Slap Happy for Mexican Food

Rachel and I have been on a Mexican food kick. It all started the night that Mexican Night at the Zellner's Changed Our Life (That's going to be a chapter in my autobiography, by the way).

We do it often. Sometimes tacos, every once in a while enchiladas, and, recently, taco salad on occasion. Plus, the occasional trip to Maria's Tacos. But that's rare, and the real point of making Mexican is that we make it once, and with just a little work, we've got leftovers for about four meals. And it's cheap!

Normally, we'll make big grilled burritos. We take a giant burrito shell, fill it with a thick layer of cilantro rice, then cheese, then red/hot sauce (if it's mine), meat (either chicken or beef), refried beans, corn, and then more cheese. Lately, we've added sour cream to the mix. It's delicious! One of our favorite meals.

Anyways, on to the point of the blog entry. The wife was a bit slap happy today. I sent her an e-mail before lunch asking a dumb joke.

Q: What do you call a charming Mexican entree?

A: A Beau-rito

She thought it was hilarious.

So I sent her another one just before I picked her up.

Q: What kind of Mexican entree costs $200?

A: A Tac-Go!

And this proceeded a phone call with several more:

Q: What is a lawyer's favorite Mexican entree?

A: Case-adillas!

Q: What is a foot's favorite Mexican entree?

A: Toes-tadas!

And ... my favorite one of all ...

Q: What kind of Mexican entree do rulers eat by the dozen?

A: Inch-aladas!

(Go ahead ... laugh ... yes, it's stupid, but it's okay to laugh)



Sometimes, it's just good to be stupid and laugh. Got any to add?

Repost of a Repost From This Time Last Year

This is an entry I posted last year on this date. I'll post it again:

This is an entry I posted last year on this date. I'll post it again:

1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

11When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Happy Anniversary Rachel.

I love you.

Happy Anniversary Rachel.

I love you, now and forever.

Watch your glass

I tend to think of myself as an optimist. I think it's one of my better traits. I always look at potential and possibilities when faced with a set back. It certainly helps to be this way in the world of Insurance Sales.

I think, however, I would help myself further if I took time to actually celebrate the good things in my life. To think about what is making my glass half-full instead of half empty. It's so easy in life to focus on the things that frustrate us, and gloss over the things that make us happy and help guide us through the day.

I don't bust my hump trying to get new groups and sell insurance policies because I want to come home to a messy apartment that's too small for all the stuff we've accumulated. I do it because one day I want Rachel and I to own a beautiful house.

I don't pour my sweat, tears, and blood into Sigma Theta Epsilon because I want to bicker about policy or have frustrations with other members. I do it because I love to see potential transformed into an honest Christian man, ready to be a clergy or lay leader.

I don't put my effort into jOURney because I want to be disappointed when the worship space is less than half full. I do it because I know there's a need for this kind of church, and I know the impact it's already having life-by-life.

And yet, I never really sit down to meditate on things like this. I sit down and grab my hair and try to figure out how I'm going to pay the bills, how I'm going to manage stress, and if the projects I love and care about will ever thrive like I know they can. But I don't sit down and be honestly thankful that I have a fairly spacious apartment to come home to, that I have worthwhile organizations to volunteer for, and taht I have a job that allows me to have a flexible schedule and the possibility for rags to riches.

And I think ... I need to do this more.

No, I don't think that. I know it.

And then, I can become a real optimist.

No more will I see my glass as half-full. I'll see it as on the way to being overflowing.

Memo to Rachel

While I'm giving out memos, I have one for my wife, too.

I just listened to them run down the opening day line-up for the Indians. I'm excited.

And I still want to name a child Asdrubal.

I'm willing to pull "Utinni" off the table if you accept Asdrubal as a name for our third child, assuming we ever get there. That's right, Utinni completely off the table.

What do you say?

It's Back

The Wife and I have decided to try to bring back our Smite Blog. We've got a few things stockpiled that we think are Smite Blog worthy, so hopefully we won't get less than a dozen posts in and disappear again.

Hopefully.

And hopefully you get a few laughs out of it, if it's your cup of tea.

What do you want?

What do you want?

Seems a simple and innocent question. But think about it with me a little harder. What do you want? I'm not asking what would you like to see happen. What would you like to have. What are some things that would be nice.

What do you want?

I ask this because of something I just read in a book I'm reading by Frank Bettger. In the book, he says a man will move heaven and earth to get what he wants.

So, when you think about what you want, in this context, the question changes just a little bit. What are the things that you want to come about that you are willing to go through fatigue, embarrassment, suffering, pain, struggles, etc. for? What do you want? What do you really, really want.

