Do you ever receive a gift from someone who unexpectedly nails the gift? In my family, everyone wanted Beth to draw their name growing up because she was an excellent Secret Santa and gift-giver. By the way, again this year, about half of the Chapman clan guessed Mary or Beth as their Secret Santa...suggesting perhaps certain Chapmans are both better and more desirable as Secret Santa's. However, it also suggests that perhaps their is a certain type of reputational mystique around certain people - giving them the benefit of all good secret santaing. I wonder if perhaps its like Gonzaga in the Top 25 despite getting hammered by good teams due to past history.
However, there are some that might fear a certain someone giving them a gift. I have found that receiving gifts from my in-laws is particularly awkward. I don't know why. I really like Ed and Louana and generally we get along very well. They don't give bad gifts usually. I just find the process awkward because they don't as they say in Avatar (the movie not the cartoon) "see me".
But I must say that my father-in-law nailed his gift to me this year. There is a price limit and a draw. So you don't know who you have and frankly, its hard to hit a home run because of the limit. But, excellent effort by Ed this year. He got me two things. FIFA Soccer 2009 (I know that it is not the newest version) was a brilliant stroke, and then Bill Bryson's "In a Sunburned Country" - possibly the funniest book that I have ever read and do not own (until now). This was such a truly extraordinary effort - that I thought it deserved mentioning in public and noted forevermore. Ed Neesen well-gifted. Thanks.
I might also add that I now own two copies of Mr. Bryson's work - because my sister Mary - a fair SS in her own right - gave me her gift one day after Xmas. I now have a loanable copy and a sacred scripture copy for my early morning ritualistic perusal. If you don't know this book, it comes highly recommended and you can read it and savor it like a fine cut of meat - slowly and deliberately, savoring each passage - or simply devour it in one wild carnivorous feast of reading. Whatever suits your fancy.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
On snow
I really don't care for the cold, but I don't mind snow. Some dread the twenty inches of snow currently inhabiting their Omaha yards - but not me, I kind of like it. I particularly like taking out my much too large (unless you have five kids) Ford Expedition and driving over big snowy lumps in the road. I hope none of them are igloos or inhabited my small woodland creatures.
I also like sending my little kids into the backyard with the sole purpose of losing Star Wars figures in the Hoth like landscape that is the five foot high drifts in our backyard. Today after about a week of play - these drifts have little 4 and 6 yr old outlines cut into them from the brave ones breaking free of their snowy prisons.
In addition, I like watching snow fall. I think the peek out your window from behind the blinds to see if it has snowed or is snowing is an anticipatory moment that every person should receive. When I was a child, that look was the moment of truth regarding school. And today, it is the moment of truth regarding how early I have to get up to shovel. But over the holidays, its just one more great reason to sleep just a little bit later.
My kids have been sledding a couple of times in the last couple of weeks, and two weeks ago, I joined them. I do not remember what I thought when I was eight - plunging down the hill at Prairie Lane School - but I am fairly certain that I was not considering the co-pay options on a broken ankle caused by catching my boot on an outlying snow barnacle. So maybe some of the joy is gone from sledding...but I still have the Expedition.
I also like sending my little kids into the backyard with the sole purpose of losing Star Wars figures in the Hoth like landscape that is the five foot high drifts in our backyard. Today after about a week of play - these drifts have little 4 and 6 yr old outlines cut into them from the brave ones breaking free of their snowy prisons.
In addition, I like watching snow fall. I think the peek out your window from behind the blinds to see if it has snowed or is snowing is an anticipatory moment that every person should receive. When I was a child, that look was the moment of truth regarding school. And today, it is the moment of truth regarding how early I have to get up to shovel. But over the holidays, its just one more great reason to sleep just a little bit later.
My kids have been sledding a couple of times in the last couple of weeks, and two weeks ago, I joined them. I do not remember what I thought when I was eight - plunging down the hill at Prairie Lane School - but I am fairly certain that I was not considering the co-pay options on a broken ankle caused by catching my boot on an outlying snow barnacle. So maybe some of the joy is gone from sledding...but I still have the Expedition.
On fame and it being a small world
My family appeared in the Omaha World-Herald over the weekend. And while I would not consider this a monumental "accomplishment", I have been overwhelmed by the number of people congratulating me. Thank you for these congratulations! I was just trying to help the team - doing whatever was necessary for us to be successful.
