Smells of the Pacific Northwest and other memorable geographic smells

My brother hooked me up with some music in college by The Young Fresh Fellows "Sounds of the Northwest." The introduction sounded like something from a filmstrip or an old tourist film--with tracks of seagulls, crashing waves and a ferry horn. I loved listening to this while in my Midwest exile, as it reminded me of home.

Today I was reminded of the smells of the Pacific Northwest as my olfactory nerves drifted me toward memories from the years of traversing the lands of the South Puget Sound. The landscaping material known as "beauty bark" sits in huge mounds in my rental complex waiting to be laid out. I smelled the stuff long before I saw it on a walk this morning. I thought of all the smells that I smelled here, different from all the odors of South Dakota and other places in the Midwest.

+ Tacoma Aroma (a distinct and pungent odor, maybe something like "Sex Panther" cologne)
+ A faint smell of the various evergreen trees combined with the dampness after a rain.
+ The air of the Salish Sea, a bountiful combination of sea life and brine--yet not quite as strong as the ocean.
+ The powerful spring blossoms of April and May.
+ Fresh scones from the Puyallup Fair.
+ Fish and clam chowder cooking at Ivar's.
+ The thin coolness of the Alpine air in the Cascades.
+ The powerful smell of hops coming from the many local breweries over the years. In my youth, it was Olympia and Rainier. Now it's Red Hook.

I could live without Tacoma Aroma (it's not as bad as it used to be in the 70's and 80's), but the bark, dampness and evergreen scent takes me to a better place.

I am also reminded of the smells of my Midwest exile:

+ The smell of hog processing at the John Morrell plant in Sioux Falls (aka "The Morrell Smell).
+ The smell of heat, corn and humidity all over East River South Dakota.
+ The smells of harvest time--processing hay, corn, soybeans, wheat and other grains--it almost inspired me to think of whole grain breads and a stew full of vegetables. That smell helped me find joy, exhilaration and relief for finally feeling a chill in the air after 6 months of heat.
+ Manure
+ The overwhelming smell of grasses that go absolutely crazy in the spring after laying dormant all winter.
+ The almost complete lack of odors (outside of manure) during a harsh winter.

The only time I enjoyed the smells of the Midwest was during the harvest time--about an 8-week period where I watched the hard work of people who help provide our food. People worried, celebrated and toiled with passion. I disliked the smells for the most part, and the harvest time almost made up for it. I appreciated those smells, but the smells of the Northwest can never be replaced.

Satellite Radio vs. Podcasts

During my days of driving the back roads of South Dakota, satellite radio was almost a necessity. In 2003, my cassette player and radio broke down in my 1992 Honda Accord with well over 200K miles. I remember some drives I could pick up 1-2 stations if I was lucky--a Jesus station and a bad country station. I could get NPR news and talk in the morning, but I could only listen to so much classical or jazz music. If I was meeting colleagues in the more desolate areas of the state, I wouldn't get any stations at all. I saved up a little money and took the plunge into satellite radio, which was the wave of the future at the time.

I loved satellite radio so much my brothers and I bought my father one for Christmas one year. I bought and set up satellite radio outlets in my house. Depending on contracts and mergers, it was the best way I could listen to Seahawks, Mariners, Oilers and Kansas Jayhawk games on the radio in the hinterlands of South Dakota, where the Big 10, Vikings, Twins and Wild ruled. I listened to the CBC often in the morning in between sporting events and I had better reception for good college radio music, without the faint signal of an actual college station. The service was well worth the 11 dollars a month I was paying. I had every media outlet I could ever want, and I wasn't tied to a television--so I could multi-task on some of my lower mentally engaging activities. With my long commute, I was engaged and had some good thinking time before arriving at home or at work.

Satellite radio was one of the first services to go when my dear wife and I started to be more sensible and cautious with our money. I missed it a lot, but my iPod and the expanding world of podcasts began to fill the gaps. I didn't have to pay for the podcasts. In canceling my service with XM, I was to receive a refund. I never received it after several inquiries into my account, and I gave up, learning a lesson about satellite radio that cost me about $142.

It turns out that XM/Sirius is quite desperate to get some customers back. I received a letter that my service was reactivated for 3 month--Free. Ha.

Sorting through my piles, I found the documents that pointed to my sizable refund. I called XM and asked them, what gives? You're offering me 3 free months when you didn't offer any customer service with integrity? I was on the precipice of giving up on satellite radio for good, and after 2 agents, I found someone who promised me a check, rather than a credit to my account (I was open to a credit, but I'll take a check).

I agree with Bill Simmons that satellite radio lost its niche with a younger generation when the podcast world expanded. The only folks I see using their satellite radio are elderly folks who purchase higher end new vehicles. This observation is completely subjective and anecdotal, but I hear little if any buzz about satellite radio. I am at least somewhat media savvy.

I think satellite radio is going in the tank. Why would I want to pay approximately $14 per month for a good product when I can get a better product for free on my iPod? Or pay less than than a satellite subscription for equal or better content via iTunes? I control the content on my iPod, whereas XM/Sirius controls the content on their end. What I have appreciated about satellite radio over the years on the music level is that I am introduced to music I may not have considered otherwise. However, as I have become reengaged with media after a little hiatus as a stay at home dad (with my iPhone and Twitter and a little with iLike) I still don't need satellite radio to expand my musical palette. I turned on my satellite radio for three free months, but spending 14 dollars a month for good content isn't a necessary expenditure and borderline foolish.

If anyone else has a satellite radio story, I would love to read about it.

Politics (entry #6 in the Madhouse Gazette South Dakota Lexicon)

South Dakota has a strange love affair with U.S. Senator John Thune (at least as seen by the rest of world). Many people can't understand why South Dakota would vote out Tom Daschle, someone with seniority, clout, influence and good leadership (okay, he had a hard time doing his taxes, but what politician doesn't), and vote in John Thune.

