The Pursuit of Happyness?

On Wednesday night, after our friends Kevin and Marissa had come over for dinner, Heidi and I had a hankering for a movie. So, while I washed dishes, Heidi cruised over the McDonald’s Redbox. She returned with The Pursuit of Happyness, a movie we had both heard was good. It was . . . interesting.

The Pursuit of Happyness has great acting (Will Smith and his son where fantastic) and kept us interested the whole time. On the other hand, the movie just kept heaping so many bad things upon the main characters that it started to get painful for us as viewers. Also, the ending was so abrupt that I felt that we did not get any payoff for the pain we suffered. Just a couple shots of them being happy would have sufficed. The final words on the screen did not tell us much about what happened to them after the events of 1981. After the journey we took with them, there was no proper ending.

Here is my biggest beef with this and other “inspired by true events” movie. (Spoiler alert!) The movie was based on the fact that there was a guy named Chris Gardner and he had a kid, lived in San Francisco, and got a job. Almost everything else that happened in the movie was false. Chris was married, but cheated on his wife twice, the second time resulting in his son’s birth and his leaving his wife for the child’s mother. During that time he was a heavy drug user (including Cocaine and Marijuana) and a drug dealer (until a gang scared him from that habit). He did go to jail, but it was for hitting his girlfriend, not parking tickets, though they kept him twelve days for the parking tickets. The IRS never took the money from his bank account, he never solved the Rubic’s Cube, and he never sold bone density scanners. He did have another child with his girlfriend and then he left both children with her while he moved to New York City for two years after he got his job. Finally, the internship paid $1000 a month, not nothing, and they took everyone who passed the test, not just one out of 20. To sum it up, the movie was pure fiction about a man who was mostly a lowlife. How disappointing.

A good weekend.

Last night Heidi and I decided to take advantage of some nice weather for an evening walk. We took the footbridge over 35W and followed 24th St to Hennepin Ave before turning back for home. As we walked we admired the unique houses of the Uptown neighborhood and did some people watching. After we turned around and headed back to our house, I thought to myself how odd it was that we had not been asked for money yet. In the next 15 minutes, we were asked twice. Along with that morning, when we were asked for money in St. Paul, that made three requests. I always feel bad turning people down, but cannot accommodate everyone’s request. Along with that, it is almost impossible to discern viable requests from professional panhandlers. I guess I am jaded from living in the city. After 10+ years of city living, my idealism has faded. I miss it.

On Saturday, I participated in an epic 27 hole round of Disc Golf with Dan, Brian, and Robbie at Silverview Park in Mounds View. As usual, Dan mopped the floor with us, but Robbie, Brian, and I played a close game until the end. The final scores were Dan at -6, Robbie at +4, me at +7 and Brian at +9. The three of us played a closer game than it appears from the final score. I had a great time playing with those guys.

Heidi sure is cute.

How cool was that?

Heidi and I returned last evening from Warsaw, Indiana, where we were attending my nephew’s wedding reception. (That will have to be a whole other blog entry.) After dropping off my aunt Sandy, who rode back with us, we went to return the car we were driving to Heidi’s mother, Lyn. She had graciously let us take her car to Indiana since, unlike my car, it has AC, cruise control, and a working speedometer. We met her at work and got to talking in the parking lot and she suggested we grab some dinner.

We ate at a Mexican restaurant on Central Ave, near 694, but I cannot remember the name and don’t feel like looking it up. The food was pretty good and we had a great conversation. When it came time to get the check, the server told us that someone from another table paid for our dinner. Evidently a man sitting at a table near ours decided to bless us. We do not know if it was someone we know or just a complete stranger. None of us remember who was sitting around us and none of us recognized anyone that we knew walking by. If it was anyone who reads this blog, thank you.

DVD Review: Open Range

Kevin Costner movies are hit and miss. On one hand, there are terrible films like Revenge, Waterworld, and 3000 Miles from Graceland. Yet, he also made Dances with Wolves, Robin Hood, and Open Range. In my humble opinion, Open Range is his best work. The story is about a group of cowboys who are taking a herd through open country and get waylaid by a cattle rancher’s goons. The cowboys, knowing that they would never be able to escape the area with their herd intact, fight back. Along with some great action sequences, there is a sweet love story and some fantastic dialog. The lead characters, played by Costner and Robert Duvall, are men of action, not words. The dialog between them is sparse, but meaningful. The movie builds up slowly in a way that makes you care about the characters, so that when the final conflict comes, there is an emotional investment. Open Range carries an R rating, but the fight scenes are not graphic and the language was more on par with a PG-13. This is the best modern western in years.

