No Politics, Just Updates (finally)

Well April blew by without us updating this blog at all. Thus breaking my goal of posting once per month. I have no idea where the month went. But I can't remember doing much critical thinking during April, so I can spare you some random deep thoughts about nothing and just provide some general updates. 

The Trio

Growing Up

Liam has been doing great! He's sitting up now and playing with his toys by himself for a few minutes at a time. He's laughing a lot, sleeping well at night and will pretty much hang out with anyone. We were pretty sure he was allergic to everything including oxygen for a while, but after a visit to the allergist where they pricked him with 13 potential allergens it turns out he's not allergic to much. He also made his first big trip back to my 'hometown' of Joplin, Missouri. He got to meet his great G-G-Ma, great grandpa, uncle Jamie and aunt Staci, and one of his great aunts and uncles and a cousin who has the same name as him. It was a good time, but you can't help but feel like a bad parent when you're strapping your kid in a carseat for 8-9 hours straight. 

Having fun with dad.

Sitting up all by myself and playing with huge blocks.

Not sure what is going on here actually.

Sportin the new hat mom picked up for me.  I prefer to have it in my mouth.

Cracking up with my cousin Lanie.

How sweet is that?

Growing Old

Courtney and I have both had birthdays since we last wrote. She's now only a year away from 30! Luckily, I have one more year to prepare for that. We gave each other great weekends of fun. Mine included dinner at one of Nashville's best steakhouses and tickets to RENT. Courtney's included dinner at a great local restaurant, a manicure, pedicure and barbeque with her family. I also managed to survive having all 4 of my wisdom teeth taken out. I'm not going to lie, it pretty much sucks. But the part I thought would be the worst, being artificially put to sleep, ended up being the best part.

Saying 'Goodbye' to remembering 50 passwords

We are both about to be finished (for now) with corporate America. Courtney's last day at Tractor Supply Company is May 30 and my last day with my agency is May 29. We are looking forward to starting our "work all the time, $0/year salary with no benefits" job. Actually, there are many benefits to being with Liam more and feeling like were going to be doing something that we are meant to do. Somehow going against the grain of what society seems to 'expect' from you is appealing too. Although something we would not do if we weren't sure that we were asked to do it.

Ugly Mugs

Construction

Lots of people have been asking about the status of the coffeshop and looking for pictures. For a while we have been waiting for things to happen on the construction side that were triggering many more things. They are starting to happen. Just this past week we got a floor. Our expectation is to be opening around the first of July. Here is a few pics of the space. Just wait until you see the 'after' pictures.

That is our space.  The big opening on the right is where a garage door has gone in, and the small opening in the middle is where our front door is.  The windows on the left will have bar seating at them looking out the window.

A pretty good shot of the inside of the space.  You can see the garage door on the left and front door right in the middle.  

Courtney making me an espresso.  She is standing pretty much right where she will be when she is really making it!

The Doves

We had the opportunity to cater the green room at the Dove awards a couple of weeks ago. We served coffee and tea to to the crew and talent for two days.  This was very cool. It was our first public appearance as a business and I think we made a good first impression. We met some very cool people and were very fortunate to have the opportunity. I hope we have more of them!

Our setup at the Dove Awards.  We served regular and decaf coffee and 3 kinds of loose leaf tea.

Our first day serving people together.  We were excited.

The banner we hung at the Doves trying to get our name out there. 

That is our logo scrolling across the TV during the telecast of the Doves.  No one probably saw it, but I don't care you who are that is cool.

Contact

We now have the beginnings of a website and myspace page up for Ugly mugs. Here are the links:

www.uglymugsnashville.com

www.myspace.com/uglymugsmusic - if you're into the myspace thing, hook up with us on there.  It will be a great place to see what's going on at the shop once we're open.

We'll be back soon with updates on life and the continued progress on the shop. And hopefully, when Courtney will be home more, she can blog again. At least then we can all read something worth while.