For any South Dakotan, the political move from Daschle to Thune makes perfect sense. The folks of the Northern Great Plains strongly believe in their values and way of life, yet they struggle with their image when their perspectives move to a national stage. This conundrum of belief and identity are residual effects of the Scandinavian concept of Jante Law. Jante Law is an interesting variable considering Daschle's political fall: I remember that South Dakota public discourse and conventional wisdom said that Daschle was getting "too big for his britches." He needed to be voted out. It didn't matter that Daschle was Senate Majority Leader, accomplished much for South Dakota through his position, and was a marginal presidential candidate--Daschle had to be taken down a peg or two. It didn't help matters that he was a Democrat, either.

The love being articulated for Thune sounds a little like Brokeback Mountain, with which people in the state tried to distance themselves through vitriol and condemnation. I had to laugh when I read the commentary on Thune's rising prominence in the aforementioned link. While I lived in South Dakota, I found the politics maddening. Now that I'm on the outside looking in, South Dakota politics are interesting.

Thanks to Allison Kilkenny's recent blog post referencing Thune for the inspiration to reflect upon my life with South Dakota politics.

Autumn (Entry #5 in the madhousegazette South Dakota Lexicon)

Autumn in South Dakota is a season that can produce some of the most glorious colors on the planet--about every 6 or 7 years, or if you don't blink during a few choice days in the month of October. South Dakota specializes in Earth tones, especially Eastern South Dakota--with the dearth of evergreen trees and lack of sizable aqua-topography--one has to learn to appreciate Earth tones or go crazy.

The leaves changing color can be quite beautiful. However, multiple variables must align:

1. Wet summer. Possible.
2. Cool and/or low wind September. Less likely than #1.
3. Low wind October once the leaves actually turn color. Almost impossible.

In order for autumn beauty to last more than 3 days, these three variables must align. A stiff wind (almost constant) can take down awe-inspiring color in about 3 days. I remember being thankful to be in South Dakota during the autumn months--when the cool down finally comes (ahhh)--then I have my hopes dashed with the first big wind from the Northwest comes and the leaves fly through the air in a Technicolor (fall version) display (amazing in its own right) and the landscape turns to a depressing drab that is only moderated and made peaceful and calm by the first beautiful snow.

I didn't realize the brevity of glory in a South Dakota autumn until I returned to the Pacific Northwest, where the fall colors have surrounded me in what seems to be like strategic stages of color turning for about 3 weeks--with one tree on WA-16 that continues to greet me in varying lipstick shades of red for going on 2.5 weeks. I keep waiting for the autumn glory to be complete, but it keeps on going. South Dakota colors are comparable, but maybe their short annual visit has made me appreciate my return to the PNW even more.

I thought we've had her much longer...

Check out our growing little girl scooting around our vacation in South Dakota and saying good bye to our former home.

Daughter #2 celebrated her third birthday yesterday. She's hit a language explosion--and I can hardly keep up. The conversations are a little repetitive, but I am thankful for the conversations. We still talk about messes and things that are broken along I-5, the Tacoma Dome and the "castle (cathedral)." We talk about school, which direction we can go, the merits of an immediate hamburger purchase, inquiries about the day's schedule involving Mommy, her sister, church, grandparents, great-grandparents, uncles and aunts, etc. All the talking she's doing and the words and phrases she accumulates makes me wonder what I'm missing during the day--and I miss her. Though its years before I do some serious letting go, she is in the beginning stages of going off and having some conversations of her own. Yet I love that when I walk in the door to pick her up, she drops what she's doing and SPRINTS toward me with a smile on her face and a shout of "Daddy!" from her mouth.

Daughter #2 received a scooter for her birthday, fulfilling a longtime desire to do something like her sister. Now they can scoot together at the park. We might have done that today before the Husky game, but there are bigger fish to fry today. Another birthday party and a trip to the pumpkin patch. I think the girls like Halloween more than Christmas. In some ways, it's debatable. I love autumn--but I've already written that.

The treats have been a challenge so far as the celebrations of fall and early winter accumulate, with Daughter #1 remaining on the Feingold Diet. Dr. Oetker baking products have helped us keep desired treats in the house. The girls don't like them as much as the additive-laden treats, but they are marginally acceptable. There's not a strange ingredient in Dr. Oetker products, and I don't feel funny after eating them. But they do taste different--and actually pretty good once aware of the original differences. I think they added to the celebratory nature of a third birthday--she's having a good time.

It seems like longer than three years with Daughter #2--in a good way.

Getting ready for another vacation

After almost 6 weeks of solid work in the office and the community, I'm getting ready for another trip. Six weeks of working outside the home has turned me back into a morning person. I am way too tired at night to function. I gather rally my gumption and give the girls a quality evening for bath time, homework, reading and prayers. I could barely bring myself to fold any laundry last night. I feel like I'm making up for lost time in adult conversations--so work energizes me at this point, even though I'm an introvert. I haven't earned a vacation in terms of time served, it will be good for pacing to get away. I'm glad my congregation gave me some grace so I could travel back to South Dakota with my family. My dear wife has a reunion to attend, so we're making a family trip out of it.

Thinking it's been almost 6 months since we came to the Pacific Northwest, it sometimes feels like a long time, yet other times--we just departed. Days have rarely flown by for me--I don't know if it's a gift I have, something I have yet to experience, or what it is about my brain that gives me an even pace to my days. I'm looking forward to seeing a few friends and watch my dear wife enjoy the glory of her college days and friends.

What needs to be accomplished before departure is what feels oppressive.

+ Dog needs a major health check up and prep for being kenneled.
+ Honda Element needs new tires. Especially with all the mountain snow across the Cascades and Rockies in recent days.
+ My home office is in a shambles. I barely know which end is up in there.
+ Small thing, yet still time consuming--I need a haircut, for what hair I have remaining.
+ Pack for the 1500 mile drive--kid provisions, dog provisions, contingency scenarios, temporarily cleaning the vehicle.
+ Communicate with service providers and educators about absence.

I will be adding to this list, no doubt.