Great scenes:
- When Boss brings the Marshall “breakfast”.
- During the gunfight when Baxter threatens the townsfolk. One of the wives yells back at him and then she looks at her husband to do something.
- The interactions of Charley and Sue in the garden.

Great line: Mack: Shame what this town's come to.
Charley Waite: You could do something about it.
Mack: What? We're freighters. Ralph here's a shopkeeper.
Charley Waite: You're men, ain't you?
Mack: I didn't raise my boys just to see 'em killed.
Charley Waite: Well you may not know this, but there's things that gnaw at a man worse than dying.

Weekend at the cabin

I like Watermelon

It's kinda hard to see, but the coffee cup is my favorite.

This past weekend we were priviledged to spend a glorious weekend up at a friend's cabin in Vining, MN. It was wonderful, that's got to be one of the best things about MN. Having friends with cabins!

There is an artist in Vining to makes fantastic sculpture out of scrap metal. Here's a toe. I love it! I don't really get into art too much, but if you can consider this art, I totally dig it.

Theme song

I (Tim) have been meaning to write some more meaningful blogs about the cool stuff going on in our lives, but have not had much time. Instead, I have another short entry about the Transformers movie.

The new theme song to the Transformers movie can be found through this link: http://www.myspace.com/mutemath

The band Mute Math, which recorded it, is a Christian band who has seen some pretty good mainstream success. They must have felt really silly singing the word "Decepticon". At least they will be able to pay the mortgage this year.

weddings, weddings, weddings

We have had 5 weddings to attend this spring and while it's been busy, it's been super fun! Three down, 2 to go! My little brother gets married TOMORROW and i will post photos of that fun later on. Last weekend we attended a very fun wedding of a co-worker of mine from Starbucks, someone who has become a very dear friend. Petra and JG came with us to Wisconsin for the weekend and we had a ball!

Kevin and Marissa

Chuck-E-Cheese

We took our nephews to Chuck-E-Cheese a while back and we were all wearing Crocks, isn't that fun!

weird

When we have company over, Tim does much of the cleaning and picking up right before they come as I am usually cooking. He likes to lay out my pajamas on the bed and then when we give people a tour, they see them. Weird. This time, my pajamas were prego. (Translation: pregnant.) Weird.

finally

After much coaxing, Tim has finally decided to let me start cutting his hair. Here is the before of the second time I cut it. You will have to let us know what you think when you see him!

Memorial Weekend Update

Did anyone else see the Season Finale of LOST? What a great show. Heidi and I did not see that end coming. I suspect that the survivors of Oceanic 815 are now in worse trouble than before. Hurley the hero was awesome. January is a long time to wait for new episodes.

We had a great holiday weekend. On Friday night Heidi and I walked around Lake Calhoun. Then, on Saturday we drove to Milwaukee with Peter and JG for a wedding. (This was after Heidi worked from 5 am to 9 am.) We arrived at Kevin and Marissa’s wedding with about 2 minutes to spare. It was a nice wedding and a fantastic reception. On Sunday we drove home, took a nap, and visited the Dan and Lindsey Lundberg’s new baby. What a cutie. I got up on Monday morning and went biking with my sister, Sally, and her family. After that I picked up Heidi and we headed to her parents place for lunch. I lost a couple games of Bocce ball and we all enjoyed the Batten’s new deck. Then we headed to Chris and Zong Heng’s house for some more food. They make the most amazing Asian food. I would rather go to their house than any Asian restaurant any day. Now we need another weekend to catch up on all the sleep we did not get in the last one.

A decent round

Last night I (Tim) played a round of disc golf at Acorn Park with Jer, Eric, and Nick. First we purchased some new discs at Fairway Flyerz. Nick, taking a practice throw before we even started, put his brand new driver in the pond. A guy that was walking by sold him a used driver for $5, and after the round Eric waded into the muck and retrieved Nick’s disc. We all played pretty well. I finished with a +9 on the day, which is a decent round for me. I enjoyed playing with those guys.

