Potato Clothes

I have an idea for a new line of winter clothing. I am sure you will agree with me that the one thing we all want to do in winter is stay warm. When it is extremely cold, to really keep in the heat, we put on lots of layers or a thick, heavy coat. I think my new clothing line will put an end to layering and big coats. My idea: winter clothing made out of potato skins.

I know, it may sound weird, but you have to go with me on this. Back in the olden days, people used to bake potatoes and put them in their pockets, to keep their hands warm for hours. So, a baked potato retains lots of heat. But then, we look at french fries. Nothing gets colder, faster then french fries. Baked potatoes and french fries are both potatoes, right? So, what is the difference? The difference is the potato skin. A baked potato still has the skin on, so the insides stay extremely warm. French fries, the skin is either removed or sliced and diced, thus they get cold quickly. So, there must be some magical warmth keeper inside the skin of potatoes!

So, I figure, making clothes out of potato skins is a great idea. Besides keeping you warm, look at the other advantages: 1) It would be extremely thin. 2) It would come in a nice brownish/tan color. 3) You would never have to wonder where some smell is coming from. It will be you! 4) If you get lost in the middle of nowhere and just so happen to have some cheese, bacon crumbles, sour cream, and chives, you can have yourself a nice little snack until help arrives! I really think I might be on to something here.

What's in a name?

I read an interesting study about kids and what they ate, based on the name of that food. The study followed 186 four year olds that were given different foods to eat. For example, each day they were served the same carrots. However, on some days they were only labeled carrots, while on other days, they were labelled "X-ray vision carrots". On the days they were labelled "X-ray vision carrots", the kids ate nearly twice as many. The pattern seemed to hold true no matter if it were "Power Peas" or "Dinosaur Broccoli Trees" or anything else with a cool name.

It seems the same holds true for adults. There was a restaurant study that followed the sales of a "Seafood Fillet". When they renamed it "Succulent Italian Seafood Fillet" sales rose over 28% and taste rating increased over 12%.

This may be something to keep in mind the next time we plan a church event. Rather then have a "Church Picnic" we can have a "Church Wide Summer Picnic extravaganza" or instead of a "Bible Study" we can have a "Life changing study from the words of the Creator of the Universe." Just food for thought.

What is more frightening?

If you are like me, I am sure you have been in the situation when something unexpectedly frightens or startles you. It is usually no big deal, but for that split second, it scares the snot out of you. I have had a week of this happening to me. I am not sure what situation startled me the most, but here is my list of this weeks most frightening moments.

1) Car back fire - A back fire from a passing car seems to get me every time. I am not sure if I think someone ran into me or I blew a tire, but whatever it is, it makes my heart beat a little faster.

2) Rock hitting my windshield - I figure that I must be thinking someone is shooting at me, because this startle is often accompanied by my ducking down, for some reason.

3) Urinal automatically flushing - The automatic flush urinal is supposed to flush after you are finished and are walking away. However, every so often, it will mistakenly flush while I am still standing there. It scares the, well, pee out of me.

4) Kung Fu Panda- After the boys went to bed one night, I walked through our loft area and accidentally bumped the toy bins. Selleck has a Kung Fu Panda toy that he got from a McDonald's Happy Meal and when you bump it, it says "Hiyah!" When you are not expecting it, the split second you hear the loud "Hiyah", and think you are being attacked by a ninja, is very frightening.

What has frightened or startled you lately?

Come on down!

"Scott Burggraf, come on down! You're the next contestant on The Price is Right!" That would be so cool to hear. I have always wanted to be on The Price is Right. My luck is that I would get on the show, get up on stage, and win a dinette set or something like that. I would want a new car or a cool trip.

It seems that everything, including game shows, can parallel ministry. Many times, after giving a talk on Sunday mornings, I would wish it could be like The Price is Right. I could call out to anyone or everyone to "Come on Down!" and have people jumping out of their seat and skipping their way down to the front to receive the awesome prize of salvation. Just think about it. Everyone would be a winner, because they would know to always guess a price of $0.00. Sure, it wouldn't be Plinko or they wouldn't get a chance to make a long putt to win a car, but the prize they would receive would be far more valuable then anything The Price is Right has ever given away. They would receive eternal life and a personal relationship with the creator of the Universe!

