Pate, Party of 3

new blog: thestateofpate.com

2008-02-23T11:13:00.001-05:00

We have literally outgrown "pate, party of 3" with the addition of Lainy.
Come see the new and improved blog. It's like PPo3 on HGH but without congressional hearings.

thestateofpate.com

Big Brother Caden

2008-02-18T21:26:00.003-05:00

We were initially a little worried about how Caden would react to having another Pater Tot in the house, but those went away quickly. So for he is turning out to be a great big brother.

Some early pics of Lainy (without the birth filth)

2008-02-18T21:24:00.001-05:00

she's here!! (the 1st preview)

2008-02-15T22:49:00.002-05:00

Alaina (Lainy) Harper Pate was born today. Everyone is fine. More pictures coming soon. I'm tired....and I did the least amount of work today.

This is a post birth picture. It ain't pretty...buts its real.

As you can glean from above, we have landed on Harper as the middle name. In keeping with a literary theme for middle names (Caden's is Crusoe), Harper comes from one of my favorite books To Kill a Mockingbird (highly recommend the movie too if you haven't seen it). Harper Lee is the author.

surf and turf

2008-02-14T23:45:00.003-05:00

When Janelle and I started dating in college, we were both servers. Obviously, Valentine’s Day is a big day in the restaurant industry, so our first couple Valentine’s were spent apart…..working.
Once we moved on to 9 to 5’s, we had a newfound freedom on Valentine’s, but also knowing the chaos at restaurants, we weren’t in any rush to get in the back of the lines. So one of the first Pate traditions emerged. We buy some steaks and lobster tails and make an extravagant meal at home. It now is truly a day I look forward to every year. Happy Valentines everyone

more Lent stuff

2008-02-13T21:18:00.001-05:00

Winn Collier (frequent contributor for Relevant Magazine) is tracking his Lent journey on a blog here with weekly installments.
Good reads. You can see his first entry here, and his second entry here.

Eviction Notice

2008-02-13T21:15:00.001-05:00

double click on the picture to enlarge

any day now

2008-02-12T21:11:00.000-05:00

Last Friday, Janelle’s OB told her that he would bet money in Vegas that she would have the baby by Monday (that’s right…yesterday). Naturally we were both really excited:

Obviously to see our little girl for the first time (hopefully she looks like Janelle)
Janelle is at the “just get out of my belly” point of pregnancy and wants to sleep on her stomach again
and I get 2 weeks off of work once the baby arrives

Alas, this apparent false hope has had an anticlimactic effect. Now every day that she lingers inside her spacious womb is like torture to us (the parents). It’s like having the proverbial carrot dangling in front of our face….for days.

Lent stuff

2008-02-12T21:09:00.000-05:00

NCC (a church in DC) has a great Lent prayer blog that is updated daily. It’s a great resource for any fellow “lent-ers”.

yeah, we're that poor

2008-02-12T21:00:00.000-05:00

Caden has been watching a little too much Bob Ross

2008-02-12T20:58:00.000-05:00

We think he may have a drug problem

2008-02-12T20:57:00.000-05:00

Lent (2)

2008-02-07T01:53:00.000-05:00

Lent begins today.
I participated in Lent last year for the first time which ended in one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life (so of course, I blogged about it).
Why do it again?
Candidly I’m not sure.
Maybe it’s because its hard for me to accept that I am “saved by grace” and I feel the need to work for it a little.
Maybe it’s because there is a part of me that enjoys the structure and tradition that Lent offers.
Maybe it’s because I’m not all that good at spiritual discipline normally, and this is a small enough spiritual exercise that I can do.
Maybe it’s all of the above.

If you want to jump on the Lent train, it’s not too late. Find something to fast (it doesn’t have to be food) until Easter.

Let me also admit that I practice a modified Lent by orthodox standards. I didn’t go to an Orthodox or Catholic Church today for Ash Wednesday (which includes having ash smeared on my forehead in the shape of a cross), although I would like to in the future. Frankly it’s a little intimidating because of my unfamiliarity with Catholic Mass. I don’t want to be the moron who doesn’t know when to stand and sit. I need a catholic buddy.

O.C.P.

2008-01-29T21:14:00.000-05:00

Naive Art

2008-01-29T21:04:00.000-05:00

Here are some canvases I painted for the nursery. We decided to go with an Eric Carle theme (famous children's books author). These are based on the book covers of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and "The Grouchy Ladybug" (we gave ours a smile though).

what's in a name

2008-01-29T21:01:00.000-05:00

Janelle and I have finally decided on a first name for the Pate princess.

Alaina (A-lane-a)

It meets all the qualifications:
>It can be shortened: Alaina is 3 syllables and as most people know I am lazy when it comes to names….and wasting time saying 3 whole syllables is exhausting and inefficient. So we (atleast I) will probably just call her “Lainy” more than “Alaina”
>It is flexible: at points in a child’s life (terrible twos, and pretty much the whole span of the teenage years) a parent has to say their child’s name more than they would like. So we try to pick one that gives us options to alleviate the repetitiveness. This one gives us: Alaina, Lainy, and Ally.

The middle name is still up for grabs though. Caden’s awesome middle name (which I heavily lobbied for) Crusoe sets a high bar. For us, it’s important for the middle name to have substance. Crusoe came from one of my favorite books Robinson Crusoe.