I've learned enough lessons over the years that I provided a preaching-free zone for 2-3 weeks around my trip so that my all-consuming weekly task of speaking in front of 400-plus people, plus a television audience, will not eat me alive while I try to haul my family across hundreds of miles. I'll be glad when we actually get in the car--but it's really time to buckle down.

Worshiping at the Cathode Cathedral: House

Last year I was drawn into the medical drama "House" courtesy of my Confirmation students in South Dakota ranch country. I was amazed that it was the most mentioned show when I unscientifically polled them on their favorites. I don't just go looking for shows via channel surfing, I find a few diamond in the rough recommendations and give them a try.

During the long, dark, snowy winter in South Dakota, I looked forward to carrying a load of House DVD's or getting a few episodes on Hulu. I ended up watching 4 complete seasons in about 3 months. What drew me to the show was an intelligent man's quest for meaning under the guise of nihilism. It helps that House has an unused verbal filter and is often funny in bypassing the filter. I've always hoped that someone with a more intelligent faith could challenge House, but that has yet to happen. I believe he's met with a teenage quack faith healer, and an overly pious and naive nun--but that's about it. One of the doctors had attended seminary, but had is own crisis of faith. He ends up being the religious apologist when the ladies aren't staring into his dreamy eyes.

The House season premiere reminded me of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," though it wasn't quite as good. My favorite interaction involved House and his psychiatrist--meeting his match in the category of insanely intelligent, yet a bit relationally immature. It was also good that the writing ventured off the medical mystery track for just a bit so we could connect with House beyond his cantankerous shell. He also developed a romantic connection with a visitor to the ward that eventually broke off. What I appreciated about the contrast of characters is that the brain, though resilient, can be very fragile--and that we are all a step or two away from mental illness. The characters who came to the mental illness institution were an interesting mix of everyday and extraordinary people: a world-renowned doctor, a concert cellist, a man who suffered from massive delusions after witnessing his wife's sudden death all overseen by a psychiatrist with his own relational brokenness. What I appreciated about the episode over and against "Cuckoo's Nest" was that the mental illness in House was not mere caricature as it tended to be in "Cuckoo's Nest."

In recent years I have found a passive interest in faith, relationships and the brain. Pete Steinke first got me interested in brain research, and he plugged me in to many resources. I saw Dr. Daniel Amen speak several years ago and found his work intriguing in terms of how the brain affects congregational dynamics. Some are skeptical of Amen's work. The neo-atheist Sam Harris and his contributions to The Reason Project move into brain research to show how the brain is related to faith and religion. I deeply appreciate the complexity of the brain and amazed how often it is taken for granted in human interaction. The season premiere of House revealed something of this complexity, which is why I enjoyed it's diversion from the typical medical drama path.

What is "white culture"?

Once before I have referenced the oddity that is Glenn Beck--not nearly as many times as Keith Olbermann--but I don't need to beat a dead horse in order to get people to watch my show. Olbermann beats up on Beck to help his ratings. Beck does the same kind of thing, but Beck sometimes adds tears.

Beck is on his way back to the Northwest, returning to a town of his youth. Beck was not a controversial figure in South Dakota because many people share his perspectives on the world. But in the Northwest, Beck will often be vilified, and some folks in Mount Vernon, Washington are angry about a Glenn Beck Day in Mount Vernon. One of his more recent controversies involves calling Barack Obama a racist and hold a desire to dismantle "white culture."

Regardless of whether someone believes Obama to be racist, or whether his leadership is detrimental to the country, my question is what is "white culture?" An who is white? Are Italians considered white? How about Greeks? Does one have to be completely white, like a native, but non-aboriginal Norwegian? If all of these aforementioned cultures are grouped as white, then what monolithic "white culture" do you have? If there is a white culture, I'm not sure how I participate or influence white culture. Please Mr. Beck, help me understand.

One of my favorite blogs is "Stuff White People Like." The Canadian author Christian Lander is not necessarily proclaiming a white culture per se, but identifies proclivities that are hard to deny. Race, culture and skin color aren't interchangeable words, and to call Obama a racist attempting to dismantle white culture is a poor choice of concepts to criticize Obama's body of work.

But hey, Beck gets the ratings.

Reliving the field trip through tourism

In some places I have lived, some points of the city were only viewed when visitors came from out of town:

Twin Cities, MN: Mall of America
Copenhagen, Denmark: The Little Mermaid

The Milwaukee, Wisconsin, metro had good things to do, but not in the classical tourist sight-seeing fashion. In Wisconsin, cultural tourism is the way to go. Some of the best times my dear wife and I enjoyed during our 2.5 years there involved basic activities that locals enjoy as well: eating brats/sausage, cheese and the abundance of beer; fish fries (amazing cultural activity--I once read Wisconsin is the highest fish consumption state in the country), enjoying the beautiful autumns, walking near the lake shore, attending sporting events in Madison, Milwaukee Brewers baseball, and Lambeau field. All of these places involve good interaction with locals, something that cannot be promised at a particular tourist destination. I'm not anti-tourist (though I can only handle being a tourist in small doses), I like to find places to visit where I can talk to locals about life in that place.

Seattle has more sights similar to Copenhagen and the Twin Cities. With some visitors coming to town recently, we were off to the kid-friendly stops, the Seattle Aquarium, Pike Place Market and the Space Needle. The Seattle Aquarium is an interesting conglomeration of school/summer camp field trippers, tourists, and local families. I attended at least 2 field trips to the Seattle Aquarium as a child, and visited there on other occasions. I know field trips still occur in these days of slashed education budgets and increased standardized testing, but my anecdotal observation says field trips are dying as an educational experience. That makes me feel melancholy about education. Ultimately, my children will know much more than me in their lifetimes, but I believe in the field trip education experiences I had as a child. The girls and I thoroughly enjoyed the aquarium that day--the best part being that they could touch sea cucumbers, sea anemones, sea urchins and starfish. If the place wasn't crawling with street urchins, I could have hung out there poking and gazing at the sea life for hours--ah, to explore without a schedule--but we let the girls spend the most time there. If I could have been any kind of scientist, it would have involved oceanography.