It just seems to me that if people get that jacked up about being on The Price is Right, they should be even more excited to win at "Our God is Right". And maybe, after they receive this awesome, free gift, we could even let them spin the Big Wheel!

The NFL Draft

Yesterday was the first day of the NFL draft. It is always interesting to see how the Cleveland Browns will be going about the process of building their team.

I was a little worried, because there was a rumor that Cleveland was going to trade away one of my favorite players, Brady Quinn. I was relieved to see that he is staying put.

The Browns had a pretty good draft. They drafted a center, Alex Mack, two wide receivers, Brian Robiskie (from Ohio State) and Mohamed Massaquoi (from Georgia), and David Veikune. So, all and all it seems to bring some hope for the future.

Two other players of note, Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, both from Georgia, went in the first round as well.

Softball Season

Softball season officially kicked off last night. There is nothing that can remind me that I am getting older better then the start of a new softball season.

The "Bad News" is that we lost. Our team played pretty well, except, really, for one inning. The other team scored 6 runs in the top of the first and we could never seem to come back from that deficit.

I was happy with my play, however, for it being the first game. I went 3 for 3, scored a run, and didn't mess up any plays while I was in the field. One of my hits was a really nice shot up the middle. The other two were weaker hits that just happened to land where someone wasn't. But, for the first game of the year, I'll take it!

So, we're 0-1 to start the season, but, I am sure, we will get our first win next week!

Buttered Popcorn

Going to the movies is something that I don't get to do as much as I would like. The fact that we have 2 young boys and that the prices at movie theaters are so high, makes it difficult to justify going. But, when Sarah and I do get the chance to go (usually on a date night), it is a great treat. And, there is one single thing that, in my opinion, makes the whole trip to the theater better then just watching a dvd at home. Is it the giant screen? No. Is it the great surround sound? No. Is it having to deal with the rude guy in the seat behind you that is always talking in between the times he is kicking your seat? Absolutely not. The one single greatest thing about going to a movie is the Movie Theater Popcorn!

The popcorn you get at the movie theater is so much better then any popcorn you can get anywhere else. If you have tried the microwave "Movie Theater Butter" popcorn, you know it isn't the same. I think the fact that, in most theaters, you can put as much butter on top of your popcorn as you would like, contributes to it's deliciousness. I have tried making popcorn at home and adding lots of butter, but it isn't the same. There is just something about the movie theater butter that makes it taste so good. Even though the prices are through the roof and there aren't as many good movies coming out as there used to be, the movie theater popcorn will always have me "Coming (back) to a theater near (me)!"

The "New" Three Stooges

I recently read that there is a new "Three Stooges" movie in the works. It will be produced by Peter and Bobby Farrelly, the guys that brought us the hilarious comedies "There's something about Mary" and "Dumb and Dumber".

The movie is set to star Sean Pean as Larry, Benecio Del Toro as Moe, and, what seems to be an odd casting, Jim Carrey as Curly. Jim Carrey definitely has the slapstick abilities to play Curly, but doesn't seem to me to look the part. I read that he is working on gaining 40 lbs. for the role. It will be interesting to see.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I am a big "Three Stooges" fan. So, for me, this movie will be a must see. So, for Sarah, that means another one of my "Date Night" movie picks she will have to sit through. (For the record, I had to sit through "Enchanted" when it was her pick.)

My 100th Post

Wow! I can't believe I have now posted 100 times. If you have read them all, that is amazing. I don't even think I have read all of them. Whether you are a daily reader or an occasional one, I want to say thanks. It is great to have a place to write down my thoughts and it is so cool that anyone would take the time to read them. I love getting your comments and hearing your take on what I am blogging about. It has been lots of fun and I look forward to continuing to share my thoughts and hope you continue to read them. Thanks again.

