Amazing Race

So I watched some of the Amazing Race today, and I thought to myself, "I'd love to be on that show." Then I thought about who I'd bring as my team mate. The first person that came to mind was, of course, Crystal. She's super smart, super competitive and if I was going to see the world, I'd want her at my side. Then as the show went on I thought maybe my wife would be a bad choice. The couples on the show always fight. And since we're both super competitive we'd probably get in our fair share of arguments. I never actually decided on my hypothetical team mate, rather my mind decided to wander in a different direction. How many relationships have been destroyed because of this tv show? It seems like everyone fights and only the winners (and sometimes not even them) end up staying as friends. Check out this vid.

birchTV

I had coffee this morning with Rich Birch. Super cool guy, with a super cool life story. He also owns/operates/produces/writes/stars in his own reality tv show. http://birchtv.blogspot.com/ Yeah it's pretty sweet. One of the reasons I wish I had a Mac. Then I to could make mini videos of my life. Maybe get picked up by MTV and be the next Rob & Big. Except it'd be AJ & Doc. Sweeeeeeeet. Whoop whoop!

This Is For The Dreamers

I am a dreamer. (Maybe that's why I like Field Of Dreams so much.) It's part of who I am, and I don't think it'll ever go away. Sure people have tried to extinguish that fire that burns within me. Heck, at times I've tried to extinguish that fire in favour of "responsibility" and "growing up," but the fire never fully goes out. Well the dreamer in me has been extra active lately, and I think that's how it should be. I think God has given each of us dreams. We've been made by an incredibly creative God, and since we are made in his image, we are also creative beings. One of my dreams is to create an environment where people are free to dream. A venue where creativity is nurtured and dreams encouraged. A place where people discover what dreams God has placed in their hearts. A place where people can break out of the mundane and routine that has infiltrated their life. A place that awakens the dreamer in each of us. Sure you may say it's "pie in the sky" (whatever that means), but I believe it can happen.
Dreams come in all shapes and sizes. Almost 30 years ago one man had a crazy dream to start an all sports tv channel. Now it's ESPN. In 1976 one man had a dream to have computers available to the public. That dream turned into the company that is now Apple. Whether the dream is something small (like teaching developmentally challenged people life skills) or something big (saving the world's endangered species), I think we all have dreams inside of us. Dreams that God has put inside of us. Dreams that are bigger than we are. Dreams that could change the course of human history forever. Nurture those dreams, let them take root and grow inside of you. And don't let anyone try to tell you it can't be done.


That's all for now. Thanks for listening/reading.

Skim Withdrawl

I haven't had a good session since Saturday. I miss it. And watchin vids like this just increase my stoke. I'll see if I can head out tomorrow morning.

Sharkwater

There have been multiple times I have gone to the video store, with no idea what I wanted to rent. Usually it's with someone else and we walk around the store, trying to find a movie that will appeal to all the parties involved. There's a problem though. I'm usually the difficult one. I like documentaries and indie films. Try finding someone else who gets excited to see a movie no one's ever heard of before. Or someone who goes to the film festival section first. Well Sharkwater is one of those movies I want to see, but haven't found the right audience yet. Watch the trailer below, and maybe we can have a Sharkwater party if you're into it!

Nature = God

I was perusing the magazine rack at Chapters the other day, and one magazine caught my eye. There on the left-hand side of the page, in big black type the words "Nature = God*" "Hmmm... interesting" I thought to myself, and I bought it. I probably would have picked up the July issue of Surfing Magazine anyway, but now this really had me curious. I grabbed the magazine and quickly turned to page 126 to check out the feature article. It begins with the author reminiscing about how whenever he encounters crisis he surfs. When his grandfather passed away he hit the beach. When he found out his Dad had cancer, he went straight to his local break. The ocean was his "church." I find that very interesting. I'm very similar in that some of my best times with God (lately) have been when I'm at the beach, getting in an early morning session. There's something about being in the water, and experiencing the beauty of the sky and sea that stirs something up inside of me.
The author actually writes about going to a real church, Church of The Outer Banks, and how it really impressed him. The pastor began with a simple prayer in which he said: "we just want to feel your presence God." That line stuck with the writer and he claims that what surfing does. When's he's out riding a wave, big or small, he feels God's presence. It's actually a very interesting read, and almost an advertisement for Christianity.
In the pages following the feature story, they interview seven surfers about what they believe and one surfer, CJ Hobgood, goes all evangelist on the guys. He gives the whole salvation message and talks about how he is just as messed up as everyone else, but he has a relationship with Jesus Christ and has been redeemed through the cross. CRAZY! In a surf magazine! It was pretty sweet. Way to go CJ!
If you have some time to kill, go to Chapters, pick up the magazine, and just read that one story.