Any suggestions for Alaina _____ Pate are welcome.

thank God he is a firefigther

2008-01-29T20:58:00.000-05:00

Jason (one of my old college roommates), Angie and Maddy came down for Janelle’s first baby shower. The first night we broke out the new fire-pit. Although now I am wondering if it is a good idea to have a fire-pit on a wooden deck….so close to the house. But then again, J is a part-time firefighter so I guess we were safer than usual that night.
I’m quite jealous of Jason being a fire-fighter. It just sounds cool. It’s my intention to volunteer at our local fire station once I finish my MBA.
Partly because it reclaims that sense of adventure that we tend to lose in the daily grind of life.
Partly because I assume it would be a catalyst for adrenaline rushes….I can’t remember the last time I had one of those…..can you? Sometime when I go to J’s house, we stop by the station and he lets me get in the truck and practice with “Rescue Randy” but that is as close as I have gotten so far.

Talk back: What do you do for “adventure” and adrenaline rushes?

Things Not to Say to Your Wife in the Last Weeks of Pregnancy

2008-01-24T06:56:00.000-05:00

Honey, come in here and see this horse giving birth on TV. Oh, man that looks like that’s gotta hurt.
I challenge you in a touch your toes contest.
Honey, I was just straightening up the bedroom…can you tell me if this is a fitted sheet or a pair of your underwear?
No, I couldn’t eat another bite honey. I ate so much I feel…like you.
Why don’t you go take a nice, relaxing, hot bath? But don’t put much water in the tub because it’ll overflow when you get in.

excerpted from familyman ministries

Carolina in my mind

2008-01-13T18:49:00.000-05:00

A big welcome to Brian. Brian (one of my old college roommates and blogger buddy) moved into town last week from Florida.
Brian is originally from South Carolina (or as we call it....the dirty south), hence a new fire has been kindled on our long outstanding debate over which state can properly be labeled just "carolina" (apparently we you say it down there it means South Cackalacky). Since he is now a resident of the better half, I think it is only fair that he finally submit to the North's superiority. Afterall, SC looks up to us....just look on a map.

Although I have to admit they do have a much cooler flag.

Help: Does anyone know which Carolina James Taylor is referring to in his famous song?

book review: Velvet Elvis

2008-01-13T18:23:00.000-05:00

I thoroughly enjoyed this book by Rob Bell. Rob Bell has become one of the most influential voices of the church, called heretic by some, and revolutionary by others. Notably he is the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church and creator of Nooma (take a look….its worth it). One of the things I found most valuable was Bell’s understanding of Jewish culture (especially in the time of Jesus). It made me realize how much is in the gospel that I have just glanced over without truly grasping the cultural and historical significance that’s critical to its meaning and intent. Another example that we only truly begin to understand something when we define and study its context. Its completely changed how I look at parts of the Biblical story. I highly recommend.

Best of 07

2008-01-06T22:21:00.000-05:00

In case you missed them, here is the best of PPO3 in 07
> The (snow) Ski Trip
> I thought I killed my whole family with lead poisoning
> I participated in Lent for the first time.......oh yeah which induced probably my most embrassing moment in years when my mom gave me an enema
> Janelle and I went to the Orange Conference
> Janelle and I turned 30
> Chrandy moved back to Carolina
> We are having another baby and its a girl
> my cousin Kait lived with us for the first part of the year
> Wilmington weekend with the Sutphins
> Caden started walking
> I got an IPod and a TiVo.....and we will never be the same.
> We bought our first home

Here are my favorite posts of 2007
> Caden's many faces
> a visual exhibit of the Pate athletic prowess
> Caden and Maddy
> Maybe my funniest caption all year (the middle one)
> the Adventures of Bob
> Caden and Janelle's resemblance
> My favorite pics of Caden this year
> the caption that turned a cute picture into a disturbing image
> another episode of "spoon wrestling"

7 months in the hopper

2007-12-31T21:14:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas

2007-12-30T23:39:00.000-05:00

Hope Christmas has been good to all of the PPO3 visitors. We started ours with a road trip to Ohio. My first Christmas present was given to me by a stranger. Somewhere in West Virginia on our way to Ohio as I was cruising along when a jeep got right in front of me….going the speed limit. I was quite perturbed until I realized that there was a cop ahead and this jeep was purposefully slowing me down. Thanks mister jeep guy.
Plus, on the way back, a stranger in front of us paid our toll.

It was good to be in Ohio with the Poff clan.

The mystery Christmas gift that Janelle and Mandy have been keeping a secret was a trip to NYC in May. Turns out the clues they gave were not entirely true. I’ve only been to the big apple once and only for an afternoon so I haven’t covered much ground. If you have any suggestions about what we go/see/do while we are there leave a comment below.

boys and their toys

2007-12-30T23:31:00.000-05:00

I have written before about the value of making Christmas fun instead of functional.

This year my brother and I got laser tag with a twist.....when you get shot, it shocks you.

We also got indoor r/c helicopters.

Here's caden with his giraffe yet to be named

If he is anything like me...he'll always need the rim to be lowered to dunk it.

Charleston Wedding

2007-12-30T23:16:00.000-05:00

The Pate clan headed south to my cousin’s wedding in SC.