Of the non-touching exhibits, we liked the jellyfish and the seals the most. We see a lot of jellies on the Puget Sound, but at the aquarium, we were able to examine their intricacies in clearer water behind Plexiglas. Watching seals in captivity is a love-hate experience. They interact with the humans like no other sea life I have seen; they were hamming it up and made us all laugh several times. I wonder about mammals in captivity. I'm sure plenty of people are appalled by the whole enterprise, but I also value the appreciation and awareness about God's creatures that comes from a visit that my girls take to the Seattle Aquarium.

The Space Needle is a place for great views of Seattle and the Puget Sound, but it's not the only viewpoint available in the region. If you want to dodge people taking pictures of one another, purchase expensive provisions and kitsch, the Space Needle is for you. It deserves one or maybe two visits in a lifetime--it might have been enjoyable if the girls weren't so hungry and cranky. I think I got whiplash from keeping my head on a swivel all day--keeping track of two busy girls in a big city takes significant effort, which is probably why my parents didn't take my brothers and I to downtown Seattle on a regular basis.

Now that I have just about squarely hit midlife, I'm the one providing direction and guidance more often in more settings--this little tourist trip represented a shift of roles for me as a Pacific Northwesterner. Our visitors provided me with an opportunity to refine my cultural attache routine for whomever makes the trek to the Seattle metro. Come on over!

First vote in Washington State in nearly 20 years

Today I completed not only my first election ballot in Washington in nearly 20 years, this was my first vote by mail. I am pleased with this process for many reasons.

1. King County, Washington provides non-partisan voter pamphlet for all registered candidates for each elected position. In the guides I can find contact information, links to more information about candidates, and candidate statements. I was able to easily find more information about candidates and local issues than I ever have as a voter.

2. The voting by mail process along with the voters' pamphlets gave me ample opportunity to research candidates and issues and that gave me adequate information to make an informed vote.

3. Web presence matters--I noticed if candidates did not use one of the least expensive ways to connect with a diverse group of voters. I voted for candidates I may not have in the past because I was able to read about their approach to issues facing King County.

Not being a native of South Dakota, I found it difficult to attain information regarding local issues and candidates and easily compare and contrast them during local elections. I participated in almost every election while I lived there, but I was not as informed as I could have been. I hope South Dakota moves toward ballots by mail and providing some sort of clearing house of links. Any voter can prepare to fill out their ballots using traditional methods if they are motivated to do so, but I think that the democratic process was served better using mail ballots and providing easier access to candidate information. I'm going to research mail ballots in South Dakota anecdotally, I'm curious about individual responses to the concept of ballots by mail.

The heat wave has finally abated

Back in college, a good friend used to chide me for paying attention to weather forecasts: "Why do you worry about something you can't control?"

I may not be able to control the weather, but I can adjust. Since returning to the Northwest, I have enjoyed reading University of Washington Atmospheric Science Professor Cliff Mass' blog. I thought about his post regarding humidity and realized I did not recognize the humidity with the heat. Indeed, we had a high dew point for the region, but I remember those days in South Dakota and Kansas where I walked outside and sweat with minimal exertion. I loathe that feeling. I love to sweat when working out and dressed to do so, but merely sweating is not my favorite bodily function. It is one reason I would think long and hard before ever taking an opportunity to live in the South. I would be constantly cranky. Even in my more svelte days, I couldn't take the humidity.

I guess I lived long enough in the Midwest that I didn't notice the humidity during the last heat wave. I am shocked.

One of the best times on the sports calendar (a surprise to me)

It's tough to beat October on the sports calendar, with big college football games, NFL games, pennant races and baseball playoffs. I also like the beginning of the NHL season and college basketball lurking in the background. The weather is perfect and the world is beautiful.

After the non-waiver trade deadline passed, I realized that one thing I truly enjoy about sports is anticipation. Quality anticipation is on par with actually sporting events themselves. Now that the Seattle Mariners have a wise and adept general manager, I approached the trade deadline with thrilling levels of anticipation. I think Jack Zduriencik did fabulous job in this trade season; I thought the Mariners needed to be buyers and sellers. Anticipation is in high gear for football as well, with the buzz about particular games in college and the eternal spring of parity that is the NFL. That anticipation makes the end of July a better time than I had once believed.

It's also good to be back in King County, Washington to anticipate unlimited hydroplane racing. Think: NASCAR on water. My dad and I used to go to the time trials when I was a kid--I looked forward to those races that scream Northwest tradition, culture and fun in the sun. A lot of the neighbor kids would tow carved wooden toy hydroplanes behind their banana seat bicycles for our own neighborhood hydroplane races. The legendary stories my dad used to tell of the SLO-MO V hydro and its awe inspiring flip/crash. I remember hydro drivers like they were baseball stars: Bill Muncey, Chip Hanauer, Dean Chenoweth, Steve Reynolds. They dodged death every race, something that scared the heck out of me, but I was also enticed by the whole spectacle. I also remember the boats of the day: Miss Circus Circus, Miss Atlas Van Lines, Miss Budweiser, the O Boy, Oberto!, the Miss Pay N Pak, the Miss Rock KISW (they knew their fan base). Seafair Sunday was always special. I had forgotten that time. Sports in July have just become better again.

Post Script: Hydroplane racing came to South Dakota (albeit a small boat class) a few years ago, much to my surprise. The Missouri River is actually a great venue for the sport. I even discovered what seems to be a driver on this circuit in the Muncey royal driver lineage (Wil Muncey). I missed the event the last couple of years (but was thrilled to learn of the new venue), but I could imagine I would have taken one or both of my girls out there if we still lived in South Dakota. I may have to try the Seafair time trials at another point in my life with the girls.