Now, here's the strange part...today my wife told me that one of her friends upon reading the article, mentioned to her husband (who I assume does not know Cheryl) that she knows us and that her husband did not believe her. And with this disbelief made my wife's friend - show her connection to Cheryl on Facebook. Omaha is not a very big place - and I kind of think that anyone could know almost anyone else.
One of my favorite stories about this truth is from Steve Pedersen who knows Susie Buffett who is the daughter of Warren Buffett. Mr. Buffett was trying to get rid of some of his old furniture (I am sure that it is Nebraska Furniture Mart purchased), and so, in stepped Steve - "a family friend" - who acquired Mr. Buffett's furniture and now utilizes this furniture in his own house. This sort of connection crosses three generations and no obvious familial connection. Billions of dollars on one side and emo music maven on the other. However, honestly...in Omaha...anyone could know anyone or recieve their furniture. So, its not really that surprising to me - other than the fact that I know Steve.
Which is why my wife and I are so surprised that anyone would find us worth writing about or worthy of "knowing" in a famous sense. So, thanks again and I hope this is not a post that is considered too egotistical.
Now, here's the strange part...today my wife told me that one of her friends upon reading the article, mentioned to her husband (who I assume does not know Cheryl) that she knows us and that her husband did not believe her. And with this disbelief made my wife's friend - show her connection to Cheryl on Facebook. Omaha is not a very big place - and I kind of think that anyone could know almost anyone else.
One of my favorite stories about this truth is from Steve Pedersen who knows Susie Buffett who is the daughter of Warren Buffett. Mr. Buffett was trying to get rid of some of his old furniture (I am sure that it is Nebraska Furniture Mart purchased), and so, in stepped Steve - "a family friend" - who acquired Mr. Buffett's furniture and now utilizes this furniture in his own house. This sort of connection crosses three generations and no obvious familial connection. Billions of dollars on one side and emo music maven on the other. However, honestly...in Omaha...anyone could know anyone or recieve their furniture. So, its not really that surprising to me - other than the fact that I know Steve.
Which is why my wife and I are so surprised that anyone would find us worth writing about or worthy of "knowing" in a famous sense. So, thanks again and I hope this is not a post that is considered too egotistical.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
On my job
As part of my job, I have been asked to write a guest blog on Silicon Prairie News. If you do not know about this blog, I'd highly recommend that you become a regular reader because it is interesting and provides great information regarding the start-up community in Omaha.
On my house
I live in the house that my parents' owned before me. My family, in one form or another, has lived in this house since 1984. That is 25 years. And in that time, there have been almost no significant changes. It is likely that my wife, family and I will live in this house for a while...I'd guess a minimum of 20-23 years (approximate time for my youngest to get through college).
So, if you were living in your home from childhood and you could change things over a period of time - what would you change first? In addition, if you knew or suspected that you had a 20 year window to make these changes - would that impact your thought process?
I find that there are things that I'd love to change - such as adding a bathroom in the basement and a wet bar or having a library or more space with fewer rooms. But, when you know you pretty want to re-do everything but keep the continuity the first couple of steps are really challenging because you don't want to destroy the existing heritage. So, how do you keep the essence and character but slowly evolve the place to be more usable.
My immediate thoughts are better efficiency - windows, lighting, insulation, roofing and a bigger water heater. However, I am open to other people's thoughts. What would you do if you were in my shoes with your own childhood home?
So, if you were living in your home from childhood and you could change things over a period of time - what would you change first? In addition, if you knew or suspected that you had a 20 year window to make these changes - would that impact your thought process?
I find that there are things that I'd love to change - such as adding a bathroom in the basement and a wet bar or having a library or more space with fewer rooms. But, when you know you pretty want to re-do everything but keep the continuity the first couple of steps are really challenging because you don't want to destroy the existing heritage. So, how do you keep the essence and character but slowly evolve the place to be more usable.
My immediate thoughts are better efficiency - windows, lighting, insulation, roofing and a bigger water heater. However, I am open to other people's thoughts. What would you do if you were in my shoes with your own childhood home?