Not Your Traditional Christmas Concert

2007-12-11T21:50:00.000-05:00

Tomorrow night, Janelle and I will be catching the “Behold the Lamb of God” concert at our church. We caught it last year and couldn’t miss it this year. I have been counting down the days for a couple weeks now. Bonus is that one of my favorite indie artists Andy Gullahorn (one of the funniest guys I have ever met and a great lyricist) is part of the tour line-up.
Penned mostly by Andrew Peterson, the tour is a collaboration by several Nashville artists (mostly in the Square Peg Alliance). To learn more about the album click here.
There are a few more stops on the tour this year. Click here for more info. Highly recommend.

thinking caps sold seperately

2007-12-07T22:42:00.000-05:00

Found this tool that tests what reading level is required to understand this blog. So be warned, better bring your "A game" when visiting PPO3.
Just for fun I ran all of our blogging buddies through this tool and they all only required an measly elementary school reading level. Are you guys even trying? Especially you Porricelli, you are working on your doctorate. The shame.....
If you want to see for yourself, click here

November recap

2007-12-07T22:35:00.000-05:00

Janelle and Mandy are planning a surprise Christmas gift for my brother and I.
Matt is on his way to forming his global empire. Note to self....buy stock as soon as it becomes public
My long dormant skateboarding skills come to life and another episode of spoon wrestling at Thanksgiving
We bought our first home!!

The New/Old House

2007-12-07T22:16:00.000-05:00

Janelle and I closed on our new (actually 80 years old) house and first home last week.

Things are a bit busy around here (as I am sure there are at your house). Between moving into a new house, getting in the swing of Christmas, (for me personally) finishing up a grad school class, the Pate clan is alittle hectic.

Here are some pics:

Front yard & Dining room (not our table)

Storage building in back yard & Janelle's favorite part of house (dishwasher)

Happy Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T14:21:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone’s Thanksgiving went well. Here are some highlights from ours.
Everyone gathered at my parents’ house which got crowded fast. Here is a pic of an assortment of aunts, uncles, cousins and grandmothers.

It was good to see Kait again (whom faithful blog readers and friends will remember is my cousin that lived with us last year). She is doing well and recently made the honor roll.

Long overdue, I borrowed my cousin’s skateboard and proved yet again that my athletic prowess knows no bounds. Don’t I look graceful?

The highlight of the day easily was spoon wrestling. If you aren’t familiar with this gag here is a video clip I found on youtube to see it in action.

Matt introduced me to this game in college. I usually played his accomplice. We even did this to one of our college professors once.

Basically 2 people are given spoons and told to face each other. One player will put his head downward (facing the floor) and the other will put the spoon in his mouth and hit the other player in the back of the head with it. They trade off hits until one gives up. This proves to be exceptionally hard to do with any force. This time I was the referee while my brother played against our new victim, my cousin Brandon. Here is the rub (its easier to understand to watch the video above)….Chris (my brother) was in on it and when it was his turn to hit Brandon I would grab another spoon from my back pocket and whack my cousin in the back of the head (pretty hard) and then slide it back in my pocket while he was still facedown and unable to see our little ruse. This inevitably proves frustrating for the victim because he is getting whacked pretty hard while being unable to counter his opponent with any real force. Always great family fun. Here is a pic although it isn’t a great shot.

On a side note, I was just reading an article on Slate about there being a new rally cry against “the secularization of Thanksgiving.” Much like a few years ago when the “War on Christmas” was in full fervor, the new focus is on Thanksgiving. I have one objection……I have never assumed Thanksgiving was a religious or Christian Holiday to begin with….therefore it would be hard to secularize it. I don’t even recall ever seeing a church do a special event for Thanksgiving. What do you think? Religious holiday or just another holiday?

Bible 2.0

2007-11-19T23:21:00.000-05:00

Recently I have been using a new web-based application from Lifechurch.tv called YouVersion.
It’s an interactive online Bible. It’s a free resource that allows you to read the Bible on your computer in multiple translations, keep a on-line journal, and find supplemental resources (commentary, videos, etc) from others users. You can even create your own study group if you like. For me it’s been a great way to read the Bible in my downtime at work.
You can find out more here.

WWJ..B?

2007-11-19T23:15:00.000-05:00

Morgan Spurlock (the guy who brought us Supersize Me) has a new movie out called “What Would Jesus Buy?” in which he tackles how consumerism has gotten completely out of control especially at Christmas. Part of the movie he follows a guy known as Reverend Billy who is a caricature of a charismatic televangelist who is rallying the cause of the consumer revolution. I am excited about this movie because I think it will force me (and hopefully others) to reevaluate how and why we shop.
You can find a great interview with Morgan here on the Relevant Magazine Podcast (one of my favorites). It’s about 18 minutes in for the interview.
You can also visit the official website for the movie here

Small Dogma Publishing

2007-11-15T22:09:00.000-05:00

Matt, blogger buddy and my college roommate, along with working on his doctorate and writing a few books, has also started a publishing company called Small Dogma. The website just launched. You can take a look here. I’m blown away by how he has grabbed life by the horns lately….and somehow now feel like a lazy bum.
Congrats Matty and good luck.

Kidneys for Sale

2007-11-15T22:06:00.000-05:00

Recently I answered the phone from a number I didn’t recognize. The following is a paraphrased transcript.

