Writing and writing

Karey Kirkpatrick, animation screenwriter of Over the Hedge, (as well as James and the Giant Peach, The Rescuer's Down Under, and Chicken Run) recently wrote:

"I turned 40 today and did some math. I've written four animated films. Each one is roughly 80 pages long. That's 320 pages that have actually made it to the screen out of an estimated 10,000 pages written. That's a ratio of 32:1. I write about 5 pages a day. That means I generate approximately 3/4th of a usable page in a week. That's 39 usable pages a year.

Note to self: Don't do math."

Lost in American Idol

If you follow the show Lost, you know it can be more than a little confusing. Last night was even more so because I kept flipping back and forth between it and American Idol.

Eventually, the two worlds merged in a rather frightening way.

A poem

Over at Brett's blog, he wrote a great poem called Mom's Day. Check it out here.

Souls of generations
in the eyes of my son
Oh, that I could be found worthy
of such a gift

Wimbledon 2006

My pick? Everyone's pick: Federer vs. Nadal on center court. And I think that this year the Spaniard may vanquish the Swiss back to the Alps.

Service!

Reconnecting

(revised) It's been very different than I imagined, this reconnecting with people I haven't talked to in twenty years. I woke up thinking about these "kids" I spent nearly four years with in high school. I've heard back from four of them so far, with details on a fifth.

It's making me think of things I hadn't thought of in... well, twenty years. The sand dunes in New Jersey on our senior trip. Writing a rather bad play for the student talent show. Singing a solo. Yes, a solo. It's a good thing, getting back in touch. It's fun to find out how twelve others who started out much like me crafted their lives. And "the good ole' days" can all too often maintain a mythological hold on us. It's important to make it real again. Concrete. Lived. Breathed.

It's good to go back. From time-to-time.

Mercado Central

Yesterday morning was daddy - daughter time. At least once a week I like to kidnap my little girl and explore. We often go to the Mercado Central in the Latino part of town. It's a small mall with kiosks full of clothes and jewelry and loud music. We are often the only Anglos there, and elicit a look or two. It really does feel like you have crossed the border into Mexico. There's a food court where I can get delicious empanadas and apple soda. Silvi and I shared an excellent pastry and lots of new sights and smells. I hope she remembers these times, or at least that they create a "feel" within her.

"T-AISVVMARVBPBAVPDADMP-IF"

I suppose if I were Hindu, I would say, "Thank Agni, Indra, Soma, Savitr, Vayu, Varuna, Marutas, Aditya, Rudra, Vishnu, Brahma, Pusha, Brihaspati, Ashwinis, Vishvedavas, Prithvi, Dyaus, Antariksha, Dishas, Moordha, Prajapati it's Friday."

A sure sign

One sure sign that you're speeding toward the edge of a midlife crisis? You sign up at Classmates.com. Next week marks 20 years since graduating for high school. I know it may open up a can of worms, but I'm starting a blog over at summitreunion.wordpress.com and am trying to get everyone in my graduating class to contribute. (There were eleven of us, so that makes it a little easier) I've been in contact with two classmates so far. It'll be interesting to see where this goes...

Only 908,443 blogs ahead of me

World Cup

(Click to enlarge)

Have you got your 2006 FIFA World Cup wallchart yet?

Devotions and a sleeping baby

Around five this morning, Silvi slept on my chest for the better part of an hour. As she slept, I thought about the many sermons I heard growing up about doing your devotions first thing in the morning. "A man who starts his day without God is like a man without breakfast!" Morning devotions were part of my spiritual culture. The more "holy" one became, the earlier they would rise to spend time with God in his Word.

As Silvi lightly snored, I realized that I had finally shaken all the guilt I had accumulated over the years. The guilt of not sitting in the morning darkness, highlighter in hand, doing devotions.

This morning, with the help of my daughter, I was simply being a devotion.

Da Vinci Code

Last one to mention the Da Vinci Code in a book, on a blog or talk radio show is a rotten egg.

Coldplay plays Lakewood Church?

After taking Silvi to see Coldplay, whenever we stumble across Joel Osteen on tv, she starts to hum "God put a smile upon your face."

Leadership, Life and Theology Institute

Solomon's Porch is hosting a Leadership, Life and Theology Institute next month. There are a few events I am interested in attending. (The Theology of Jürgen Moltmann being one of them. Reading the Questions: Interpreting the Bible with Hints from Derrida and the Ancient Rabbis also looks interesting.)

Narrow Ridge website

I updated my Narrow Ridge website.

Commitment and repentance

Repentance is a commitment to a new course.

...to commit myself I must first know myself; the fact is, however, that I really know myself only when I have committed myself.

Room with no View

What I've been looking at for the past week.

Linden Hills

We live in the best neighborhood in Minneapolis. Hands down. Linden Hills is in the heart of the city, yet it feels like a true community. It's almost like living in a small European neighborhood. We spent the weekend down at the park, letting Silvi explore and "bark" at passing dogs. Met a few friends to play frisbee and sit by the water.

When you get a chance, read more about Linden Hills here.

Foul mood

I have been in a really foul mood since returning to work. So has everyone else here in the office. (I don't think it's because of my return, but I could be wrong) Clients complaining, boss yelling, projects cluttering my desktop. It's the week from post-production hell.

If you've visited my Narrow Ridge website, you know that I've been trying to do some projects of my own on the side. To raise money for them, I'm taking on a freelance project; I met with a board member of the MacLaurin Institute, a Christian thinktank on the University of Minnesota campus. They need a promo video to celebrate their 25th anniversary. I should clear a nice chunk of change from the project, if I get it.

Crank start

Growing up, my parents had a late 50's Land Rover that you had to manually crank to start the engine. It often died at traffic lights, and my mom had to get out and wrestle with the crank to the tune of honking horns. Kind of what it's like to come back to work after a week off in Vegas and Newport Beach.

NAB Clip

If you have Quicktime, you can watch a clip from the NAB Show I attended here.