present moment does not preclude us from reflecting and anticipating.

Remembering, living, and anticipating.

I think that's one of the messages of Advent.

Playing in the Snow

Yesterday morning, we packed five kids in my in-laws' van and drove up to Mt. Lemmon for some fun in the snow. One of Bob's friends, Brenda, had never seen snow! So off we went, and they had a blast, throwing snowballs, sliding down hills, and getting really cold and wet. It was sunny and cold with lots of snow and lots of people! We ended our adventure with hot chocolate and (really) cold sandwiches at the Summerhaven General Store. Then it was back to the desert floor. Of course, the cold air didn't help my cold any, so I spent most of the rest of the day napping and resting...

Yes, Bob is wearing flip-flops. No, at least he didn't wear them in the snow. But, yes, he is insane.

Time for my winter cold

It's all Bob's fault. He brought it into our home. I was innocent. But now I have it: the dreaded winter cold. (ugh)

Of course, that didn't stop me from going to the holiday party event of the year. Yes, last night was the annual C&M holiday party. It was a lot of fun, catching up with old friends I haven't talked to since...well the last holiday party. And, here was the best: the coffee lady had chai tea! Ahhh...and it was really tasty, but I was good. I only had two, between the two glasses of Laphroaig 15.

Oh yeah, the food was pretty good, too!

Now it's time for a nap...

Foggy and Cold

It's been foggy the past couple of mornings, a rare thing in the dry Southwest. And the snow on the mountains from the past couple of days is beautiful. We may head up there Saturday for a little fun...

Here's a picture from our local paper from Tucson resident Barry S.:

(see more pictures here)

Even Bob said he was cold this morning. So you know it was cold! It's such a nice change from the very long summer we had.

My Beautiful Wife

Today, my bride of 21 years is 40. We started dating just after her 15th birthday, so we have been together for 25 years (more or less). Wow. And I love her more today than ever before. I can't imagine life without her. I think this is what is meant by becoming one flesh. I feel incomplete when I'm not with her, like I'm not whole. And I can't wait to be with her again when we're apart. Yeah.

Yeah.

Nurturing the Moment

More from Nouwen on waiting:

A waiting person is a patient person.

The word "patience" means the willingness to stay where we are and live the situation out to the full in the belief that something hidden there will manifest itself to us. Impatient people are always expecting the real thing to happen somewhere else and therefore want to go elsewhere.

The moment is empty.

But patient people dare to stay where they are.

Patient living means to live actively in the present and wait there.

Waiting, then, is not passive.

It involves nurturing the moment, as a mother nurtures the child that is growing in her womb.

Wait...do not be afraid...grow from something to something more...live actively and nurture the present moment...

Our First Wintry Day

Today was our first, truly winter-like day. It started cold and cloudy, and finished colder, with lightning, rain and hail. I love days like this, because we get so few of them. Driving home, there was just a little clearing in the western sky allowing a touch of sunset light to spill across the desert. The lightning in front of the mountains was incredible, and the clouds seemed like they were ready to burst. It was cool. At home, I cranked up the fireplace for the first time this season, and just hung out by it most of the night. Heavy snow is expected tonight at higher elevations (higher than where we are, anyway), with rain here and temps in the 40s. It's nothing like the ice storms in the rest of the country, but this is winter in Tucson, and I'm so glad it's finally here.

Second Sunday of Advent

From Nouwen in Eternal Seasons:

People who wait have received a promise that allows them to wait. They have received something that is at work in them, like a seed that has started to grow. This is very important. We can really wait only if what we are waiting for has already begun in us. So waiting is never a movement from nothing to something. It is always a movement from something to something more.

So what is it that I am waiting for?
What has already begun in me?
What seed is growing?
What is the something more?

Does the waiting ever stop? I don't think so. If Nouwen is right, then waiting means allowing something to grow inside of us. If we're not waiting, we're not growing. How paradoxical is that?!

Wait...do not be afraid...grow from something to something more...

Rainy Saturday

We had more rain today - a very good thing. It was colder, too, so I guess our 2-week autumn is almost over. Unfortunately, today was the Oro Valley Holiday Parade, a small home-town parade along a street in our suburban town only a couple of blocks away. Robert marched with the band, but he said it wasn't too bad. We decided to stay warm and dry at home.

Most of the day had a nice, slow pace to it, at least for me. I worked on our Christmas cards, enjoyed a short nap, and got some things ready for service in the morning. We stopped by to see my folks tonight so Kim could open a couple of birthday presents, and then went to see August Rush, which was a wonderful, family, holiday, feel-good movie. It was quite predictable, but the music was terrific and the whole theme of music connecting people and bringing people together was very moving.

Tomorrow is the second Sunday of Advent, so I have some new Nouwen readings to ponder.
But sleep is calling for now...

Another Big Birthday

So, besides my daughter turning 13 earlier this week, my wife is hitting the big "4-0" next week. So last night, we had a very small surprise dinner for her and enjoyed a great meal with great friends at a great restaurant. (ahhh...the pork tenderloin melted in your mouth...and the 18-year-old Macallan was from heaven) She was surprised, especially that I had chosen an "ok" outfit for her to change into before going to the restaurant. It was a beautiful night in the midst of a not-so-beautiful week.

But that's how life is, isn't it? Moments of beauty intertangled with moments of ugliness. Laughs of joy, tears of sorrow, good choices, bad choices, failures and successes. This is the stuff of life, but through it all, life is good.

Life is good...

By the way, if you have not seen the movie The Family Stone, rent it and watch it sometime in the next couple of weeks.