John: Hello
X: Hi, this is _____ _____, may I speak to a Mrs. Pate (pronounced Pat)
John: No, you just missed her, is there anything I can help you with?
X: Just tell her that _____ is calling from the Kidney foundation
John: Oh, you are in luck….I’ve got a kidney
X: No, that’s alright sir
John: Matter of fact, I’ve got 2 and they’re just barely 30 years old. They’re awesome, I’ve never had any problems with them.
X: No sir, that’s alright
John: What do you mean….are you trying to say my wife has better kidneys than I do? That girl has had not 1 but 2 kidney infections.
X: (dailtone)

Now to the serious content that you all crave. This post on the Freakanomics blog discusses how the current kidney shortage (available for transplants) gives new life to the discussion of opening up the American market to kidney sales to raise the supply levels. It also even suggests that it might not burden the poor which is a popular belief but actually help the poor.

books on my radar

2007-11-09T21:15:00.000-05:00

Here is a list of books that are in my queue to read next (not in any particular order).

Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crisis, and the Revolution of Hope. (brian mclaren)
A book that will definitely challenge and shape my world view.

Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade (david batstone)
The more I hear about this book, the more stirred I get about the movement. I recenltly listened to a podcast featuring the author and was blown away by the stories he told about human trafficking. When confronted with the truth about modern day slavery…its utterly abrasive to the soul. How is it that this largely goes unchecked…and unnoticed?

The Brothers Karamazov (fyodor dostoevsky)
Started reading this book last year and enjoyed it until I realized that I had mistakenly bought an abridged version. It felt like cheating….so I decided to start over with the uncut version.

The Pearl (john steinbeck)
One of my favorite fictional authors. I enjoy his stories on a multiple levels. His tales are composed of elements of faith, social justice, philosophy, and ethics, while still being enjoyable to read. The man was a master storyteller.

The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical (shane claiborne)
Shane founded the Simple Way, and is becoming a revolutionary voice in the Christian community right now.

Searching for God knows What (donald miller)
I’m a big fan of Donald Miller. Compelling as an author and a speaker, he is a good blend of academia and humor.

Watership Down (richard adams)
Matt recommended this book to me once. I take his recommendations pretty seriously since he introduced me to Lord of the Rings in college.

God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything (christopher hitchens)
An atheist’s perspective on religion. A good literary diet is one that consists of books that you don’t agree with.

Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World (bill clinton)
Despite what you think about his politics….the guy is a gifted and charismatic communicator. You can find out more about the book’s concept from a talk recently given by former President Clinton here

People’s History of the United States: 1492 to Present (howard zinn)
Matt also recommended this one to me. Telling the story of US history from a different point of view than our textbooks, it may (as Matt declared) make you never want to celebrate Columbus Day again...although I am not sure I would go to work in protest.

the Mystery Christmas Gifts

2007-11-09T21:11:00.000-05:00

Chrandy (my bro and his wife) were at the house the other night. Later in the evening Janelle and Mandy informed my brother and I that they had just purchased us the ultimate Christmas presents. They won’t tell us what it is…but with 7 weeks to go I’m betting they will crack prematurely.
Here are the clues so far:
1) It’s something for both my brother and I, but not something our wives will be included in
2) It can’t be immediately redeemed/enjoyed on Christmas day
3) It cost $63.50 each (that was let out of the bag by accident….see I told you they can’t keep this secret for another 7 weeks)

My guesses so far:
· A day at rodeo clown school
· A sweet pair of Heelys (but that doesn’t jive with clue #2)
· As a tribute to our honeymoon, a massage by a brawny Mexican woman with man hands

Any ideas?

halloween pics (the janelle version)

2007-11-09T21:02:00.000-05:00

Janelle spread her creative wings and tweaked some of the pics from the slideshow posted last week. I think you will be as impressed as I was. Here are some of my favs:

de plane, de plane

2007-11-09T20:48:00.000-05:00

Last weekend marked the inaugural flight of the r/c plane my parents got me for my birthday. My parents and Caden were there to witness my mad pilot skills. The plane survived the day but just barely. Despite my father’s protest I convinced him to take the controls….he then inadvertently flew the plane into a dense thicket like a heat-seeking missile. The result was quite a few dents and parts of the wings were dangling by a thread (generally not a good sign). A little scotch tape and some TLC nurtured the plane back to life. But dad is banned from flying the plane from now on if there is a tree/thicket with 1,000 yards.

October Recap

2007-11-01T18:54:00.000-05:00

We put in a offer on a house.....then we backed out.....now we are buying another one
a weekend trip to Ohio (by car, not by plane) for Jerry's surprise 60th birthday party
I got the wrong card from my grandmother
Patterson Farm
I turned 30....wow
I got a iPod
the 1st Pate yard sale
Cowboy Caden
Dana (Janelle's mom) was in town for a week...though we don't have a lot of pics to prove it.

Halloween Slideshow

2007-11-01T18:46:00.000-05:00

The Poffs got Caden his costume this year. At first all I saw was a vest and chaps....so I thought it was supposed to be a stripper outfit....which was a little alarming. Thankfully it turned out to the start of some sweet cowboy digs.

1st Pate Yard Sale

2007-11-01T18:39:00.001-05:00

With the big move coming up we thought it would be a good time to get rid of some of our accumlated horde of stuff.

caden and I are being helpful as usual

Hi strangers....take our crap

Our homeless version of "Scared Straight"

2007-11-01T18:39:00.000-05:00

Who you looking at?

2007-11-01T18:38:00.000-05:00

5 months in the hopper

2007-10-23T20:57:00.000-05:00

Albi the racist dragon

2007-10-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

If you haven't been introduced to "the Flight of the Conchords"...you'll thank me later.

enjoy

are we at war with the world??

