Greg's Perspective

Weekend, what weekend?

2010-02-07T17:45:00.002-08:00

It is great to be home, but between church and the J. Alvin super bowl party today I don't really feel like I've been "home" yet. The presentation went really well. It took a lot of time to prepare, but I'm really happy with how it went. We didn't get the best time slot to lead our session, but I'm glad to get the experience. We were the first session on Saturday morning and we brought Krispy Kreme for everyone to help get them ready for dialogue. Elisa got sick the day after I left with a fever. The fever is gone now, but she is still on edge and pretty emotional. She starts crying and freaking out really easily and quickly. I'm hoping she sleeps long and well tonight so that she causes less stress for Carolyn going into another long work week.

Snow Art

2010-02-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Here is a highlight of the snow art found around campus this week:

Reservations

2010-02-03T20:50:00.002-08:00

Greetings from Tallahassee! I'm in town for the conference I wrote about a few months ago here. As I was renting our car tonight I was reminded of this Seinfeld clip:

Our car rental went fine and we got our car, but our hotel overbooked and we couldn't stay there. We had to go to a different hotel. They are taking care of us and it will get worked out, but it makes me laugh.

Pic of the Day

2010-01-30T19:57:00.003-08:00

Although we haven't weighed him in two months, we think he weighs as much now (3 mo.) as Elisa did at a year.

Elisa Singing

2010-01-30T17:53:00.002-08:00

A few of Elisa's favorite songs to sing: Baby it's Cold Outside, Jesus Loves Me, and ABCs.

Midseason Grades

2010-01-17T15:29:00.003-08:00

Here is my assessment of the Blazers at the mid-way point of the season. Keep in mind that this is subjective and mid-season grades are really relative to my expectations at the start of the season. Here you go:

The MVPNBR award (most valuable player not named Brandon Roy) goes to Martell Webster. He lead the league in 3's this month and has really stepped up his game this year.

Roy: A- He is carrying this team and not letting down any expectations for a two time all-star. It would be a solid A if not for the injury concerns.

Aldridge: C. He's not stepping it up. Besides aches & pains, is he having big contract let down?

Miller: B- It would be a C- if not for the month of January.

Webster: A- Rough start to the season, but for how long he was out he has adjusted nicely. Can't wait to see what he can do in the coming years if his play can stay consistent.

Bayless: C+ He's just too inconsistent. I get nervous every time he touches the ball. He's shown flashes of brilliance (starting in place of Roy), but I'm not convinced he isn't just reckless with some luck. He has yet to have a stand out game against a solid defensive opponent (Except San Antonio who was having an off night.

Blake: C- He's just not been in this season yet. I'd like his flaming bag pass numbers go down and his shooting percentage to stay up.

Howard: A. This guy has stepped up big time. He could have been taking it easy coasting through these twilight years at the end. Instead he's working his tale off and coming in clutch. Did anyone predict Portland fans would be buying Juwan Howard jerseys at the beginning of the year?

Cunningham: C. Portland brass had high hopes for him coming in. He's handled the surprise of playing time well, but it's too soon to tell what he'll become. He's very athletic and it would be great if he could play a little more physical.

Pendergraph: A- He has amazed everyone with the role he's taken on this team (you'll find him in the middle of the pre-game circle getting everyone worked into a frenzy). He plays with such intensity and is carrying Joel's spirit of toughness.

Fernandez: C. Didn't get into a rhythm before he got injured and will need some time before getting back into the full swing.

The rest of the injured guys & Patty don't get grades since they're out of the picture all together right now. One comment on Joel & Greg though; it's just bad luck. The Blazers have to plan their future around LA & Roy. The lesson of this season is that anything they get from Oden is gravy and will help tremendously, but he just can't be relied on.

Coaches grades:

McMillan: A. Solid grade for handling a freakish year and keeping this group together. Also, extra credit for getting onto the court and sacrificing his Achilles for the sake of the team.

Monty Williams: A+ He stepped up huge on the east coast trip without Nate and got the team to stop navel gazing. The job offers are going to start coming in for him to get a top dog spot with another team any day now. This is a healthy sign for the Blazers. Good coaches reproduce good coaches (think Bill Parcells).

A Nice Break

2010-01-13T21:45:00.004-08:00

We had a great time in the Northwest. Traveling went well both directions. On the flight home last Friday, Elisa didn't sleep at all until the very last minute, literally. As we were landing I turned to her and said, "Look, we're landing! See how the ground is getting closer?" Then I looked over at Carolyn across the aisle and less than a minute later turned back to Elisa and she was out in a deep sleep. I ended up carrying her still in her car seat off the plane:

Upon arriving we found Siloam Springs to be in a deep freeze. The high temp last Friday, the day we got back, was 12. The picture below is of the fountains downtown by the library where Carolyn works.