My nephew, Tim the Mann, is getting married on Saturday. I wish him and Amanda all the best. I love being married. If I had known how much fun it was, I would have done it years ago. Of course, when I was in college, Heidi was in Junior High, so that would not have worked so well. At least not in this state.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love my Sweet Baboo? Cause I love her a lot.

I'm so excited. . . and I just can't hide it. . .

I (Tim) loved the Transformers toys as a kid. You can imagine my excitement when I heard that a live action Transformers movie was in the works. Now I just have to hope that it is not awful. I figure the only way to ruin this movie would be to pull a Hulk (where they forgot to include the Hulk in the movie). If there are lots of big robots and explosions, I will be happy.

Here is the link to watch the trailer: http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808716430/trailer

A weekend in Kansas City

Last Friday morning, Heidi and I loaded up the Mazda (also known as the Oven, since it has no AC) and headed south on I-35. We arrived in Centerville, Iowa around 4 pm. I played a round of disc golf at the city park while Heidi did some shopping. (I played poorly and lost a disc in the creek.) After that we drove over to Uncle Jim and Aunt Marla’s place. We spent an enjoyable evening eating and talking. Uncle Jim is Heidi’s great uncle and one of the more interesting people I have ever met.

After breakfast in Centerville, we got back in the Oven and drove to Kansas City. Heidi’s long time friend Tammy met us for lunch at Panera. Afterward, I left them to shop and do girl stuff while I met up with my buddy Peter for a round of disc golf. We had fun, even though he beat me by one stroke. The course we played, Swope Park, was great. After we finished I picked up Heidi and we shared an excellent meal with Peter and Elizabeth. Mention must be made of their awesome baby, Glorie. What a cutie. We enjoyed hanging out with them.

On Sunday morning we had breakfast with Peter and Elizabeth, and headed out for brunch with PJ, Heidi’s mother’s best friend, and her husband Joe. We had a good time. On the drive back home we had a passenger. Sue, a British woman who was returning home via Minnesota, rode back with us. She was great and never complained about how hot it was in our car, even with the windows down.

Over the course of the weekend we had four support appointments and I got to play two rounds of disc golf. I would call that a productive weekend. It was also the second time that we visited KC but did not spend time at the International House of Prayer. I guess we will need to return to KC again.

An update by Tim

We have not given a financial support update recently, so here goes. We are at about 30% of our monthly support and about 65% of our cash project. We have our 2nd church officially on board and sending checks, with a couple more verbally committed. Our own church, Bethel Christian Fellowship, has committed to being our sending church, but has not given a support amount yet. BCF is an excellent missionary sending church, so we feel blessed that they want to send us. We are so grateful to everyone who has financially supported us thus far and those of you who are planning to join our financial support team. We are also grateful for the prayer warriors out there lifting us up. We cannot properly express our gratitude for you.

LOST is the best show on TV. (It is also the only show that Heidi and I watch regularly.) After that stupid episode about Jack’s tattoos earlier in the season, the show has totally redeemed itself. Last night’s episode was excellent. Uncle Rico rules.

Last Saturday Heidi and I attended the wedding of Carlos and Priscilla Conway at St. Paul Fellowship. It was a blast. The SPF crowd always has the best wedding dances. I love dancing with my Sweet Baboo.

It may have been the game of my life.

Yesterday I (Tim) ventured out to Acorn Park in Roseville for a round of Disc Golf with Eric Unger. It may have been the game of my life. I had three birdies on the day and finished at +7. It would have been a +6, but my shot for bogie on 18 rimmed out. The best I have ever played at Acorn before was a +8. It was a beautiful day with a light wind. Eric lost his only driver to the pond on Hole 1 and did not have such a good round. Life is good.

Last night’s Young Adult Bible Study (YABS) was great. Julie led us in an activity where everyone shared what we appreciated about each other. Afterward we had smoothies. Treats and affirmation. Does it get any better than that?

Heidi is my favorite.

headache update and prayer request

About 2 years ago, I made a decision to stop seeking medical treatment for my headaches b/c I didn't want anything (like medication) to stand in the way of my knowledge of what I knew God was going to do in healing me. Near the end of summer I felt called to re-evaluate this decision and I "told" God that I was willing to go back to a Dr. but I wanted Him to make it clear and I even had some specific terms. I bet God just loves it when we pray like that!! :P In December, the Lord answered my prayer to the T and through a prophetic word, I knew which Dr. I needed to go see. So I have been seeing a dentist for the past few months primarily focusing on my jaw with some physical therapy and a splint to get me re-aligned. I am headed in for another appointment this Wednesday morning and I would be greatly blessed by your prayers. Before I see the dental team, I have a cranio-sacral appointment, aka physical therapy for my head. It works with pressure points and the plates of the skull, as well as some of the muscles in my mouth.