2007-10-23T20:38:00.000-05:00

If you missed it last week, Al Gore was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The question you should be asking yourself is….why? I’m all for environmentalism, I’m just not connecting the dots about how being the poster boy for environmental activism is bringing peace…to anybody. I had no idea that An Inconvenient Truth had such an effect on people. Holy crap…lets send the movie and a projector to Darfur and see what happens.

birthday clues

2007-10-23T20:32:00.000-05:00

Janelle gave me clues about what my big gift was. Can you guess what it is?

#1
I'm something that you want
And I'm something you can use.
But if you aren't too careful,
I'm something you can lose!

#2
here's one big thing that we both share
(besides the fact we're wordy)
it's quite befitting
on your birthday
that you'll be turning 30!

#3
i'll go with you throughout your days
no matter where you trod
cause you and me are gonna be
like two peas in a pod!

#4
over the past 24 hours
you have gone from curious to cocky,
but too much use of your birthday gift
and our relationship will be rocky!

so sit there smugly in your cube
with that knowing little smirk,
and enjoy the last days of your twenties
while you are at work.

when you get home from work tonight
the clebration will begin,
with surprises gifts and treats
that will seem to have no end!

30 is a big, big deal,
it means your getting old
so i want to make sure that this year
your birthday is good as gold!!!!

any guesses?????

So far 30 isn’t so bad. Janelle outdid herself this year. It wasn’t just the amazing birthday gift (a 30 gig video IPOD) but all the time and thought she put into making the weekend special. I’m a very lucky guy.

toys for a big boy

2007-10-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

It’s been a principle of mine to ask for something fun when a birthday or Christmas come around. Its just seems that when people get older they inadvertently lose that childlike sense of play…something to really get excited about getting out of the box. Pretty soon our wish list consists of socks and ties.

We migrate from fun to functional.

This year my parents gave me a remote control airplane. I hope to get it out soon and there will probably be a pool on how long it lasts before I destroy it. My mom joked that I’m 30 years old and she is still getting me toys. I hope she can say the same thing when I am 60.
So that’s my ripe old wisdom of 30 years of life. Don’t stop playing. It keeps you young.

Bonus: Try making a fun, not functional, list this Christmas.
Double bonus: Try buying fun, not functional, gifts for your loved ones.

Pumpkin Palooza

2007-10-23T20:25:00.000-05:00

We spent an afternoon at Patterson Farm. In the end. I'm always disappointed with hay rides.

the boy who cried "we're buying a house"

2007-10-18T20:24:00.000-05:00

Janelle and I just finalized an offer on another house. Its perfect....so we won't be backing out of this one like the last one. It even has a picket fence which will soon be painted white. Pics coming soon. Closing is the week after Thanksgiving so if you live by us be expecting that dreaded call soon to help us move.

mistaken identity

2007-10-18T20:23:00.000-05:00

Take a close look at this card......my grandmother sent this to me. And they still let this woman drive.
By the way, I turn 30 on Saturday. More on that later.

Side note: this was the first year that my coworkers remembered my birthday. The last 2 years it went unnoticed. They took me out to lunch, and decorated my cube which included confetti....which inevitably got into everything, even my keyboard. Take note: confetti is not a good idea at an office.

The Ohio Odyssey

2007-10-18T20:19:00.000-05:00

Janelle's dad Jerry turned 60 last week. We drove up to Ohio and back in one weekend to be there (left Friday night and came back Sunday Night). So now he is officially the only 60 year old man, with an implant in his chest and a foot with no feeling that can beat me at ping-pong.
Happy 60th Jerry

the battle of the greens

2007-10-10T21:30:00.001-05:00

I am considering buying some used books (which I have never done before) soon from Amazon because I figure it is a “greener” option because it saves paper. My dilemma is that when I add in the shipping costs (which is more than the book sometimes) buying a cheaper used book can actually be more expensive that buying a new one. So the question I pose to you is…..is it more important to be a good steward of my money or of the environment? What do you think?

House Arrest

2007-10-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

After a lot of thought, Janelle and I have decided not to pursue the house we were in the process of purchasing. It simply wasn’t the house for us. We are still in the market and hope to find “our house” soon. We’ll keep you in the loop.
ppo3

Un-Etta-ble???

2007-10-10T21:28:00.000-05:00

Last week I “tivo-ed” Austin City Limits featuring a performance by the great Etta James. She is known for such songs as “At Last” and “I’d rather go blind”. Alas, it may have been the most disturbing and unsettling thing I have ever watched. Primarily because its makes me cringed to watch a woman her age sing about wild nights of passion. Secondly, she has very weird mannerisms that resemble my own grandmother (which makes the first point all the more awkward). The feeling you are left with is that she is just too old to be doing concerts anymore. She obviously doesn’t have the vivacity of a Tina Turner….in fact she sat in a chair for half the show. She couldn’t even stand for the whole performance! Pack it up Etta…..move to a nice retirement home.

Simple Church review

2007-10-01T20:46:00.000-05:00

Simple Church puts forth an age old principle: Less is More (especially when it comes to churches). Based on extensive research it concludes that the healthiest and growing churches say no….alot. It is only interested in ministries and ideas that align with is overall mission. The quintessential simple church is one that is very simple in its mission and makes sure that everything else contours to that mission. If it doesn’t, they don’t do it. The temptation of all churches is to become so complex in its operation that it becomes confusing to both the congregation and the staff. Non-simple churches send out conflicting messages, inefficiently use resources for conflicting and unaligned ministries, and are stretched too thin to do anything very well. Great book for church planters and current pastors. The simple revolution is upon us....and it couldn't happen soon enough. Its time to make church easy again...for everybody.