Date night

Before Sarah and I got married, I read every book on marriage I could get my hands on. Each one had different suggestions on marriage, but they all seemed to have one thing in common. That is, they all suggested that, as a married couple, you make sure to have a regularly occurring date night. When we were first married, I didn't really understand this. I guess it is because, before you have children, every night can be a date night. What we have found, now that we have kids, is that a date night can be re-energizing. Not that we don't love being around our boys, but having a night set aside to just focus on each other does a world of good. We use that time to reconnect.

If you are married and don't have a set date night, may I suggest getting one. For my two cents, it is one of the best things you can do for your marriage.

Married in a shopping mall?

For those of you that may not have heard the story, my wife, Sarah, and I were married in a shopping mall. That is right, a shopping mall. It wasn't just any mall, it was the Mall of America in Minnesota. One of the biggest malls in the world.

You may be thinking that it must have been odd to be married in a mall, but it wasn't. In fact, it was very cool and a lot of fun. The Mall of America, while housing hundreds of stores, an aquarium, and even a roller coaster, also has a very nice wedding chapel. We were going for a small wedding, with just a couple friends, and the Mall of America proved to be exactly what we wanted.

It was a very nice ceremony, officiated by a cool local Minister. I liked the fact that, even though we were getting married in a mall, the minister took some time to discuss marriage with me before the ceremony. It was a very traditional service with nice flowers and music. Sarah looked beautiful in her wedding dress, by the way.

After the ceremony, we walked to the indoor amusement park and rode the carousel. It felt, a little bit, like we were celebrities. It seemed all eyes were on us and many people stopped us to give their congratulations on our marriage. We then headed off to a great Italian restaurant, just across from the amusement park, for lunch. We even got free dessert!

For us, the Mall of America was an awesome and cool place to start our married life together! (I am sure it is a great place to shop as well)

Our Wedding Anniversary!

Sarah and I have now been married 6 years. Wow! The time seems to have flown by. Our lives surely look a lot different now then they did 6 years ago. Here is a list of some of the things that have changed in the last 6 years:

We now have 2 wonderful boys, Selleck and Slade. Selleck is 3 and Slade is 1.

In the past 6 years we have lived in 4 different locations: Sarah lived in Virginia. She moved into my house in Morrow, Ohio. We then moved to a 2 bedroom apartment in Crestview Hills, Kentucky. We now live in our new house in Monroe, Ohio.

We started out going to Liberty Heights Church, in Liberty Township, Ohio. We then took a position as Youth/Executive Pastor at a church plant, Faith Community Church/Gravity Church. Now, we are back at Liberty Heights Church.

I have had 1 job (other then Youth/Executive Pastor), while Sarah has worked as a temporary, an elementary teacher, a tutor, an e-bay lister, a preschool teacher, and now a preschool director. (Did I miss any?)

I could go on and on about the changes that have happened in our lives these past 6 years. It has been a great adventure and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with the best woman in the world.

Happy Anniversary, Sarah. I Love You!

Candy Apples

My wife, Sarah, loves candy apples. A few years back, we were discussing things we like to eat and she mentioned that one of her favorites was candy apples. So, being the good husband I am, I decided that we needed to get Sarah a candy apple. You would think that would be an easy task, but it wasn't. We searched every where. We found all kinds of places that had carmel apples, but no candy apples.

We thought our candy apple quest would come to an end when a nearby city announced they were having an applefest. Surely an entire festival dedicated to apples would produce several vendors selling candy apples. That was not the case. We walked around the festival for a couple hours and not a candy apple to be seen, much less eaten.

Finally, when I thought we would never get Sarah a candy apple, I had the good fortune to stumble across an online company that sells candy apples. Wild Orchards is that company. They have some great candy apples. They start with these huge Granny Smith apples and the cover it with lots of candy coating. They have all kinds of different flavors. We really like the originial (cherry) and cotton candy flavors. If you are a candy apple fan, don't waste your time, like we did, searching all around town. Give Wild Orchards a try!

Videos That Make Me Cry - Day 5

We are in the 5th and final day in my series, "Videos that make me cry".