Waiting

From Nouwen in Eternal Seasons:

For many people, waiting is a dry desert between where they are and where they want to go. And people do not like such a place. They want to get out of it by doing something.

Last night I said that I did not know what to do.
Maybe I'm not supposed to do anything.
Maybe I'm supposed to just . . . wait.

In the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke, there is a lot of waiting.
Zechariah and Elizabeth wait for their son, John, to be born.
Joseph and Mary wait for their son, Jesus, to be born.
Simeon and Anna are waiting at the temple.

And God did something amazing that none of them expected.
And God also knew how they would initially react:

But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard."
But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God."
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."

Wait...and do not be afraid.

What a Difference a Day Makes

I really don't feel like writing tonight. Yesterday was filled with hope and dreams - tonight is another night filled with anger, pain, doubt, and sorrow. I feel numb, and I don't know what to do. Why does this have to continue? How long?

How long?

A Big Birthday

13. My daughter is 13. So, I only thought it fitting that I wake her up this morning by spraying whipped cream on her face. Fortunately for her, she woke up before me. I told her to go back to bed while I acquired the whipped cream from the fridge and returned to her room. So I couldn't get her as badly as I had hoped, but got her nonetheless.

Tonight she had a choir show at school, which was awesome. After the show, we went to our next-door neighbor's house to light the first candle of Hannakah. I had never done that before - it was pretty cool.

It was a very special day, one filled with celebrations of all types and hopes and dreams for my daughter's future.

Funny moment of the day: seeing Carolyn's bedroom after her big brother teepee'd it! It was a very nice job. I'm so proud of him!

A Routine Monday

Today was a fairly routine Monday, which was actually good after studying for a final exam last week and traveling. Lunch conversation with my work group around the table focused on the news story about the British teacher in Sudan, imprisoned because her class of 7-year-olds decided to name the class teddy bear "Mohammed." (See story here).

Tonight after work, I met Kim and the kids at Sauce for an early celebration dinner of Carolyn's 13th birthday (which is actually tomorrow). I can't believe she is 13. She's been a teenager for a while, but now it's official. Thirteen years ago Kim complained of stomach pains while we were looking at Christmas lights at the Reid Park Zoo. A few hours later, we had a daughter. Wow. Now she's texting friends on her new phone while checking her MySpace site. And being defiant, just like a teenager. She drives me crazy, and I couldn't love her any more if I tried. She'll be gone before I know it...

First Sunday of Advent

On this, the first Sunday of Advent, I spent the morning preparing for our 10:00am service. Some of our friends from Ikon are here, nearing the end of a ~10 day visit. They organized and planned most of the service elements, and it was very interesting and cool. These folks have some amazing creative talents and a way of creating a unique and inviting worship experience.

I found my usual frustrations rising through the morning, though. Even though a lot of planning did go into the service, several things were not. Thinking back on it now, I must admit that more was planned than not planned. Yet, had the Ikon folks not been here, I think it very well could have been a disaster. I'm so very tired of ad-hoc services and missing details. Somehow, I still find myself feeling hopeful. I keep asking myself why I cannot just let these frustrations go. Why do they bother me so? I know things cannot be perfect - why do I try to make them so?

My day finished with a Christmas party in our home for our small group. This was very relaxing and fun, eating great food prepared by my very talented wife and engaging in conversation about how to make this Christmas season more meaningful and filled with generosity.

Funny moment of the day: watching Bob and Ben trying to get down from the roof after Santa took a fall and exploded on the driveway. Actually, I dropped Santa because his sleigh was completely falling apart. The explosion was pretty funny. Everyone escaped unhurt, even Santa.

I've started reading a new collection of writings from Henri Nouwen called Eternal Seasons. The first section is on Advent. The editor has collected 12 short writings from Nouwen on Advent, so I plan to read 3 a week. In the first writing, Waiting Open-Endedly, I found myself stopped on two statements in particular. These seem very fitting for my frustrations mentioned above, as well as my goal of "present-ness" for this Advent season:

To wait open-endedly...is giving up control over our future and letting God define our life.

The spiritual life is a life in which we wait,
actively present in the moment,
expecting that new things will happen to us,
new things that are far beyond our own imagination or prediction.

And so I wait...

Advent Reflections

During this season of Advent, I truly want to slow down and enjoy the month of December. I have been purposefully trying to slow the pace of my life over the past year or two, but this month, I am down-shifting even more. I truly want to be present every minute of every day, present to God and to those around me. With the frantic nature of parties and shopping typically associated with Christmastime, this "present-ness" is too easily lost.

So here is my goal: to spend a few minutes near the end of each day blogging my "present-ness" during the ordinary moments of the day. My prayer is that this will help me stay more focused on God, my family and friends, and the sacred nature of life in anticipation and hope of the coming Messiah.

This month began on a wet Saturday. I arrived home late last night from a business trip to LA and was looking forward to a day with very few plans. After sleeping in (ahhh), Kim and I had breakfast, just the two of us, on the patio, enjoying the cool air and the smell of rain. I spent a good portion of the day working on an Advent video for aldea, and then spent the afternoon with my daughter. After a difficult appointment at 4:00, we headed for the local Alltel store to buy her a new phone. She was so excited about this new, lime-green, LG phone that I thought she would explode. Part birthday, part Christmas present, the phone was a gift from us to her, and nothing else could have been better. Over dinner at Panda Express, the two of us talked about life and the future. It was wonderful, and I didn't want to be anywhere else.

I can't help but think that times like these are when our kids learn the most from us. It's when they learn how to talk about difficult subjects, when to ask difficult questions, and when to accept answers and situations they would rather not have to accept. It was a tough afternoon for both of us, but I finished dinner feeling very hopeful and thankful.