A Family of the People, by the People and for the People

This week, the Supreme Court will determine whether banning the ownership of a handgun in Washington D.C. is a violation of the 2nd Amendment of the Constitution, which states “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” The issue that the court will decide is whether that the right to bear arms is an individual’s right, or the right of a ‘well regulated militia’ or in other words a collective right of the American people. That’s a big decision that is being amplified by the fact that the Supreme Court does not have a history of touching the 2nd Amendment with a 10 foot pole. This will also not only affect Washington D.C. but many other places that will follow suit of their ruling. Many accuse me of being a Democrat, although I make no allegiences to any parties of a system that has a maturity level below that of Liam. But if that is the bucket that I get poured into because I tend to think that more laws and regulations, if they are for the better of a society as a whole, and can be reasonably enforced can be a good thing, then so be it. So the issue in my mind on this topic is whether not allowing individuals to bear arms will be better for all people in our country or not. In 2004, there were 29,569 people murdered using guns in the US (as a comparison there were 56 in Australia, 184 in Canada, 73 in England and Wales, 37 in Sweden, and 5 in New Zealand). Additionally, the presence of a firearm in the home increases the chances of homicide in the home threefold, and suicide fivefold. And as a taxpayer, I've learned that 80% of the costs of treating firearm injuries are paid by taxpayer dollars. And just this week, about an hour before Courtney, Liam and I were walking through a parking lot at Babies R Us, a man was shot several times in the connecting parking lot over a ‘drug deal gone bad’. First of all I’m thankful no one else was shot in the crossfire (including my family) and my heart goes out to the shooter and victim in that situation. Drugs lead to bad things, but who wakes up in the morning thinking it may be their last time. So all that seems like compelling arguments against individuals having guns. It is worth noting however that gun ownership has been on the decline for over three decades and the enactment of the Brady Bill in 1994 requiring that licensed firearms dealers check with law enforcement before selling anyone a gun. This has been helpful in keeping over a half million guns out of the hands of potentially dangerous criminals. The statistics above came from the Brady Campaign website, who is obviously all for more strict gun laws and would like to see the high court rule that the right to bear arms is a collective right among American people who would be protected by a highly regulated ‘militia’. I think it only reasonable to see what the other side might have to say about it. According to the National Rifle Association, the self proclaimed leading protector of 2nd Amendment rights of individuals to carry firearms, there are no statistics that contradict what is above which would make sense I suppose, numbers don’t lie. But the NRA’s mission is one of education, safety and marksmanship when it comes to firearms. I have no problem with that. And I happen to know several people I love dearly own guns to for hunting or range shooting that are of the highest class of character and integrity. So I’m not sure I think they should have to suffer because of a few (thousand) bad apples out there. So questions remain. Should the people that are responsible have to pay for the disobedience of those that are not? Would not allowing individuals who are not ‘society’s protectors’ reduce our gun and/or overall crime statistics to a less mind blowing level? Is there a realistic way to enforce such rules? I don’t know the answers to those questions. All I do know that is that I am for the people, all people. Not just myself, or my family or my community or country. Even if it means I have to sacrifice more of myself for the betterment of others in the world, then I will. And in this case, I hope the decision made makes that impact. Peace, love and a little bit of ‘laid back’ to you. TDT PS – The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the right to bear arms that of an individual’s right, thus effectively overturning the Washington DC ban on ownership of hand guns.

And here is a fun link of Liam doing his first interview.  You will probably have to copy and paste the URL into your browser. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8068035502229762010&hl=en Also, Check out what our friends, the Morgans have going on by clicking on "The Morgan 4" link in the our favorite blogs section. It's amazing!

525,600 Minutes

The Broadway musical “RENT” is a story about a group of young artists in New York City’s East Village struggling with life’s issues.  They are all poor. Some are infected with AIDS and dying, others are gay or have drug problems.  They are pretty much screwed up.  Despite all of this at the end of the movie version I found myself actually wanting to be one of them!  Why?  That would be a fair question.  The answer is that because in spite of all of their issues, illnesses, vices and differences they have one thing in common.  They understand love.  They love one another unconditionally as friends and more importantly as human beings.  What a novel idea.