Derek Redmond - Have you cried yet? No? What are you, dead inside? Well, here is my last attempt to get you to cry along with me. This video is about an Olmpic dream and a dad's love for his son. Warning: This is the last week of the "Videos that make me cry", so this should be your last tissue.

Videos That Make Me Cry - Day 4

We are in day 4 of 5 in my series, "Videos that make me cry".

Team Hoyt - If you are like me, the videos I have posted so far in this series have left you without many more tears left to shed. Today's video is an awesome video about a Dad's love for his son. Being a dad, I can appreciate all that this dad is willing to do for his son. Warning: If you have any tears left, get another tissue.

Videos That Make Me Cry - Day 3

We are in day 3 of 5 in my series, "Videos that make me cry".

Dear Eliot - Have I gotten you to cry along with me yet? If not yet, I think today will be the day. This video is an amazing video that shows the love parents have for a child. It shows how having a child, no matter what the circumstance, is a blessing from God. Warning: If you cried during the other videos, you may need to just grab the whole box for this one.

Videos That Make Me Cry - Day 2

We are in day 2 of 5 in my series, "Videos that make me cry".

Cardboard Testimonies - Did you cry watching the J.Mac video yesterday? If you didn't, you are stronger then me. Maybe this video will bring a tear to your eye. Today's video is about Cardboard Testimonies. The church, that made this video, did a talk about everyone having a testimony. They challenged people to think of how they would give there testimony if they only had a few words, small enough to fit on a cardboard sign. The people in the video are so real. Some of their stories are similar to the people in my life. That is why I find it so touching. Warning: Again, I will suggest having a tissue handy.

Videos That Make Me Cry - Day 1

I want to give you, the readers of my blog, an insight into me. I want to share with you some of the things that move me. So, each day this week I have decided to post a video that makes me cry. Without fail, every time I watch these videos, I cry. I think I am a pretty tough guy, that doesn't cry too often, but as I watch these videos, the tears start to roll. If you think you are tougher then me, I challenge you to watch these videos and not cry. They are a little long (today's is a little less then 5 minutes), so I apologize for that, but I believe they are worth the view.

J.Mac - This video is of a boy with autism having the game of his life. Warning: Make sure you have a tissue handy.

Easter

He is Risen! What sweet, sweet words.

I always love Easter Sunday. It is awesome to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior. It is also a day that many people come to church, that may not have in a while. There are always cool Easter egg hunts and people dressing in their Sunday bests. Easter is such a great day!

Speaking of Easter egg hunts, I look forward to watching Selleck and Slade hunt for eggs today. Selleck is an old pro, while this will be Slade's first Easter that he can walk around and look for eggs. Hopefully they will get some good candy that they can share with their Daddy!

Friday Night Lights

Last night was the season finale of the t.v. show "Friday Night Lights". This is one of my favorite shows. It is based around a high school football team, but it goes much deeper then that. It is way more about the characters and their lives then it is about football.

One of the greatest strengths of "Friday Night Lights", is the acting. It is a superbly acted show with great story lines. If you have never seen it, you can pick up the first 2 seasons on DVD and you can still see season 3 on NBC.com. I would highly recommend it.

The great news is the show has just been renewed for a 4th and 5th season! So, get on the "Friday Night Lights" bandwagon while you still can!

Good Friday

There is a great gospel song that says "When he was on the cross, I was on his mind." Today, as I reflect on Good Friday and what that all means, I can't help but go back to the thought of Jesus hanging on the cross, because of my sin. His love for me is so great, that he was willing to give his all. Although I will never deserve it, Jesus died for me.

Here are the words to this wonderful song:

I’m not on an ego trip, I’m nothing on my own. I make mistakes and sometimes slip, just common flesh and bone. But I’ll prove some day just why I say I’m of a special kind. For when He was on the cross I was on His mind

A look of love was on His face, the thorns were in His head. The blood was on that scarlet robe and stained it crimson red. Though His eyes were on the crowd that day, He looked ahead in time. For when He was on the cross, I was on His mind

He knew me, yet He loved me. He whose glory makes the Heaven’s shine. So unworthy, of such mercy. For when He was on the cross, I was on His mind

Yogi Berra

When it comes to the world of philosophy, there is one man that, in my opinion, stands above the rest. No, it isn't Plato or Socrates. It is Yogi Berra (No, not Yogi the Bear, although he is a pretty good philosopher as well).