September Recap

2007-10-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

Its a GIRL
Caden started walking.....finally
Poff Retreat 07 (the cup returns home)
A visit to the county fair
We are buying our first home

Home is where you hang your hat....and we won't have room for much else

2007-10-01T20:38:00.000-05:00

Janelle and I have been searching for a house for a while now and finally found one. We expect to close late next month. That leaves us a lot to do. The house we are moving into is a bit smaller than the one we presently rent (but we knew that was going to happen). So there will be a bit of purging and a few trips to Goodwill before we move. Excited about owning our first home but most people know how much I hate moving. We moved every year the first 4 years of our marriage, and the thought of doing it again….with 4 years worth of more stuff makes me want to get in the fetal position in the corner of my closet until it is over.
Pics coming soon.

Today we found out the gender of the baby and its a....

2007-09-24T22:57:00.000-05:00

GIRL!

Janelle and I are really thrilled. A girl is what we were both hoping for. Now me thinks I need to start on her chastity belt, saving up for a wedding and honing my intimidation techniques for her future boyfriends. With Caden and I on the watch, I pity the fool who gets the hots for princess Pate.

basketball diaries #2

2007-09-20T00:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to the park to play basketball in some pick-up games (to read about the first time that didn't go so well, click here). It started badly when the 2 captains (I thoughts only school kids did that) picked teams. This got a little awkward because there were 11 guys and you only need 10 to play. Guess who didn’t get picked. I took my walk of shame and sat on the bench to wait for the next game. Once I got it, it went slightly better than last time. Overall, I had 6 points for the night, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 2 shots blocked (I didn’t block the shots, my shots were blocked. One time by a kid that was 6 inches shorter than me). There are a couple reasons I like doing this. First, it’s a chance to build relationships with some of the guys in my community. Second, there is something about being a little reckless with your body that makes you feel like a kid again. By the end of the night, I had a skinned knee and my ankles were a bit stiff….and I never felt better.

Please watch your movies somewhere else

2007-09-14T01:27:00.001-05:00

Recently after returning a movie to Blockbuster I got a coupon for free popcorn at AMC theaters. I found this odd because wouldn’t Blockbuster want you to see less movies at the theater? In most cases you wouldn’t rent a movie you saw in the theater and also, isn’t renting movies the alternative to seeing them in the theater to begin with?

Global Swarming

2007-09-14T01:26:00.000-05:00

An article on Slate.com reviewing a new book, The World Without Us, points out that having children is harmful to the environment, since they come with their own lifetime carbon footprint for the earth to deal with. So.....not having babies would be vastly more beneficial to the environment than the sum of other eco-friendly alternatives.
Safe to say that Janelle and I will be ignoring this advice.

Straight out of Mr. Roger's neighborhood

2007-09-10T22:05:00.000-05:00

Recently during the Poff Retreat, we went canoeing with the family. It wasn’t the canoe rental company’s best day. We had to wait about 2 hours after we paid before we finally hit the water. It was chaotic and none of the employees ever communicated to the customers what was going on. My brother-in-law (Jared) and I spent the time discussing different process management methods they could use to speed things up. At the same time there were a group of guys loading the boats on the racks. When we got there the same group of guys helped everyone into their boats. It wasn’t until a little later that I realized that they weren’t employees but part of a neighborhood group of families (about 40 of them) that came up together for some camping and a canoe trip.
It was then I realized a couple things:
1) I was blown away by their kindness and helpfulness for people they didn’t know. This wasn’t a church group, it was a neighborhood group. I then wandered if church groups would have acted the same way…probably not.
2) People crave for community. I wander if these people find the same kind of community at their church.
3) I was too busy criticizing to be part of the solution. While I was talking, these guys were helping. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out how which had the most impact.

Human Recycling

2007-09-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

Most of you probably have heard my organ donor rant….so I’ll spare you for now. But I was reading an interesting post from the freakonomics blog that peaked my interest. It calls for offering shorter prison terms for living organ donations. Basically, the need for organs far outweighs the current supply (usually there are about 100,000 people on a waiting list at any one time), so it would give inmates an opportunity to donate their organs and get up to 18 months off their sentence.
What do you think?

Congrats Aasebys

2007-09-09T21:12:00.000-05:00

Terry and Michelle (one of our blog buddies) had their 2nd baby Savannah Friday.

One small step for Caden.....

2007-09-09T20:57:00.001-05:00

Caden started walking today!

County Fair

2007-09-09T20:57:00.000-05:00

The Pates caught a little pig racing (above) at the county fair today.

Overall, the fair was average. I'd give the rides a B, the food a C, sideshows a B+.

It hit a low point when I order some food from one of the vendors which came out to $14. I gave the guy a $20 bill and he had to use his fingers to count the change. I hope this guy doesn't vote.

On a side note, here are some foods that I vow to never buy at a fair again:

Philly Cheese Steaks (why do they all use cheese sauce?)