One of the songs in the musical asks this question: of the 525,600 minutes that pass in a year, how do you measure the year? Do you measure it in daylights, moonlights, midnights, cups of coffee?  How about measuring it in love. So how about love?  I would be embarrassed to break my year down and compare how many minutes I openly spend loving other people against how many I spend talking about other people or groups of people.  How many times do we talk about the ‘other political party’, the ‘other countries that can’t get their crap together’, the ‘other religions’, the ‘other basically anyone who doesn’t have the same beliefs and philosophies of our own’?  But do we ever really stop and think that those other groups are actually made up of PEOPLE; people with feelings, thoughts and desires of their own.  We think of these groups as objects and not as people.  An example, you hear often of the genocide that is going on in Darfur.  “Man, they just can’t get it together over there.”  Really?  Those that ‘just can’t get it together’ are forced out of their homes, beaten, raped, brainwashed and if they are lucky land in a refugee camp where they get barely enough food and water to live.  There is no choice in it for them.  I would venture to guess that many of the people there don’t actually want to live that way.  But to us they are just people who can’t get their crap together.  Shouldn’t it be up to us that can help, to help instead of just talking about how messed up they are?  After all, it wasn’t that long ago we were a country that couldn’t get it together.  Over half a million Americans died during a four year war…with ourselves.  Less than that have died in Darfur in almost five years. 

 I think its time we stopped categorizing ourselves into groups and think of ourselves and one another as people.  Not Democrats or Republicans (or Independents), not East Nashvillians or suburbanites, not Americans or people from other countries, not law abiding citizens or criminals, not Christians or Muslims.   People, just people.  The world is made up of people.  Some end up being presidents, some drug addicts, some end up kidnapped and forced into the sex trafficking rings, and some never have to work a day in their lives.  It doesn’t matter who, what or where, all of us deserve respect and more importantly love.

 PS – the touring production of “RENT” will be coming through Nashville in March and after 12 years will be performing their last show on Broadway this summer.

PS2 - if you haven't already seen it here is a video of Liam rolling over for the first time last weekend.  You will probably have to copy and paste it into your browser.  http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1059191198446673972&pr=goog-sl

2008 - a year in (p)review

Three weeks into a new year and I don't even remember what my resolutions were, or if I even made any. So is life with an infant I suppose. We're slightly sleep deprived (as compared to the college years), juggling houses, jobs, time for each other and trying to open a business. Alot of territory that we have never ventured into before, some we never thought we would. But I know that I wouldn't trade any of it for the most comfortable life that this world would have to offer. That would feel easy, wasted and like we were cheating our opportunities. So we will press on with an unbreakable love for each other (the trio), faith and wonderful community of friends and family we have to keep us grounded by laughing at our mistakes along the way. Sitting here right now, this is the best I can tell of what I think 2008 holds in store for the trio. I suspect it will take about 5 minutes after finishing this to be proved wrong, just telling us that we're not in control as much as we would like to be. 1. Liam's first birthday (9-24-08)! Man is he fun right now. He's smiling almost uncontrollably and within days of a laugh coming out. He doesn't seem to mind daycare 3 days a week, but I know he likes 2 days with Dad better because he "blows out" more outfits at daycare than with Dad. He loves the bath, blankets and waking up and seeing his mummy first thing in the morning. We've started posting videos on Google but Courtney will have to tell you how to access them... 2. The sell of our first home (anyday-anymonth-08) - we would have liked to see this happen in 2007 but we're victims of a terrible market. We're OK (for now) and we have seen a dramatic increase in activity over the last two weeks. Selling a house is about as fun as waking up at 4am and having to rush to the airport for the first flight out....every day....actually it's WAY worse. Here is the listing on RealTracs if anyone is interested, http://www.realtracs.com/Detail.aspx?ListingID=1100939&PropClass=1 We currently have offers for $1 and $100,000 I think, we're entertaining new offers... 3. The grand opening of Ugly Mugs Coffee & Tea (5-1ish-08). In case you haven't heard we will be opening a coffeehouse this year. It has long been a dream of ours that we thought would forever be a dream, or at least something we would do during our mid-life crisis years...those came sooner than we thought. Our goal: simply to create a place that is fun to hang out in, fun to talk, listen, read, write, think, meditate or whatever you would want to do in a coffeehouse. You are all invited to come as often as you would like. I will be leaving the professional world to operate it day to day and Courtney will be the bread winner, unless we can find a way to get her there too. The sooner she can be there greeting people, the sooner we succeed! 4. Our 3rd wedding anniversary (12-2-08). And our 2nd wedding celebration anniversary (4-22-08). Can you believe it! And if you don't know what that means, I wouldn't blame you. Courtney has given me the best 4 1/2 years of my life and I look forward to an eternity more of them. 5. The election of a new President of the United States. I think they should all go on the show "last comic standing" and the winner becomes President. Or maybe "American Gladiators"...I don't know...anything would be more fun than these debates. This is only 5 things and one of them really doesn't have to do with us, but look at #3 - that will take up a whole 1/2 of the year. I'm sure that there are a million things I'm leaving off too, but we'll just have to learn about those as we go. Wish us luck, pray for us, sprinkle fairy dust on us or whatever you want to do, we'll need it. We're excited, nervous but for some reason completely comfortable with where are lives are headed. Here's wishing you a happy, blessed, love filled, everything you hope it will be, and thought provoking 2008! Our love, TDT.