Yogi Berra was a Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees from the late 40's to the early 60's. Besides being one of the best catchers of all time, Yogi Berra is equally well known for his philosophical statements. His best known phrase has to be "It ain't over til it's over."

Throughout his years, Yogi has shared his bits of wisdom with whomever would listen. Here are my favorite Yogi-isms:

"The future ain't what it used to be."

"You can observe a lot just by watching."

"It's like deja vu all over again."

"If you come to a fork in the road, take it."

"A nickel ain't worth a dime anymore."

"It's tough to make predictions, especially about the future."

"Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."

"Always go to other peoples' funerals; otherwise they won't go to yours."

"I'd give my right arm to be ambidextrous."

Foul Ball

In my lifetime, I have been to a great number of baseball games. The one thing that I have never, ever done is catch a foul ball. Every time I go to a game, I have the hopes that maybe that will be the game that I catch one. Unfortunately, I haven't had any luck. I have been close, but have never walked away with a foul ball.

When I was younger, I went to several games with my mom. There is one game, in particular, that seems to stand out. I still remember it, like it was yesterday. It was a really cold, rainy day and there were very few fans in the stadium. We had received tickets from my mom's work and were in a great location to catch a foul ball, a few rows up on the first base side. I figured that my odds to get a foul ball were much greater on this day then days past. As the game went on, my hopes of getting a foul ball dwindled. Nothing had came my way all night. In the 7th inning, that changed. Within a matter of 3 pitches, two foul balls were hit in my direction. However, both were hit directly to a guy about 4 rows up from me. I can still picture him ripping the blanket off of his wife and catching both balls in the blanket. Unfortunately, we left yet another game empty handed.

This year, I believe my luck is going to change. I plan on taking my two good luck charms, Selleck and Slade, with me to a couple games. I have high hopes that this year will be my year. I know that, as a dad, I will give the ball to my boys, but that won't take away my moment of glory when I catch my very first foul ball!

F-A-N-A-T-I-C

A couple years ago, while attending the Catalyst Conference, I heard a song called "I'm a fanatic". The main verse says "I am a F-A-N-A-T-I-C, I rep Christ 'til I D-I-E". Rap music isn't necessarily my music of choice, but I like this song. I like it because it made me think.

I am a fan (or fanatic) of many things. In the world of sports, it is easy to become a fan of a team. And, when we are a fan of a team, we proudly show it. Whether it be wearing a team hat or shirt, or just talking about our team, people know who we are a fan of.

But, I wonder. Do as many people know that I am a fan of Jesus as know I am a fan of the Cincinnati Reds? It makes me think.

Opening Day!

Major League Baseball Opening Day is a huge deal in Cincinnati. Cincinnati is the home to the first ever professional baseball team. It is with that proud heritage, the entire city of Cincinnati celebrates the opening of a new baseball season. I know other cities celebrate their teams opening days, but nothing like in Cincinnati. It is nearly a full out holiday.

I always look forward to the start of the season. I am a Cincinnati Reds fan and each year begins with the hopes of a championship. It is on this day that every team feels that they have a shot at going to the World Series.

Who knows what will happen to the 2009 Cincinnati Reds, but today, Opening Day, they are contenders to win it all! Go Reds!

The Lollipop Guild

My son, Selleck, loves to watch the Wizard of Oz. We dvr'd it once to see if he would like it. He loved it! Since then, we have probably watched it a few hundred times.

One of my favorite scenes has to be "The Lollipop Guild". I am not sure why I like it so much, but I do. I think it may have something to do with the expressions on the faces of these three guys. It almost seems like they are mad or upset. Who could be upset if they always got to eat lollipops? Maybe their sugar buzz had worn off and they were a little edgy. Who knows? No matter the reason, the scene always seemed odd to me and I think that is why it is one of my favorites. Even after watching the movie over 100 times, I still love to watch "The Lollipop Guild". What is your favorite part of the Wizard of Oz?

