Driving long distances is exceedingly relaxing for me. Today I drove from home to Elko, Nevada. Only 600 miles or so, not bad. When I got here I got dinner and visited the casinos.

Of course I won! Why would you ask that? I was only up $115 over $40, but that's not bad for 1 hour of play. I decided to leave early since I still have almost 500 miles to go tomorrow.

I just wanted to get back, check the computer, and go to bed.

Good night!

I just turned on the TV and Dear Francis is on the Movie Channel. Is it okay for a grown man to cry?

I thought that August wouldn't be as busy as July. I was dead wrong.

These contract proposals are kicking my butt.

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Mark got the job. The Brookman's will be moving to Montana in a couple of weeks. Very cool.

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We may be going down to California next week. I'll give details as we get closer.

The photo gallery is back up but there's nothing inside it yet.

Give me a few days.

CORRECTION: The pictures from Logan's first birthday are in there.

SMOKE
There is a lot of smoke in the valley right now. There are fires all around us. There isn't any right on top of us but the smoke is getting ridiculous. It may actually be worse than Southern California right now.

FIRE
Please don't let the space shuttle blow up! They are going to try and bring it in without repairs, but if it goes kablooey, the effects are far reaching. Obviously 7 people lose their lives, and that's the worst part, but it also effects thousands of other people as well.

For some bizarre reason I broke out the Dots DVD tonight and watched part of it. It gnaws at me as one of my greatest failures in my life. It had potential, but I really blew it.

I need to redeem myself some day.

I got a text message from Justin today at 3:30. Hudson went to sleep today and didn't wake up. He passed away very peacefully at 3:15.

I can't imagine what Justin is going through right now, and I never want to imagine what it feels like to lose a child.


This picture was taken by Sally last night at the lake. What wonderful, beautiful, loving children that I have.

I am blessed beyond measure. Times like this remind you of that.

I don't ask much for myself, but I don't feel the slightest problem with asking for help for my friend Justin.

His son Hudson went back in to be screened for cancer and he was positive. So much so that he is in the hospital now in Seattle and they are just trying to make him comfortable. Please pray for them all.

This sucks. It's a part of the human experience, and one that makes some of you ask, why would God allow a child to die if he really cared?

Well, there are three schools of thought on that. An atheist would say that there is no involvement from a divine entity and that any conjecture thereto is completely irrelevant. Of course in this case you would absolutely have to believe that there is no belief (in anything) and that there is no infinite absolute solution -- thereby being finite relative and thereby nullifying that argument completely.

The second thought would be that of someone believing in predestination That is, that this was going to happen no matter what and was planned from the beginning. I just can't buy that.

The last option is the one that I think is correct and the one that I started with as an accusation. God allowed it to happen. Why?

I guess my question is this: Why are we so arrogant to question the motive of a divine being (whatever your belief) when we can not come close to understanding the motivations and thoughts of that being?

So a life can be wasted at his very whim?
1) Yes, and no. We don't understand the way that the universe runs. The more we think we understand, the less we realize that we truly understand.

2) Ask the parents if Hudson was a 'waste of life.' Absolutely not! He, in his short time, brought immeasurable amounts of joy to all of those around him, and, in my opinion, helped his father through one of the hardest trials of his life -- perhaps preparing him for this one.

The next time you think you've got it all figured out, think about where the universe ends...and then think about what is outside of that...and then outside of that...

We had Logan's birthday party yesterday. Even though there wasn't a lot of people there, Logan seemed to enjoy himself.

BEFORE


AFTER


ALL OF THE KIDS


LOGAN IN THE POOL


PLUMBER'S CRACK

It's hard to believe but our little guy is already 1 year old. His party is tomorrow. Here he is with some of his gifts.