Happy New Year & A Sincere 'Thank You' (e-version)

We just want to take an opportunity to say Happy New Year and 'Thank You' for being in our lives. Whether you are in it daily, monthly or bi-annually, we love you and this is the best way we know to let you all know that you are very much thought of. We are not good ... actually embarrassingly bad at Christmas cards and any other kind of note that you can think of. We are still staring at a pile of thank you notes from our wedding ceremony from April '06. We're also staring down a pile of thank you notes for Liam's baby shower and his announcements. If I were to try to justify ourselves, I would say we're trying to go 'green' by not sending cards, paper and being e-friendly. The truth is that we get so consumed in everyday life that we don't get around to it. It's not that we don't want to. We buy the things or in one case they were given to us for a present - already stamped and addressed - and we still haven't sent them out. We're great at intention, bad at execution. Our hope is that we isolate that to this are of life. So if you're waiting for a thank you note from us for any event, please be patient, it might come one day. Until that hopeful day, please know during this season that we thank you, we appreciate you and we're honored you're in our lives.

Takers

I just watched the movie "Instinct" the other day in about 3 parts with Courtney. I think I had seen it before, but either could not remember it, or didn't care what it was about at the time. In the movie, Anthony Hopkins (Sir Anthony) plays a mute prisoner in a maximum security psych ward for having been ruled incompetent to stand trial for murder. For two years prior to committing murder, he had lived among gorillas in Africa. Cuba Gooding Jr. plays a young phychologist that wants to get through to Hopkins' character in order to get him a trial and more importantly be the 'one' that got through to him for the purposes of a book and career boost. Alas, Gooding's character does get through and discovers that the reason Hopkins killed some poachers was because he was protecting his family of gorillas that had accepted him as one of their own. Sorry if I ruined the plot, but the movie came out in '99. Here is the great part. You learn that Hopkins went to live with the gorillas after years of observing them because they lived in a relatively peaceful community, void of control, agendas and time. There was understood order and there was fighting, but no war, no extinction. You learn that those communities can survive, unless disrupted by "Takers"; those looking for control and advancement over what is really not their's to begin with. Wow, what an intriguing thought. Do you really think it is possible? Do you think it is possible that if every culture consumed only what they needed, were satisfied with the amount of 'stuff' they had on their part of world, that we could all live in relative peace. Is it really possible for any of us to not feel the need to advance and take more that what we need. I definitely don't know the answer to that. I do think as people and especially as a society, that for some reason we have a really hard time feeling content with things. When we have things, we want more. When we have more, we want again more. When we have a spouse, we still want another person. When we get to to have one vacation a year, we want to two; when we have two, we want three. When we have an SUV, we still need a sports car. When we have everything, we still want more. Discontent runs rampant in our world. Don't misunderstand me. I don't think there is anything wrong with having much or consuming much. I'm more interested in the reasons behind consuming more than what we need. If it is because we have alot, give a lot, are diligent and have a lot left over - great, get the sports car. Is it because we never feel quite content with what we already have.... I don't want to be a "taker". I don't want to be discontent. I'm fortunate enough to have the best wife (sorry all you guys out there, but mine just got the universal #1 ranking), best son (same deal) and great house that we love all 1200 square feet of (check back in two years when we have at least one toddler running around in it), at least two families that love me, friends that care about my deepest issues, a dog that is pretty cool and the opportunity to go into business for myself while fulfilling a dream of ours. All in all, I have a pretty sweet gig going on. Not that everyday is great and even with all that I have, there are days when my life for one reason or another doesn't feel fulfilled. My wife, (the #1 ranked wife) taught be that no matter what, life will never fully satisfy us; that not everyday will be perfect. I am so thankful she taught me that because being able to understand that is the first step to finding peace with what you have. She also taught me that sort of all satisfying fulfillment will only come from a higher power than anything Earth alone has to offer. If you believe like Courtney and I do, that will only come from God. Perhaps He designed us that way to remember where we came from in the first place. But regardless of your spiritual beliefs, it is important to understand that all the money in the world, all the mind bending substances in the world, all the friends in the world, all the ANYTHING in the world will not satisfy a person's core. Be thankful for what you do have for all the reasons you were thankful you got them in the first place. And do this not only this season of the year, but in every other season as well. Happy Holidays to you!