Ribbon Fries (basically its a fancy word for potato chips and I just paid $5 for it)

Pizza (I can get that anywhere)

the Poff Family Cup

2007-09-06T21:24:00.000-05:00

Part of the Poff Retreat tradition is the Poff Family Cup. Every year each couple (Jerry/Dana, Jared/Becky, Justin/Tracey, us) play some sort of tournament to determine who gets to keep the trophy until the next retreat. Alas, for the last two years Justin/Tracey have been the victors. However, this year the Poff Games were postponed until Christmas...until then the Cup will stay at our house.....where it belongs

Poff Retreat 07

2007-09-06T21:16:00.000-05:00

Every year, the Poffs (Janelle's side of the family which include her parents, grandparents and her brothers families) get together for a long weekend which I have affectionately labeled the Poff Retreat. This year it was over Labor Day weekend at Crockett's Run.

are you smarter than a pate baby?

2007-09-06T20:35:00.000-05:00

My on-line library database

2007-09-05T23:12:00.000-05:00

August Recap

2007-08-31T16:18:00.000-05:00

Janelle made it 7 years (so far) being married to me
They make adult Heelys!!!
The West Virginia wedding
We attended Willowcreek's Leadership Summit
Butterbean's first ultrasound

my blog's film rating

2007-08-20T23:38:00.000-05:00

Here is my blog's film rating. By the way, all my blogging buddies got a "G". Are you guys even trying?

You can get yours here

Iraq is a quagmire

2007-08-20T23:01:00.000-05:00

In 1994, Dick Cheney did an interview on CSpan about the possibility of invading Iraq after Operation Desert Storm. Quite ironic

Shadow Mission

2007-08-20T22:58:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, I attended a couple sessions of the Willowcreek Leadership Summit. My favorite session was by John Ortberg. I have read some of his books (highly recommend by the way) but have never heard him speak. I wasn’t disappointed.
The crux of his session: Our greatest fear is that we fall away from our God-given mission and purpose and drift into what he called our “shadow mission”. A shadow mission is your own mission that is selfish and helps no one. Usually very closely related to your gifting. A mission that is hijacked by your ego and wounds and there is no Jesus in it.
He spoke mostly on the story of Ester. Her shadow mission was to just live comfortably as a queen, but her real mission was to save her people.
The take-away: What’s your shadow mission? Because in order to fulfill your God-given mission you must consciously be able to say no to your shadow mission.

For more info click here

here's your sign

2007-08-20T22:56:00.000-05:00

Adjacent to my cube at work is the copier. It services about 75 people in the immediate proximity. It’s also the area where the scores of boxes of paper are kept as well as discarded printer cartridges. Apparently I work with a bunch of slobs because no one ever cleans up after themselves leaving empty boxes (which need to be broken down and taken to the recycle bin) and trash in the area. Every couple of weeks, I finally break down….again…and clean up after them.
Time for a new tactic! Here is the sign I posted today. Lets see how long it takes before management takes it down.

“feel free to leave any cardboard boxes and garbage in this little office wasteland for our friendly gnome to magically pick-up every night…..or..…you could quit being lazy and do it yourself”

Please don’t talk to me in the bathroom

2007-08-20T22:55:00.000-05:00

Add this to the list of inappropriate places/times to start a conversation. Right up there with: during an “invasive” physical, in the middle of a golf swing (I hear), and during the movie at a theater. I can’t tell you how many times some guy at work started talking to me from the adjacent urinal. I’m always left with conundrum of whether I should even politely reply (and encourage this unwanted dialogue) or just ignore him (and nip it in the bud….or is it butt?). It isn’t the high school football locker room, matter of fact, pretend that I am not even there.

Quid pro Quo Clairese

2007-08-20T22:35:00.000-05:00

wedding

2007-08-20T22:32:00.000-05:00

The family went to West Virginia for Janelle’s cousin’s wedding. Most of Janelle’s side of the family is Nazarene (that’s a church denomination by the way) which apparently has a strict “no dancing” policy (it’s like the movie Footloose all over again)….so once the music started the crowd got a bit thin. Needlessly to say, the Pates and the Poffs, known for their partying ways, closed the party down a couple hours later.

Everyone says he looks like me, but I think he is looking more like his mom everyday

2007-08-20T22:29:00.000-05:00

A day at the splash pad

2007-08-20T22:24:00.000-05:00

Now thats a knife

2007-08-07T22:38:00.000-05:00

Stumbled on to my new favorite website: www.firebox.com Not only can you get this Giant Swiss Army Knife with 85 fully functional implements but can also find:
>Rocket Fishing Pole
>A remote control that looks like a gun
>Shock ball
>Desktop war kits

Bellybean

2007-08-07T01:15:00.000-05:00

We had our first ultrasound today to get a peek at “butterbean”. Can’t be certain, but I think I see a hint of the infamous Poff chin.

7 and counting

2007-08-07T01:09:00.000-05:00

Sunday we celebrated seven years of marriage. I would do another list but it wouldn’t be a lot different from last year. Add another car, another baby, and raising a teenager for a year to our lofty achievements.
Let’s all pause and pray that she (Janelle) will have the strength and patience for at least 7 more.

Bonus: saw the new Bourne movie and it was fantastic. Jason Bourne could be the only person in the world to give Chuck Norris a run for his money.

Kat

2007-08-04T00:17:00.000-05:00

One of our blogging buddies Kat who just had a baby has found a cancerous tumor in her leg. She goes in for surgery to have it removed next Friday. We, and I am sure her family, would appreciate you lending a prayer for her.