The freeze is over by the way. Today it was 54.

A Special Day

2009-12-13T20:45:00.005-08:00

Today was Elisa's second birthday. We woke up in the morning and opened a few presents then had a delicious breakfast of waffles and smoothies.

Elisa has grown so much in the last couple months it's been amazing. She is becoming so much fun to play with and watch grow. I'm so thankful for my little 2 year old girl.

This has been a joyful two years of being her Daddy.

Fear of Failure

2009-12-09T13:21:00.003-08:00

Back in October I was challenged to submit a presentation proposal at an upcoming conference I wanted to attend. The conference is the Institute on College Student Values and it takes place at Florida State University in Tallahassee in early February. When I heard about the conference I knew I wanted to go, but it would be a little expensive. My boss encouraged me to make a presentation proposal to see if it could offset the cost. Patrick, one of the other RDs from JBU and I submitted a session titled "Assessing Student Values Gained Through Residential Living." After waiting what seemed like a really long month and a half we finally got word that our proposal was accepted!

Putting myself out there to be rejected really made me nervous because it's not a very big conference and this is something I've never done before. Multiple times while Patrick and I were planning I almost said it wasn't worth it and thought about quiting. My insecurity was getting to me and making me think it wasn't worth the effort. I'm really thankful we went for it. We also got a scholarship from ACSD (Student Development organization we're members of) to offset the cost. Now the hard work of preparation begins.

Tip of the Day

2009-12-05T14:47:00.001-08:00

If you buy a new pair of running shoes, you shouldn't run 5 miles the first time you wear them.... you'll get blisters.

Generation Gap

2009-12-03T20:46:00.003-08:00

While having lunch with a student today mentioned that old video game, Skate or Die:

He had no idea what I was talking about.

Elisa's Pie

2009-11-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

Working Out

2009-11-11T06:43:00.003-08:00

Elisa likes doing push ups.

You can't hear it very well (a little the first time), but each time she does a push up she gives this little grunt breath that is really funny.

Another Milestone

2009-11-06T19:07:00.001-08:00

Elisa used a spork for the first time tonight. She makes me so proud.

Pictures)

2009-11-02T18:32:00.003-08:00

Elisa was really cute in her tigger outfit for Halloween. We went downtown with the crowds on Friday afternoon. She loved seeing all the other kids and watching them walk around. However, we had an unfortunate turn of events with our camera. After taking a picture I set it on the stroller and as we started walking again it feel off. It doesn't take pictures anymore. So, they will be fewer and further between for now. Fortunately we still have our old film camera and will be able to continue documenting the growth of Jonathan and Elisa, it'll just be a little less convenient for right now. Any recommendations on digital cameras (I'm hoping to replace before Christmas)?

Opening Night

2009-10-27T13:54:00.005-07:00

It's been a long off-season and tonight the Blazers are back in action after reaching the playoffs for the first time in 5 years last year. They had 54 wins in 08-09 and they are going have less this year because of a tougher schedule, even though they will be a better team. Portland is no longer emerging, youth isn't an excuse anymore and the championship window is open. The expectation is that they will make a run at winning the Western Conference since they are the best team in the West to challenge the LA Lakers.

The key to the season is going to be chemistry. They have the depth (their second unit could start for 1/3 of the teams in the league), coach, and foundational pieces (Roy, Oden, & Aldridge - photo above) to make a deep run in the playoffs. It all depends on if the team put personal accomplishments aside for the good of the whole (click here for more).

At the end of the season, everyone will be disappointed if there is another first round playoff exit. With the championship window open they only have a few (3-4) years to make it all the way. Teams climbing the ladder only get 1 or 2 shots at winning it all. This year will be a good test to see if they can go deep into the playoffs and whether they will really be contenders. It will be fun to watch and I can't wait for that championship parade..... soon, very soon.

A Good Weekend

2009-10-25T21:54:00.004-07:00

Elisa picking out her pumpkin.

We went to the Farmers Market in Fayetteville on Saturday morning.

Elisa kept picking up this tomato and I'd ask her to put it back. This process was repeated about six times before the guy said she could have it. She liked eating as much as she enjoyed holding it.

At one point I looked at Elisa in the stroller and her bunny was gone. She had dropped him somewhere. We started walking back retracing our steps and found him sitting right here waiting and enjoying the view.

Nike's 10K

2009-10-24T20:52:00.002-07:00

Today was The Human Race 10k. This was the second year of this event and the whole idea seemed cool to me. Joining with a million other people around the world, all running on the same day at the same distance. Participants use Nike+ iPod kits and digitally upload their run times to Nike's website to verify completion. I recognize that the whole endeavor is a marketing scheme for Nike, but it was motivating for me to keep running. That's one big accountability group.