I mean I'd like the Indians to win the World Series. I'd like my close friends and family to help me in accomplishing my goals, and to hold me accountable. I'd like the Cavs to make a miracle trade. I'd like CC Sabathia to sign a nice extension with the Tribe. I'd like to play through all the Zelda games back-to-back-to-back-... Etc. etc. etc.

But these are not things I want. Not as I've defined it. These aren't things I'll move heaven and earth to accomplish. They're not all things I have direct control over.

But there are a lot of things I want, as I've defined it above. And I have some-to-all direct control over those things. And, to help me get the things I want, I'm compiling a list.

I want to lose sixty pounds.
I want to be a homeowner.
I want to be a daddy.
I want Sigma Theta Epsilon to grow both in the refinement of men, and in the number of men we refine, and in the number of places we refine men.
I want jOURney to become a standard bearer of what a 21st century church can do.
I want to earn awards in Ohio West that no one else is earning.
I want my District and Regional Sales Coordinators to earn awards.

But I have a #1 on this list. Because lists like this need a #1. ANd it's something that will trigger some of the other wants.

I want to get a signed and completed M0138.5.


So, what do you want?

So, My Wife's out of Town

Rachel's on a trip. She outlined it in her last blog entry. She's down in Georgia for a trade show for SMD. Good for her. I miss her. I really do. We have a close, lovey, affectionate relationship, and I'm not ashamed of that.

It's doubly bad that I've been sick this week and so: a) we didn't get a lot of quality time just before she left and b) our first couple of phone conversations had to be cut short due to throat pain.

But, as I always say, in bad things, find joy. So I give to you the top three things about Rachel being gone:

3) I get to eat food she hates. Today for lunch was black bean rice. Today for dinner was chili. Awww yeah.

2) The television hasn't been flipped from ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNEWS/NFLN to HGTV in a few days.

1) I don't have to leave the toilet seat down.

What is this again?

Hmmm

yeah.

On November 2nd I already had two blogs posted this month.

Today is the 29th. This will be the third. Oops.

Sometimes when I don't blog for a while, you should worry about me. It could be a sign that I'm getting down and depressed. This time, that's not the case. I've just been busy. With Thanksgiving, and seeing three of four parents, and work, and Rachel's parties, and fraternity stuff, it's just been a hectic month.

But I'm good. Just busy. And it's not like things are gonna clear up anytime soon. Not with Christmas around the corner, more work, more parties for Rachel, maintaining programming for the fraternity, and trying to see three of four parents again this month (different three, though), I don't see it letting up.

Although, I do have a declaration. Since, oh, about 2nd grade, I've been overweight and noticeably so. Well, I'm tired of that. So, I'm starting a diet and exercise program, along with Rachel, to lose sixty pounds. I'm hoping that by the time the last political campaign ad for the 2008 elections is aired (and God, how I can't wait for that to happen) my goal will be met.

So, if you see me on a regular basis, keep me accountable. And if you come to a table with me to break bread, keep me accountable. Please.

Repost from this time last year

This is an entry I posted last year on this date. I'll post it again:

1 If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. 2If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. 3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.
Love doesn't strut,
Doesn't have a swelled head,
Doesn't force itself on others,
Isn't always "me first,"
Doesn't fly off the handle,
Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn't revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end.

8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

11When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

12We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

13But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Happy Anniversary Rachel.

I love you.

My, How We Change

So, I realized I've changed quite a bit in the past 2.75 years since Rachel and I got married. I didn't realize until this morning just how deep the impact she's had on my everyday life.

I was putting socks on. And I noticed they weren't on my feet correctly. The seams weren't lined up correct. So I took them off, and put them back on correctly.

Let me explain: up until Rachel and I started dating, I didn't know that socks could go on in an incorrect manner. They're socks. They shape themselves to your feet. It's what they do. I even had some athletic socks with toe and heel marks on them, and still didn't get the message that the heel mark was supposed to go on your heel. I just thought it was a suggestion.

So, anyways, I get done with that, and get my semi-casual brown shoes out. Walk out to the living room to put them on, and see my tennis shoes, which I wore yesterday. I immediately set my brown shoes down and pick up my tennis shoes and put them away.

Again, up until Rachel and I started dating, I didn't know you needed to put shoes away. I thought putting them out of the way of tripping you was good enough. My parents even had a shoe tree in the main closet when I was growing up. I just kept my shoes in my bedroom for easier access for me. Thought the shoe tree was a suggestion.

Maybe Jeff Foxworthy is right ... all men are being trained ...