Pushing 'Play'

(Disclaimer: Treat this blog as as much of a journal for Courtney and I as anything else. When I say “lesson” what I mean is a lesson I’m making a note of in my head. I am not about to shove lessons down the people’s throats that read this blog. Because you are all better people than I.) Courtney and I recently listened to a great sermon from our former church in Charlotte based on the book of Haggai. I didn’t even know the book existed before (don’t judge me, I’m trying to be authentic). It is two short chapters near the end of the Old Testament with a great history and spiritual lesson. Here’s a brief recap. In around the 7th Century BC the people in Jerusalem were attacked and sent into exile by the Babylonians. The Babylonians basically torched the place; the homes, the temple that Solomon built, everything. For years the Jews lived in exile and then another empire arose in Persia and defeated the Babylonians. Lesson one: never be a bully, there will always be someone quicker, younger, stronger than you that may kick your butt. The leader of this Persian empire, Cyrus, felt led by God to let the Jews return to their Promised Land and rebuild their homes and temple. He even provided them the resources to do so. They returned and got the foundation of the temple built. Then resources began to run low and financial and political unrest grew and work stopped on the temple. They devoted their resources to their food, homes and in general living. Then they received a message from God through the prophet Haggai, “How is it that it’s the ‘right time’ for you to live in your fine new homes while the Home, God’s Temple, is in ruins? (1:4)” WHOOPS! Not the message you’re hoping to wake up one morning and receive. God then gave them direction and encouragement, “I am with you.(1:13)” Lesson 2: If you feel led to call someone to the carpet on something, do so briefly and without apology, then encourage them moving forward. Of course, they proceeded to finish the temple and even though they felt it wasn’t as spectacular as Solomon’s first temple, God promised it would be. “This Temple is going to end up far better than it started out, a glorious beginning but an even more glorious finish: a place in which I will hand out wholeness and holiness.(2:9)” It just so turned out to be the place Jesus was dedicated, thousands were saved and the temple in which the curtain tore when Jesus died. Basically a remarkable place. Lesson 3: Giving back to God doesn’t have to be pretty, just intentional and meaningful. So on to my point. How many times in our lives do we put what is important on pause while we focus on all the wrong things? How many times do we put giving back to God, where we get everything in the first place, on pause to build our own temples? Courtney’s previous blog points out exactly what I’m feeling. While certain aspects of our lives have certainly been on fast forward (really fast, like >>> fast), a certain part of our spiritual lives have been on pause. We’re spending time in the word and in community, but we haven’t been giving back to God. We keep asking Him for more and more, while giving less and less. That’s not being a good friend. Think about if you know someone that always seems willing to take and take and take, but never give. Not a great feeling towards them, is it? So if you believe as I do that everything I have comes from God, and I don’t give back, then I’m just ‘that guy’. It is time to push “Play” and refocus my energy in all my relationships starting with God, my wife, my child and my family and friends. Thank you for *listening* and peace and love to you. Thanks Will.