Shockingly, Siloam Springs wasn't one the 3 locations in the US that had organized races, so I had to run alone. Although most of the run went well I fell into a hole with about 2 miles from the end. There was a family standing in the trail blocking the path. A whole package kind of family: Grandma, Mom, Dad, Dog, 2 kids and they were all just standing there looking at the leaves. Since I was coming up behind them I figured I would just run by on the side in the grass. On my second step off the trail my right foot fell into a really deep skinny hole that was completely covered by leaves (I don't know how my shoe even fit into it since the opening wasn't that big). I'm really thankful and surprised that I didn't break my foot since the hole was deep enough that it came to 6 inches under my knee. I've never fallen while running before and it happened so quick. I was just running along then all of the sudden my leg disappeared and I was on the ground. All in all it was just a lot of fun to be apart of something on a global scale (99 countries were represented) while living in good ol' Siloam Springs.

In Depth Analysis

2009-10-20T09:21:00.002-07:00

The following is Elisa's commentary on Football while watching a highlight on ESPN:

"Ball!

running

FALL DOWN!"

Milestone

2009-10-16T14:32:00.002-07:00

Today, Elisa put her shoes on completely by herself. Then after her nap she did it again. They aren't just slip ons either, they have a Velcro strap. I don't know if it's just because there is a new baby here, but she has seemed so much bigger this week. Definitely a little girl now.

Weight

2009-10-14T19:08:00.003-07:00

Today was Jonathan's one week check up. No worries about getting back to birth weight. He gained six ounces. He's weighing in at 9 pounds 10 ounces.

Health Care

2009-10-14T17:46:00.002-07:00

Throughout the national debate about health care reform I've had mixed feeling about the whole thing. Having read a number articles from various newspapers and magazines have all been about the same. I've been craving a more nuanced view on the whole subject. I found it while perusing the November edition of Popular Mechanics.

I found the following interview with Dean Kamen. He is the inventor responsible for the Segway and a mobile dialysis machine to name a few. Here is the segment of the interview pertaining to healthcare (click here for the full article):

PM: What’s your opinion of the debate over healthcare?

DK: I’m very worried that the entire debate is misguided. I mean the whole supposition: “We have a crisis in healthcare.” Our healthcare system is developing incredible devices to improve the quality of people’s lives. We’re developing pharmaceuticals that alleviate the need for surgery. We’re making the surgeries that are necessary ever less invasive. If we have a crisis, it’s the embarrassment of riches.

PM: But how about rising costs and concerns about healthcare being rationed?

DK: Each side of this debate has created the boogeyman and monsters like “We don’t want to let this program come into existence because that will mean rationing.” Well, I hate to tell you the news, but as soon as medicine started being able to do incredible things that are very expensive, we started rationing. The reason 100 years ago everyone could afford their healthcare is because healthcare was a doctor giving you some elixir and telling you, you’ll be fine.Of course we ration today.

PM: So what’s the answer?

DK: The way to ration less is to make more good technical solutions. Diabetes alone, if you include all of the long-term, insidious consequences, is responsible for about 30 percent of the federal reimbursement for healthcare. But what if tomorrow we could wipe out diabetes? I’m sure in 1920 if you asked actuaries to say what percentage of our GDP are we going to spend taking care of people with polio, they’d say: “They’ll sit in iron-lung machines their whole lives with three people watching over them. We can’t support them all.” But what did it actually cost to deal with polio? Oh, $2 apiece. We gave them the Salk vaccine.

If you want to sit here today and project forward these horrific costs of treating everybody and you want to assume we are not going to make therapies and cures better, simpler and cheaper, well, you know what? We might actually get to that being the situation—if we stop investing in technology, if we stop believing that the future ought to be better than the past. I think this debate shows a fundamental lack of vision, a lack of understanding of what’s possible.

Pic of the Day

2009-05-29T15:41:00.003-07:00

I'm going to try and post a picture a day while Carolyn is away so she doesn't feel too left out from all the fun Elisa & I are having.

Jonathan Gregory Brock

2009-10-09T14:31:00.004-07:00

His name is Jonathan Gregory...It came right down to the final hour of being in the hospital, but Carolyn & I came to a decision we both really like. Jonathan means God has given or gracious. We've been home for about 24 hours now. It's fun watching Elisa's fascination with the baby and it's great getting everybody rested again. Carolyn seems to be doing great and was able to get some decent, albeit short, sleep last night.

For the record, it was much harder to pick a name for a boy name than for a girl.

First Look

2009-10-07T20:59:00.002-07:00