Homelessness
I am on the board of the Siena/Francis House in Omaha which is a homeless shelter that also has a women's shelter and an addiction rehabilitation program.
And so, I think about homelessness somewhat frequently. And, I wonder if it is a necessary thing based on capitalism and the possibility that capatilism necessitates a super low class that simply fails to integrate into the system or if homelessness is really based on deep-seated psychological problems that would result in homeless people in any economic system in any period of time. This is not a statement about an individual homeless person but homelessness as a whole and its underlying causes. If you go back to first principles, is homelessness caused primarily through neglect or systemwide breakdowns or is it caused because of the existence of certain types of disabilities that will regularly exist at the margins of organized society. This is not a statement of position - just a thought experiment.
I don't really know the answer, but would be curious about any thoughts or responses.
On a related topic, if you could impact homelessness in your community - what would you do? I have the unique ability to push for some measure of effort in Omaha, and I'd love ideas to help the community's homeless population.
And so, I think about homelessness somewhat frequently. And, I wonder if it is a necessary thing based on capitalism and the possibility that capatilism necessitates a super low class that simply fails to integrate into the system or if homelessness is really based on deep-seated psychological problems that would result in homeless people in any economic system in any period of time. This is not a statement about an individual homeless person but homelessness as a whole and its underlying causes. If you go back to first principles, is homelessness caused primarily through neglect or systemwide breakdowns or is it caused because of the existence of certain types of disabilities that will regularly exist at the margins of organized society. This is not a statement of position - just a thought experiment.
I don't really know the answer, but would be curious about any thoughts or responses.
On a related topic, if you could impact homelessness in your community - what would you do? I have the unique ability to push for some measure of effort in Omaha, and I'd love ideas to help the community's homeless population.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Snow
What would happen if Houston had 12 inches of snow? Currently, the news forecast in Omaha is for a mere 10-12 inches. I think most things will be cancelled or closed tomorrow and Wednesday. And, I am not so secretly (although I would not tell my children) hoping that the Christmas Cantata is rescheduled.
I remember that we had flurries one time when we lived in Houston, and the driving was simply atrocious. People were basically pulling over to the side of the road and abandoning their cars. I remember also a small contingent that moved to the far right and started driving about 10 miles per hour...Unfortunately, neither of those comments are jokes.
What I most remember about the cold in Houston - is the coats. About this time of year, my fiance (Cheryl who is now my wife) and I attended a religious ceremony at St. Michael's Catholic Church in the Galleria area of Houston. It was a normal Sunday - nothing particularly special about the day or the season (maybe the second week of advent - but there wasn't even a pink candle lighting). I remember walking in wearing a sweater and khaki pants (standard fare for the typical mass at St. Michael's) - right at the buzzer - as the priest was preparing to enter. I looked around and there was a mixed crowd. No jokes. I remember an entire family wearing ski jackets - gloves, hats, boots (although I don't think they were ski boots). They were about one-third of the way back. I also remember full mink coats, hats and gloves by the dozen. The temperature was 45, and I think that it got over 50 in the afternoon. That was the moment that I realized that I was not in Kansas anymore - God forbid the frozen tundra that is Nebraska this week.
I remember that we had flurries one time when we lived in Houston, and the driving was simply atrocious. People were basically pulling over to the side of the road and abandoning their cars. I remember also a small contingent that moved to the far right and started driving about 10 miles per hour...Unfortunately, neither of those comments are jokes.
What I most remember about the cold in Houston - is the coats. About this time of year, my fiance (Cheryl who is now my wife) and I attended a religious ceremony at St. Michael's Catholic Church in the Galleria area of Houston. It was a normal Sunday - nothing particularly special about the day or the season (maybe the second week of advent - but there wasn't even a pink candle lighting). I remember walking in wearing a sweater and khaki pants (standard fare for the typical mass at St. Michael's) - right at the buzzer - as the priest was preparing to enter. I looked around and there was a mixed crowd. No jokes. I remember an entire family wearing ski jackets - gloves, hats, boots (although I don't think they were ski boots). They were about one-third of the way back. I also remember full mink coats, hats and gloves by the dozen. The temperature was 45, and I think that it got over 50 in the afternoon. That was the moment that I realized that I was not in Kansas anymore - God forbid the frozen tundra that is Nebraska this week.
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