The Final Four

The Final Four starts today. Unfortunately, none of my favorite teams are left in the tournament. That will leave me with nothing else to do but root against the teams that I don't want to win. By default, I guess this weekend I will be a Villanova fan. There are 3 main reasons I will root for them. 1) They are not North Carolina. 2) They are the team that put Duke out of the tournament, so winning the tournament somehow makes Duke losing to them a little easier to take. 3) I remember fondly the last time Villanova won the National Championship.

It was back in 1985, when Villanova beat Georgetown to win the tournament. Georgetown, with Patrick Ewing as their star player, was heavily favored to win. Villanova was a low seeded team and no one gave them a chance. In what was truly a David beating a Goliath, they pulled off the victory. It was very exciting to watch. I even remember cutting out pictures of the championship game, from Sports Illustrated, and posting them on my wall.

So, for this weekend only, I will be a Villanova fan. Go Wildcats! Beat Carolina!

Does this look familiar?

I saw this commercial the other night, while watching basketball. It stars some of my favorite College Basketball coaches (and Roy Williams the coach of North Carolina). This commercial was just recently released, but it, kind of, reminds me of another video I saw not too long ago. Here is the commercial:



Could the company, that makes Guitar Hero, have seen Bob's video on youtube.com and used that as an inspiration to make their commercial? I don't know. What do you think?

The Curious Case of Sidd Finch

Did I fool any one yesterday, with my attempt at an April Fool's Day joke? If I didn't fool you, at least I tried. If I did fool you, I hope you had a good laugh out of it.

With yesterday being April Fool's Day, I thought I would share what is, in my opinion, the greatest April Fool's Day joke of all time. It was pulled off by Sports Illustrated back on April 1st, 1985. In a cover article, writer George Plimpton, decided to use the fact that this particular issue would come out on April 1st to play a joke on all the readers of Sports Illustrated.

In the article, Plimpton introduced the world to a Major League Baseball rookie pitcher, in the Mets organization, named Sidd Finch. The article stated that Finch had never played baseball before, but was a natural. He was trying to decide on a career of either playing baseball or the french horn. He was able to throw a fastball 168 mph, far above the fastest speed ever recorded. And, he would only pitch wearing 1 shoe, a hiker boot.

This was such a great hoax. It had so many people fooled. Plimpton even left clues in the article to let people know this was a joke. If you took the first letter of each word in the first paragraph of the article, it spelled out H-a-p-p-y A-p-r-i-l F-o-o-l-s d-a-y. Sports Illustrated finally informed it's readers that this was just an April Fool's Day joke 2 weeks later. I am sure that all the Sports Illustrated readers had a nice chuckle.

Career Change

Sarah and I have decided to use my blog to announce to our friends and family, and to the world for that matter, that we have decided on a career change. We have both accepted jobs with Carnival Cruise Lines and will be starting there in June. Sarah will be working with their entertainment department. She will be part of a lounge act as well as performing in one of their theater shows. I have taken a job in the accounting department on the ship. I will mostly be processing transactions and keeping the books. We only agreed to take the jobs after they assured us that we would always be booked on the same cruise ship. We are so excited!

How do Selleck and Slade fit into this? They get to come with us! Sarah will be able to use her teaching degree to home school the boys. And, since this is considered a family business that mainly operates in international waters, the boys will be able to work, at an early age, as deck hands. Our cabin will be small, but we will all get to stay together. The fact that Sarah will be working at night and I will be able to work during the day, means one of us will always be in the cabin with the boys.

We are so excited to go and see the world. This is a great opportunity and we can't wait until June. Grandparents, don't worry, we will be able to come back home every 4 to 6 months. You won't have to go too long without seeing your grandsons. So to all our friends and family, we say "Ahoy".




(By the way, Happy April Fool's Day! Did I fool you?)