This will be the second splint that we have tried so please pray for accuracy. If the splint wasn't made right, pray that God perfects it before Wednesday! The last time I went in for this cranio-sacral therapy I was in so much pain that it knocked me out for two days. I know the treatment is beneficial, but it still hurts. Please pray that God would work through these treatments and bring healing to my body. Thanks!

Here's a fun pic of all the gear I had to wear to get fitted for the splints. I had to do all this twice! It took 4 hours each time!

Moments we will never forget

Back in 1993, my mother called me and told me how five people were shot at the Chuck E Cheese in Aurora, CO. Four people died that night at the hands of a sixteen year old boy with a grudge. My good friend Duane Trantham worked there (he was the guy in the suit) and had gone home less than 30 minutes before the killing occurred. I will never forget that phone call.

A sunny day in April, 1999, I heard over the radio about a school shooting at Columbine High School while I drove a van full of teenage boys to a track meet in Wisconsin. The first few reports did not identify which Denver area high school and my imagination began to run wild.

On September 11, 2001, I vividly remember Chris Heng telling me through the bathroom door about a plane hitting the World Trade Center and that I should probably listen to the radio on my way to work.

Some things will never be forgotten. Some things should never be forgotten. I think about these things as the worst campus shooting in United States history just took place at Virginia Tech. A place known for football and engineering, it will now forever be known for April 16, 2007. Many people will never be able to get that day out of their minds. Many lives have been changed forever.

These are the times when saying “God is in control”, is just not quite enough. We need something deeper. Sometimes we need to cry out in our prayers. It is no coincidence that many of the Psalms are songs of lament. In these situations I find Psalm 10 encouraging. Psalm 10:18 says the Lord hears our cries and defends us “. . .in order than man, who is of this earth, may terrify no more.” There will be trouble in this world, but God is good and someday justice and peace will reign. In the meantime, no matter what happens, it is true that God is still in control.

It freezes us!

It has been abnormally cold in MN. We are even supposed to get snow overnight and during the day tomorrow. Yuck.

On Saturday, Dan Lundberg and I played the coldest round of disc golf either of us ever played. The wind was awful. We both played terrible. At the start, the temp was about 20 degrees, but it did warm up some while we played. I also lost a disc in the water on hole 9 (we played Acorn Park in Roseville). The disc was floating upside down next to the ice, but the ice was too thin to hold me and I was not going into wade into water when the air temp was 20 degrees. There were not any sticks long enough, either. I loved that disc. Oh well.

Heidi and I had a good time on Easter Sunday with Sally (my sister) and Kent. Chase and Carver had an Easter egg hunt, but it was a little cold, so we did not stay out long. Easter is supposed to be a spring holiday.

Sally and Kent gave me a sweet "Life is good" t-shirt with an Ultimate Frisbee player on it. I love it.

Movie review: TMNT

Back in ’83 there was an independent comic book released about 4 wisecracking, adolescent, mutated turtles, that love pizza and had ninja training. From that unlikely source came several different afternoon cartoons, three movies, and many, many toy sales. In 2007, someone decided to update the franchise with a fourth movie. However, instead of turtle suits and white rappers, the turtles returned in computer generated animation. It was a good choice.

I loved TMNT. From the incredible graphics to the sci-fi storyline, it was a fun ride. There is even a scene based on the life of Duane Trantham, pre-1994. (If you know Duane, you’ll know it when you see it.) It is a family friendly film that shows the redemption of broken relationships, but mostly just has sweet action scenes and some great wisecracks. If you like stuff like that, you will like TMNT. If you are looking for something deeper, skip it.

Great scene: The Turtles and their allies fight the entire foot clan with POD’s “Light’s Out” in the background.

Great line: Michelangelo: Did anyone get the license plate of that thing that hit us last night? It looked like your mom, dude!
Donatello: Yeah, that would make her your mom too, doofus.
Michelangelo: Nuts.