My Achilles Heelys

2007-08-04T00:14:00.001-05:00

For too long I have been writhing in envy when children effortlessly wiz past me on their heelys (the sneakers with wheels in the heel). My fascination with them probably is rooted in my laziness. I have often muttered a prayer to the heavens that either my feet would shrink or that they would make them for adults. Apparently my prayer has been answered (and no, my feet didn’t shrink), and I still have a birthday and Christmas coming up this year.

Table Talk

2007-08-02T23:16:00.000-05:00

Janelle and I are in the market for a house and looked at a few with our agent tonight. I was vexed to see that neither house had a kitchen table. No where for the family to eat, drink, and be merry together. One of the houses had a computer and TV in each bedroom. I get the feeling that they don't talk to each other very much. I hope that we always treat dinner as a sacred and valuable time in our family.

July Recap

2007-08-02T22:55:00.000-05:00

Bachelor week: Janelle and Caden went to Ohio, while at home I took off the child safety latches and went to a gun range

Weekend in Wilmington for a beach trip with Sutphins
Marathon week with our nephew Tyler in town which included a night of Wii, drive-in movie, baseball game, tubing down a river, and a raining night of camping
Caden’s first haircut
Watched 20 stages (3 hours a piece) of the Tour de France. Viva le Tour

Tyler in Town

2007-08-02T22:43:00.000-05:00

Our nephew Tyler was in town for a marathon week that included the speedpark, a baseball game, a drive-in movie, tubing, and camping.

Pics from Janelle/Caden's trip to Ohio

2007-08-02T22:40:00.000-05:00

bachelor week part deux

2007-07-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

Janelle, Caden, and "butter bean" are coming back to town tomorrow with our nephew Tyler in tow. T-bone will be spending the week with us and my secret agenda is to get him to cut the grass while he is here. I'm sure there will be some more posts filled with pics chronicling her Ohio adventure soon.
As for me, bachelor week peaked this weekend when myself, my brother and a friend of mine played ping pong, went to the shooting range, and hit the batting cages. I have alluded to my irrational fear of guns before, and the shooting range was a bit overwhelming (it is alot louder than I thought), but after my brother's constant prodding and about 5 ackward minutes, I squeezed off a few rounds. In the end I just couldn't bear the thought of my little brother holding this over me for the rest of my life. I was a little humliated at the batting cages. My reflexes are so slow that I have to start swinging before the ball comes out of the machine. It didn't help that the friend that was with us is a professional football player (NFL) and was switch hitting like it was nothing.
Bachelor week has been good, but I am definitely ready to have the fam back home.

bachelor week

2007-07-20T21:12:00.001-05:00

Janelle and Caden are in Ohio this week so I have inevitably regressed to bachelor/college mode. Highlights so far include: seeing Transformers @ 9:35 pm (on a weeknight), removing all the annoying child proof devices in the kitchen, and eating a lot of oven pizza. Yep, I’m a wild man!

Kiwi

2007-07-18T21:33:00.000-05:00

what you need to know: Kiwi can't fly....physically unable to do their natural instinct. But with a little creativity and sacrifice anything is possible.

Blood and Gore

2007-07-16T22:27:00.000-05:00

Russell Moore made this profound statement in a piece called “Blood, Gore and Global Warming”
“Let’s take care of the earth, protect the natural order. But let’s remember that the world is not ultimately rescued by politicians or musicians or filmmakers or scientists. The world is saved by blood (of Christ), not Gore”

Maddy

2007-07-16T22:23:00.000-05:00

Here are some great pics Janelle captured of the lil'Sutphin

life is a beach

2007-07-16T22:15:00.000-05:00

We went to Wilmington with the Sutphins (Jason was one of my old college roommates). It was both kids' first time on the beach and they seem to be big fans of the giant sand box. Highlights included: the world’s greatest crab dip, an Italian pub (the marrying of 2 of God’s greatest gifts to us all), Angie in desperation attacking a waitress for some crackers for our hungry children, and me freaking out because I thought the current was carrying Jason and I (on our manly floats) out into the abyss of the ocean.

***For manual control of the slideshow, click on it once

hair today, gone tomorrow

2007-07-16T21:23:00.000-05:00

Caden got his first haircut last week. His mop was getting a bit unruly. Janelle found this great place designed specifically for children. Looks like a lot of fun….heck, I want to go there for my next hair cut.
Here are some before shots

You'll being seeing more of this one I am sure.

.....and the final product

a good tongue lashing

2007-07-10T02:45:00.000-05:00

A what age does this (sticking out your tongue) stop being cute and start being offensive? I am talking about me of course

O.C.P.

2007-07-10T02:39:00.000-05:00

Waste of Space?

2007-07-10T02:37:00.000-05:00

For the last year or so, Janelle and I have been seeking to be more environmentally conscious. It started with our first blue recycling bin and it has spread like an infection and is dangerously close to becoming a soap box (made of recycled materials of course). For us, it really has nothing to do with global warming or the pending apocalypse. Frankly, it just comes down to the admission that I waste too much….and I simply can’t justify it any longer……especially when so much of the world is in need. It’s about taking responsibility for what I consume. On a deeper level my personal faith calls me to be a good steward with all my resources and that doesn’t happen naturally, it requires intentionality.
For more info and easy ways to be more eco-friendly go to liveearth.org