A sport fan's resume

A good friend of mine recently shared our live sports attendance resumes. These games are sometimes accessories and sometimes central events to being. They represent honoring specific relationships with family and friends and observing achievements and physical gifts to humanity. They represents teamwork and individual hard work, the admiration of intelligence, strategy, raw human emotion, collective pride, and a liturgical gathering of crowds. Of course there is the laundry list of what is wrong with sports, but I don't focus too much on that. I do not make my wife a sports widow, and I have been blessed to be a part of some fun events with my loved ones and friends.

Football

NFL
1983, December 24th. Playoff game--Seattle vs. Denver Wild Card game. Seattle's first playoff game. Crazy. Pandemonium, and insane noise levels. It must have looked cool on TV--we all had blue cards and used them to do "the wave."
4-5 NFL games in Seattle's Kingdome.
1999 Mike Holmgren's return to Lambeau w/Seahawks @ Lambeau Field. This game was a huge party, similar to Wisconsin game (see below) but a lot more quirks.

CFL
1993 Sky Dome in Toronto. Toronto Argonauts vs. Calgary Stampede.
2008 Edmonton--Where legend Warren Moon roamed and led to 5 Grey Cups. Edmonton Eskimos vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders.

NCAA
1987 Washington vs. Arizona State for a baseball recruiting visit. What a cool way to watch a game.
1989 Tulsa vs. Arkansas @ Fayetteville.
1990 Tennessee vs. Notre Dame, Knoxville, TN. Todd Helton at QB. Both teams top 10. Tennessee almost pulls it out in a frantic comeback with a successful onside kick.
Lots of games at KU from 1988-1991 (when they were awful).
1994 Maryland vs. Virginia @ Charlottesville. Charlottesville is one of my favorite college towns for its history and beauty.
1999 Western Michigan vs. Wisconsin. A boring Big 10 game--but that was THE biggest college football party I have ever seen. Hands down, no competition.
2001 Nebraska vs. Texas Tech @ Lincoln. Insane game by Cliff Kingsbury (33-63, 363 yards) and Wes Welker with an 85 yd. punt return--I LOVED watching the Blackshirts get shredded and see the TTU fans throw tortillas. Too bad the Huskers won.
2002 Kansas St. @ Texas in Austin. Saw Vince Young's coming out party. KSU made a game of it with Sproles I believe, and Vince Young was sweet.
2003 Arkansas @ Auburn (97 degrees, a very forgettable game for Auburn fans. Cadillac had one of his worst games of his college career and Matt Jones shredded the defense by basically using the tight ends as wide receivers.
2004 Florida @ Mississippi State in 2004. Florida had all the talent and Miss. St. was given no chance, even by their own fans. Florida fans had some unrest, especially with its website, fireronzook.com (not up these days, but if Illini fans have another bad season, watch out). Miss. St. gutted out a win. That was fun. It also marked the first time my friends and I tailgated with an RV--that is the way to do it.
2005 Oklahoma State-Texas A&M in 2005. A decent game, 1000 degrees out. Kyle Field was the important destination
Boston College @ Central Michigan 2006. CMU's first nationally televised game, first home game with lights (newly installed that week). Dan LeFevour's coming out party (he's going to put up insane #'s this year and get a few Heisman votes). Starting CMU QB gets crushed on the first play of the game. LeFevour comes in and almost takes down a ranked BC team (imagine Vince Young running style with someone who can actually throw.)

Minnesota State-Mankato
Augustana College (SD)

NAIA (at the time)
Pacific Lutheran University

Basketball

NCAA
1988 Oklahoma State @ Kansas' Phog Allen Field House. Danny Manning's last home game. This was a recruiting visit for me, and I was sold on Kansas after this visit, and this game was a clincher. Though I haven't been to games on Tobacco Road or Lexington, KY, I can't imagine college basketball venues better than Allen Field House.
1988-1992 So many great games @ Kansas, it's hard to count. One of my favorite regular season games was Kentucky coming to Allen Field house and DESTROYING Ricky Pitino and Kentucky 150-95--in 1991-92 season.
1990-91 KU vs. Arkansas in the regional final in Charlotte. Drove all night to see that one. KU down by 12 at half, came back to win. Sank free throws to clinch.
Final 4 in 1991 Indianapolis. KU beat UNC with Dean Smith. Duke with Grant Hill beats UNLV juggernaut--they were undefeated.
Duke (ugh) beats KU in the final in pretty solid fashion. Sad outcome, but AMAZING Final 4.
2005 Final 4 in St. Louis. I bought the tickets because I thought KU would be there. Not a thrilling Final 4, but I had a great time with a good friend.

NBA

2 Minnesota Timberwolves games
2 Seattle Sonics games, one in the Old Coliseum, 1 in the Tacoma Dome.

Baseball

MLB
I have never been to a huge game in terms of playoff significance, but lots of parks over the years 1977-present.

Safeco Field
Kingdome (I saw the 1979 All-Star game there)
Oakland Coliseum
Dodgers Stadium
Old Padres Stadium before it was called Qualcomm (with a Beach Boys Concert after the game)
Metrodome in Minnesota
Wrigley Field as a guest of Ryne Sandberg
New Comiskey Park, Chicago
Old County Stadium, Milwaukee (saw Mark McGwire's 65th home run--seems weird now)
Old Busch Stadium, St. Louis
Kaufman Stadium, Kansas City
Old Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
Great American, Cincinnati
Old Tiger Stadium, Detroit
Comerica Park, Detroit
Jacobs Field, Cleveland
Old Yankee Stadium (saw celebration of 50th anniversary of Joltin' Joe's 56 game streak, they gave him a Gold Rolls Royce, and every living Yankee great was there. I had the chills--and pink eye. I would have gone with a collapsed lung).
Shea Stadium, New York
Fenway Park, Boston
PNC Park, Pittsburgh (Outside of my Safeco biases, this is the best baseball park I have visited).
Olympic Stadium, Montreal (met Dick Vitale at this game--it was like an episode of the Surreal Life).
Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia

My dear wife and I were on our way to a Rockies game right before we got married, but we got stuck in an insane traffic jam in Denver and ended up being 90 minutes late by the time we got to the exit. We were driving from Las Vegas to St. Paul. Good thing we didn't have tickets.