Car Of The Future?

BMW has come out with what they think is the car of the future. A car that is radically different from anything you've seen before. A car whose "skin" is not made of metal, but of cloth. Wait... it gets better. This car can change shape! Add a spoiler, blink, adjust its lines to make it more aerodynamic. Watch the video and be blown away.

What A Weekend!

This past weekend was SWEET! I took 3 contest winners (+1 friend each) up to Base Camp on Lake Joe in Muskoka for a weekend of crazy fun. We arrived on Friday to our own cabin, yeah that's right, we run things! It was the Roxy cabin, so everything was Roxy'd out! It came stock with a full kitchen, living room, deck and 3 bedrooms! Yeah, totally sweet.

Not only is the camp situated on the shores of Lake Joe, they also have a private lake that they have turned inti their slider lake... basically a snowboard park style set-up on the water. Very sweet.

To train for pulling crazy tricks on the water, they have a couple trampolines for you to use and get used to spinning and flipping. Well one of the winners (Jon) decided to try to pull some tricks on the tramp. Jon was bouncing and jumping and looking really cool, when all of a sudden he disappeared... well sort of. His one leg plowed right through the tramp and he got stuck. Here he surveys the damage.

In between sessions we had some time to kill, so we found a raft and the guys decided they'd try to jump over it and into the water. Here Jon gives it a shot. (He landed on Sam)

Our weapon of choice, a Nautique Air 220. It'll run you about $120K fully loaded. You could probably take out a mortgage on it if you wanted.

Early June... We got super lucky with the hot weather (3 days above 30 degrees) and the water was pretty refreshing too! (68 Saturday, 72 on Sunday) Crystal still thought it was a little chilly.

Sabrina with a big smile on her face. By the second day, she was charging! Way to go Sabrina!

Joel was Jon's guest, and was pretty good. Who knew a newspaper guy could shred like this?

Jon was a superstar. He brought his own board and ripped right from the get-go.

Sam rockin' the t-shirt do-rag.

Sam trying his hand at wake surfing.

Anthony getting the hang of wake surfing.

Josh (our coach) showing us how it's done.

Josh throwing in some style.

The hilite of my weekend was wake surfing... So Sweet!

The group shot after a solid weekend!

40 Things to Do On An Elevator

As heard tonight...

1. Make race car noises when anyone gets on or off.
2. Grimace painfully while smacking your forehead and muttering: Shut up, All of you just shut UP!
3. Whistle the first seven notes of It's a Small World incessantly.
4. Sell Girl Scout cookies.
5. On a long ride, sway side to side at the natural frequency of the elevator.
6. Shave.
7. Crack open your briefcase or purse, and while peering inside ask: Got enough air in there?
8. Offer name tags to everyone getting on the elevator. Wear yours upside-down.
9. Stand silent and motionless in the corner, facing the wall, without getting off.
10. When arriving at your floor, grunt and strain to yank the doors open, and then act embarrassed when they open by themselves.
11. Lean over to another passenger and whisper: Noogie patrol coming!
12. Greet everyone getting on the elevator with a warm handshake and ask them to call you Admiral.
13. On the highest floor, hold the door open and demand that it stay open until you hear the penny you dropped down the shaft go plink at the bottom.
14. Do Tai Chi exercises.
15. Stare, grinning, at another passenger for a while, and then announce: I've got new socks on!
16. Meow occasionally.
17. Bet the other passengers you can fit a quarter in your nose.
18. Show other passengers a wound and ask if it looks infected.
19. Sing Mary had a little lamb while continually pushing buttons.
20. Holler Chutes away! Whenever the elevator descends.
21. Walk on with a cooler that says human head on the side.
22. Stare at another passenger for a while, and then announce You’re one of THEM! and move to the far corner of the elevator.
23. Leave a box between the doors.
24. Ask each passenger getting on if you can push the button for them.
25. Wear a puppet on your hand and talk to other passengers through it.
26. Start a sing-along.
27. When the elevators is silent, look around and ask is that your beeper?
28. Play the harmonica.
29. Shadow boxing.
30. Say Ding! at each floor.
31. Lean against the button panel.
32. Say I wonder what all these do and push the red buttons.
33. Listen to the elevator walls with a stethoscope.
34. Draw a little square on the floor with chalk and announce to the other passengers that this is your personal space.
35. Bring a chair along.
36. Take a bite of a sandwich and ask another passenger: Wanna see wha in muh mouf?
37. Carry a blanket and clutch it protectively.
38. Make explosion noises when anyone presses a button.
39. Stare at your thumb and say I think it's getting larger.
40. If anyone brushes against you, recoil and holler Bad touch!