Minor Leagues
St. Paul Saints
Sioux Falls Canaries

College Baseball
1988-89 I saw lots of great games from the bench and press box at the University of Kansas.
1999 Saw my brother pitch twice at UNLV, that was pretty cool.
1999 U. Arizona game in Tucson.
Augustana College (SD)

Hockey

NHL
1988-1994 I hit 3-4 St. Louis Blues games.
2002 Dallas Stars @ Edmonton Oilers. My dear wife helped me fulfill a longtime dream by going to this game with me.
2002 Buffalo Sabres @ Calgary Flames in the Saddledome.
2008 Columbus Blue Jackets @ Edmonton Oilers with my brother. Oilers win! Oilers win!

College Hockey
1978 Game at the University of British Columbia
1991-1993 Several games at Minnesota State University-Mankato

Soccer/Football
1970's Seattle Sounders home game in the Kingdome in the old NASL.
1996 Brondby, a popular team in Denmark, not quite elite in Europe, but has performed well in European competition.

Cricket
1996 Dublin, Ireland

Visited two pro sports hall of fame--
Cooperstown, New York (baseball)
Newport, Rhode Island (tennis)

What I have learned reflecting on this resume:

The college football games are the best for the all around experience.
The college hoop games have the greatest thrills.
The NHL game experience is actually the best.
It's more fun to go with loved ones and friends, but if it ends up being a choice between going and not going at all to a new venue, going is better.
My wife is a really good sport--though not a sports fan, she will still enjoy a game with me.

Listening...(July 28, 2009 edition)

Avenues--Whiskeytown
Right Here--Little Brother, Median & Symbolyc One & Illlmind
Heartless--Heart
Audience of One--Rise Against
They Put Her In The Movies--Jason Falkner

I'm still stuck on this Whiskeytown song--I can't get enough of it. It's under 3 minutes, and I think the time serves the song well.

Some things sound/taste/smell/look better in their place of origin. Herring tastes fabulous in Denmark, can't say I've enjoyed it anywhere else. Red Hook tastes better here. Roasted pork loin tastes far better in Iowa and South Dakota than anywhere else. I've always liked Heart, but they're not a favorite. Now that I'm back in King County, Seattle-based Heart sounds amazing. The bass line from "Heartless" is funky, powerful, rocking. I love running to this song or playing it on my chores soundtrack. Great song to revisit, if only for the bass line.

I am no hip-hop authority (shocking, I know), but a good sampling can draw me into a hip-hop track. "Right Here" has a soulful, haunting, yet celebratory and meditative sampling. The sampling creates the foundation of the track, but it doesn't grate by being obnoxiously repetitive. I know nothing about the artists or the track, but I'm enjoying the poetry, musicianship and electronic artistry. A great find on the iTunes free download several months ago.

The Jason Falkner songs are usually well done, and I've moved on to a new Falkner track on which I can get pleasantly stuck.

Facebook and Tribes

Yesterday I received a good comment about another Seth Godin work Tribes. Not having read the book (hopefully I can find it at the library), and surmising yesterday's comment I thought about my own tribes: the only tribes I have are related to home. One is my dear wife and girls, the other is my parents and brothers. Outside of those tribes, I have friends, but those friendships aren't necessarily part of a tribe.

I am thankful for the tribes I have, I can't make a value judgment about not having other tribes--it's not something I can control at this point in my life. To what do I attribute few tribes? A series of transitions and moving.

1. We didn't move a lot when I was a child, but the times we did move and when I changed schools significantly altered my friendship communities. I attended one school from grades K-1, then another school when I was placed in a new school district program from grade 2-6. The program involved kids from all over the district, bussed in from many neighborhoods all over the district. I saw different kids in sports, in my neighborhood, at school, at church. In middle school I continued in the school district program, but later withdrew over conflicts with teachers. I also discovered my family was moving 60 miles away, and I wanted to spend more time with another tribe outside the district program.

2. After moving, my family stayed in the new town much longer than I did. I lived there 4 years. I think my parents were there 14 years or so, and my brothers went to elementary, middle and high school in that town--they are much more tribe-oriented to that town and their friends than I am.

3. My higher education from 1988 to 2003 involved several institutions:

University of Kansas
South Puget Sound Community College
Minnesota State University-Mankato
Luther Seminary
Catholic University of America
Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg
Wesley Seminary
South Dakota State University

I stayed the longest at Luther Seminary (a little over 3 years), but I began my program in the middle of the academic year, then switched classes after I was engaged to my dear wife. She started in the class after me--so I graduated with her class. I have friends from some of these institutions, but not a tribe.

4. During my ordained ministry, I have never served in a congregation or town more than approximately 2.5 years. While serving as an interim pastor, there's always been a distinct distance from groups that I encounter in congregational life. I think it's the nature of my vocational demographic, the moving around I do, and the nature of the interim pastor role. Though I have made some friends along the way, nothing has formed for me that resembles a tribe. My dear wife has tribes from our time in South Dakota--she benefited from staying in one congregation and the established connections from her time as an undergraduate student in South Dakota. My vocational path and location hasn't lent itself to tribal formation.

5. As I reflect on the Facebook invitations I have received, some appear to be about friend accumulation, some are about a fringe tribe welcoming, some I don't understand the motivation. In tribe speak, my response is: "not my tribe." In family system speak, the question is, "is this of self or is this not of self?" The answer is "not of self."

I don't need Facebook to communicate with my dear wife, my daughters, my diasporic friendships, my parents, or my brothers. It makes sense that effective communication among tribes can be enhanced by Facebook. I will probably read Godin's book to better understand tribal behavior in the congregations and communities I serve. Thanks to yesterday's responder for providing good reflection for me today.

Here comes the heat wave

Surfacing reports indicate a heat wave is coming to the Pacific Northwest.

I am looking at this heat wife like a Midwest snow storm in some ways--preparation mode. The comparison to a Midwest snowstorm doesn't really work--the Midwest adjusts to weather extremes far better than any place west of the Cascade mountains. My preparation mode began earlier this morning--I have a cool overcast morning with which to work, and I am cooking on the stove now to avoid turning it on later during the unbearable temperatures. I've cooked some chicken breasts, pasta and macaroni and cheese; some will be used for the microwave, some will be mixed in a salad. I'm getting out my camping grill later (packed in a box somewhere) so I can cook something else in the next week. I want to be able to feed my family a decent meal while still following The Frugal Rule. It would be oh, so tempting to go out to a nice, air conditioned restaurant during the heat wave, but not really cost effective.

I remember big snow days in the Midwest--we had/have a good vehicle for getting around, but why take a chance going into a ditch when it isn't necessary? When I knew the storm was coming, I made sure we had hot meals ready to make, milk, and some food to easily prepare if the power went out because of an ice storm.

The heat wave is my least favorite weather extreme for which to prepare, but I also like testing my expanding home economist skills. My next big test will be if I can get going early enough in the morning to get in my long run before it gets too warm.

On the road again--running as a way of life (part 3)

Before my dear wife and I moved to South Dakota, I had taken up a regular regimen of pick up basketball 2-3 times per week. That was my favorite method of exercise--I always prided myself on being a gritty player. I took special pride in sprinting back on defense to take away what someone thought would be an easy lay up or running a 3 on 2 break and getting to the corner for a short jumper or layup--or even leading it after I anticipated a pass and made a steal. It was the sprint that produced an immediate gratification, and (bonus!) my conditioning skyrocketed.

I ran a little bit less in those basketball days--if I was playing with a good group of guys, I got in plenty of wind sprints. I used running more for getting away than conditioning; Lake Country Wisconsin provided great scenery for running getaways.

Upon moving to South Dakota I continued the same running pattern. Basketball 3 days per week and running 2 or more days per week. I played hoops while taking classes at South Dakota State (and lost about 5 pounds in sweat in that painfully hot gym), and then picked up playing at the Sioux Valley/Sanford/Mob Wellness Center. I can't say I was in the best shape of my life (I should have been), the big shift was the birth of our first child, and I could no longer work out when I pleased. I had never been a rigorously scheduled person, I ran whenever the Spirit moved me. When #1 was born into our 2 pastor household, we were pulled in all kinds of directions with a child making her own demands. I had a hard time adjusting to compromises to my running time.

Then about 6:10 am in January, 2004, while playing pick up basketball, executing one of my favorite plays, hustling back on defense to break up an easy bucket, someone with as much or more aggressiveness than me, collided with me mid-air at high speed on the way to the hoop. My lower left leg twisted in a way I didn't know it could. I have no recollection how I landed. I think the injury happened mid-air, which the doctor said was unlikely, but possible. I blew out my ACL, MCL and significantly damaged the meniscus. It was a long, slow and painful recovery.

I had to retire from basketball and learn the dynamic of personal limitation and compromise, from familial to physical. I still haven't learned all of these lessons. Though not an elite athlete, I performed at a good level for several years in almost any way I wanted. My own maturity level held me back, but I also had many joys through physical performance. Family really isn't a limitation--but dynamics of relationships accentuate the choices I make every day. What is important to me? How will I invest my time, my body, my resources?

Running became the obvious choice as a great investment in me, my family, my body and resources. Running fits my economy--I can work my heart, pray, think, plan, experience joy, work my muscles, achieve and keep my body working well. Running is also a habit practice--I've been doing it more or less twice per week for 25 years, with the only large gap being recovering from knee reconstruction (about 2 years). I may try other things like bicycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, hiking, or some other sport that doesn't put my ACL at an incredibly high risk. I always have an entry point with running.

I hit a low point in fitness last fall. It was an especially hot summer in South Dakota; the thought and experience of going outside to run made me physically ill. I had also made too many excuses about the schedules of my family as taking me away from any consistent physical activity. Carrying around the weight I was didn't help matters. Without too much thought, but with consideration of my knees, I dedicated myself to short, but consistent runs early each morning. It was the only way I could do it and not worry about anything in the lives of the 3 females in the house. It was my time. I rose between 4:45 and 5:15 am 5-7 days per week and went to the track. The track reduced the pounding effects of pavement running. I continued almost regardless of the conditions--I think I missed one day because of a lightning storm. I ran in several inches of snow this last winter. I ran in -20 degrees, which was a lot more comfortable for me than running in the heat. I was well equipped (I now own ice/snow running attachments for my shoes--I'm also amazed by the cold weather running gear), and I wasn't going to miss the prayer, thought and planning time. I was further motivated by a race for which I registered around St. Patrick's Day.

The move to Washington has created a new list of excuses for a reduced running pattern, but I've also bought in to Jeff Galloway's program of running less often and focusing more on the weekly long run as a means to prevent injury and actually boost achievement. I want to get out there every day, and I haven't figured out a cross-training regimen that works for me. I've also added shoe orthotics for injury prevention and to deal with an old injury. Like the rest of life, dealing with adversity and making adjustments is more of what life is about than looking to dwell in good times, all the time and not seeing the gift of each day. I'm working toward a half-marathon on Labor Day and hopefully a marathon around my 40th birthday. I'm looking to make another adjustment for cross-training tomorrow--something I have basically ignored.

I will make that adjustment in running--it's a way of life.

Love those county fairs

One of the best summer entertainment values for our family is a small town fair. Last summer we went to two; Saturday we took a beautiful drive on a pleasantly warm day and attended a fair with no gate fee. The girls love the animals--especially the pigs, goats, horses and cats. The pig pictured above is quite a prolific mother--gave birth to 14 litters, averaging a dozen piglets per litter. We watched a little bit of dogs performing at a show, jumping hurdles and climbing through tunnels. We looked at some of the 4-H artwork and imagined our oldest daughter might enjoy 4-H and encourage her to build some life skills. Our youngest took interest in the Elvis impersonator, as she vigorously applauded for "It's Now Or Never," a song dedicated to a couple who was engaged at that little concert.

There is not much about this fair that is particularly unique--animals, prize vegetables, rides, treats, music, etc--the usual fair fare. The crowds are manageable, the girls have a little freedom (we don't have to worry too much about one of them taking off in the crowd), they look forward to the rides, and they see things that we don't always see in our day to day life. Besides the agricultural and artistic displays, we saw an unofficial dog show. As we made our way to the fair entrance, two large (~75-100 pounds), well groomed stray dogs crossed our path. One mounted the other, like they were doing this on cue as a performance. Another family saw this as they sat in their car eating their lunch. I think each of the groups was trying to discern whether the dogs belonged to either party. Daughter #1 asked, "Are those dogs fighting?"

Dear wife: "Not really."

Daughter #1: "Are they playing?"

Dear wife: "You could say that."

Daughter #1: "Are they playing tag?" The family in the car laughed. We tried not to discourage the questions, but we had a hard time not laughing. It just didn't feel like the right time to explain dog mating, so we stuck with agreeing about the playing dogs. My dear wife and I got a lot of mileage out that scene as we made little jokes about what we saw. It's one of those cute innocent reactions from children that we can't really control and hope to convey as grace and the joys of childhood.

The girls smiled almost the entire trip--we had some great teaching moments and we come home tired after long walks and good sunshine. Thirty dollars well spent for parking, lunch, treats, a ride and some games. The girls also received stuffed animals from a generous man who won the animals playing games out of the goodness of his heart, and a free bear for visiting all of the animal displays at the fair. The clincher for me is the mountain back drop, the towering evergreens and the scones we don't get in South Dakota. We would go to a small town fair in the middle of the Mojave Desert or a rain forest, but this context was special. A good time was had by all.

Downtown Owl: my new sub-hobby as a Chuck Klosterman apologist (as if he needs one)

Regardless of book quality, rarely do I complete a book in less than a week. Granted, Chuck Klosterman is relatively easy to read--sometimes I find it easier to read Klosterman than the comics section.

Why do I find him so easy to read these days? Klosterman feels like a pseudo-friend as I read his work. I don't think I have the life, time or energy for many friends these days. I don't necessarily lament this, I live a blessed life. However, there's a distinct quality and added value to reading (hearing) something about a philosophical shared experience. Though I wasn't born in the Northern Great Plains (NGP), I recently lived there for 8 1/2 years, and those years left an indelible imprint on my life. Klosterman no longer lives in North Dakota, yet he writes in a way that attempts to extract meaning from his life in North Dakota that only distance provides. As I am neither a book critic or well-read, I wonder if Klosterman is unique in his depiction of the NGP, one who understands the cultural characteristics of NGP life and actually names them with a bit of critique and an abiding affection (Klosterman dedicates the novel to "Melissa" and "North Dakota." The only author I can recall who comes close is Garrison Keillor (is Klosterman a sort of Gen X Keillor? I'm waiting for Klosterman's new book in October). The major difference I would note is Keillor's distinct use of sarcasm is mostly absent in Klosterman. Where Keillor gave me humorous insights to cultural quirks in the NGP, Klosterman has helped me extract meaning from my experiences in the NGP over the past 8 years.

As a pastor in the NGP, I served in places like Owl, North Dakota, but I never lived there. I always went home to the big city to sleep in my bed with my dear wife. I attended basketball games, I ate at the local cafes, I observed teenage socialization, I observed particular family dynamics, I participated in senior citizen philosophical symposiums in church basements and local eateries. After all of those years in NGP ministry, I learned that though I had a passport into strange places in people's lives that few (if any) other people had, most people behave differently in the known proximity of their pastor. Therefore there was much I didn't see in people's basic lives. Klosterman provided plausible and interesting depictions of characters with whom I interacted in the congregations I served--but I also didn't get to know. Klosterman filled in some curious gaps for me. Even though Klosterman claims his work is not autobiographical, he is writing about what he knows. Though Klosterman creates an omniscient narrator for Downtown Owl, I feel like the novel represents getting together with a friend to compare and contrast life in particular towns of which Klosterman knows.

After reading reviews of Downtown Owl from Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times. Both reviewers critique Klosterman's level of omniscience, that Downtown Owl reads too much like a Klosterman essay, with nimble cultural commentary that is sometimes distracting from character development. This critique may or may not be valid; I suppose it may depend on why you're reading the book. Though I didn't necessarily care about all of Klosterman's cultural commentary from the narrator, I'm not sure Klosterman cares if a reader resonates with all of his references. I believe that is his style. He gives his readers too much to think about, but writes in a way that says, "enjoy what you can, gain insight from what you can, toss aside the rest. It doesn't bother me." Sure, some of Klosterman's social commentaries may have been superfluous to character development, but it didn't take away from my personal resonance with the characters and the general observations about Owl compared to the rest of America. I was still able to extract meaning in light of my own experiences that made me laugh and think on multiple levels. Few authors have that kind of cache with me, which is why I finished the book in a week.

If you want to learn more about Klosterman, check out his two-part podcast appearance with Bill Simmons from ESPN (look for June 28-29). My big learning from these podcasts was that the only way Klosterman was able to get his novel published was that Downtown Owl was part of a two book deal, the other being a book of essays (to be released October 2009). I'm glad Klosterman has the kind of leverage that he can write out of his own creative place and not merely what some believe the market will bear. I hope that Downtown Owl sold enough books that Klosterman will write another novel.

Post script on books: Klosterman was about the only reading distraction I had to finishing Tess of the D'Urbervilles this week. In the quest for something new, Christopher Hitchens "god is not Great" was available at my local library branch. Though somewhat interesting, Hitchens won't eclipse Tess on my priority list. But something else may come along...

heat message?

It doesn't seem to matter where I live; I can't avoid the heat.

High in King County today: 87 or higher
High in Sioux Falls today: 73

Is God trying to tell me something (interpret as you will)?