Last post follows pictures

Carrie soaks her feet in millennium park, Chicago
weird, cool art thing in millennium Park
A little cornhole with the cousins, Lake Michigan background

Could that be the Sears Tower?
The Bash Brothers at Wrigley Field
Jump Pick!
Chicago Skyline

Eden Cave at Lost Valley
Lost Valley, Buffalo River
Check these babies out
Razorbacks!!!!

Hey

Hey gang. Sorry so long since the last post. I'll catch you all up on our last month or so. Some of you will have shared some or many of these things with us while the New Mexico folks won't have been so lucky. We've been busy around the house as we have officially moved into our new home on Hawthorne Way. Two moves in two months. Dang. Our community group was especially helpful to us. We were able to help the Burts as they moved into their new home on Saturday and thus giving us a chance to pay it forward (God's blessing that is). That makes three moves for the community group this summer and we are the most buffed out group that you'll meet. Also in the last several weeks we spent time in Chicago at a wedding and enjoying the sights and flavors (Gino's East baby!) It was especially good to see my sister and Matt as well as many cousins, aunts, and uncles. I got my hands on a good Cuban cigar but never got to smoke it. We got hooked on Cornhole while we were there, also sometimes called Baggo or Bags or Indiana Horseshoes. I was off this last week and made myself a nice set of boards (pic enclosed)so we could play here. I hear this game goes on at Razorback tailgating parties though is not as popular as it is in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky. We spent a lot of time settling into the house this week, painted a dining room and a bedroom, had the nephews over for some slip and sliding action, and took a nice little hike up to Lost Valley with the Davises. I built a workbench in the garage and did some mowing. I fished one day at Sugar Creek in Bellavista, catching several smallmouth and several other bass of which type I'm a bit unsure--maybe Rock Bass. The football season is fast approaching with the Hogs season opener against USC coming up on Sept 2. Community group guys are also to have our fantasy football draft party this Tuesday night and poker on Fri night. I get to play in a golf tournament this Friday with my good friends. I've been watching the PGA Championship so that I'll be good come Friday and not let the guys down. Lots to be excited about. Carrie and I are also excited to be co-leading a community group with the Millers this fall. Well, I'll enclose a few pics for everybody to enjoy and maybe I'll do a better job keeping you posted in the weeks to come.

El Verano De Patricio

Hey all. All is well with Carrie and I as far we know. We'll soon be moving out of Harbor Meadows and into a beautiful home on Hawthorne Way in Johnson, AR. Boy are we ready. It will be nice to be out of boxes again and not be house shopping or taking care of house business. We're looking forward to having our own space again and a yard to play in and landscape. This is my first summer in a few without a garden. I miss my tomato plants. We'll be just down the road from the Millers and I hear there are pumpkins being grown there. Our close date on the house is the 27th and Carrie and I will start moving some stuff over that afternoon. Many of you have been asking when the big move date is so you can help. I'm going to get a Uhaul for Saturday the 29th and anyone who wants to help out would be so greatly appreciated. I'll feed you and do whatever else will make you happy. Just let me know. We'll shoot for about 10:00am (poker pals let me know if this is too early as this will follow our monthly event on the Fri night before). Shouldn't take long as everything will be boxed and ready to go. Many of you helped last time and you can't know how awesome that was. Well, Carrie and I will head for Chicago for a wedding and vacation next Thursday and be gone about a week. If you've ever been there and have suggestions please comment. This truly has been a great summer as far as slacking goes. Carrie and I have been blessed with lots of time off this summer--four weeks by the time the school year starts back up. I've decided to officially call this The Summer of Patrick (not really funny unless you've watched lots of Seinfeld) Oh, I've been studying Spanish in my free time. Borrowed a book from Maestra Miller and been studying it a lot. So, feel free to comment in Spanish, I can translate.

A shopping trip I won't forget very soon.

Carrie and I went shopping for a bigger matress as we just can't share a full-sized bed forever. We happened to meet a guy at Denver Matress who was quite helpful in informing us what not to pay for in a matress. I've never done this before (just went to Sam's and bought the only one they carry--Serta--last time) and so don't know much about matresses. Apparently, when it comes to matresses you don't usually pay the asking price but try to talk the salesman down to a price you're comfortable paying (like when you buy a new car, something else I've never done yet). Unless you go with Denver Matress and get a nice outlet price. This is not the interesting part of this day's shopping experience. Here we go.....Did you know that the average person loses a pint in fluids (sweat, oils, dead skin cells) every night. A PINT! That's like a gallon a week. And the matress absorbs a lot of this which then attracts dust mites and other things. This is why when we moved recently our matress seemed so much heavier than when I bought it. It's getting heavier. It's gaining weight. Sorry to the community group guys who helped move it. The matress guy said a matress may be 25% heavier over several years. That got me thinking....I've been sleeping on the same pillow for like seven years. It's like a sack of bricks, twice as heavy as any other pillow in our house. Sick huh? So, good reason to change sheets often and wash matress covers and so on. I can remember in college only changing sheets once per semester. I didn't share this with the matress guy. So, hope everybody sleeps well tonight. Clean sheets anyone? Buenas Noches.

Our New Pet

Carrie and I have this gold finch that loves to perch on this branch just outside the window to the main living area. He will sit there for hours sometimes pecking at the window (he comes every day, several times per day). He obviously sees his reflection in the window and so thinks he either has a friend or a competitor. We're not sure which. He does account for much of our dialogue around here lately. Occassionally he has a leaf in his mouth. That usually makes me think of U2's song, Beautiful Day, "See the bird with the leaf in her mouth...after the flood all the colors came out." Sometimes we talk about whether the bird has a good or bad self-image. Good in that he thinks he has a friend (his reflection). Or bad, in that he is doing battle with another male and he is always the first to leave the scene (making him the inferior loser). Either way, it's nice that he is around. One evening Carrie thought I'd left the oven on (as it will make this infrequent clicking sound when on) and then when going to check it out it was indeed off (as I said it was off) and it was this darn bird pecking at the window. So, he made a nice little I-told-you-so moment for us. The students I work with think it's crazy I don't have any pets. I'm thinking of telling them I have a bird. He is kind of ours. If I move really really slowly I can go all the way up to the glass without him seeing past his reflection and can put my nose on the glass and feel him peck the other side of the glass. Pretty sweet! That makes us intimately friends. I need a bird name our friend. Any suggestions?

Short One

Here's a short update for everybody. We've been busy like crazy lately. I just started a new job (still OGC) full time yesterday. All is well with that. We sold our house at 537 Clearwood Ave to a great gal named Trudy who truly is our newest friend. We are currently living in Harbor Meadows in my mother-in-law's rental home which she is trying to sell. So, we're looking for a good home in a great location. In the meantime we're enjoying Harbor Meadows as we're right across the street from a swimming pool, park, and huge fishing pond. I've been tying bass flies and I've got several 14+" fish. Just back to work after a week off. Spent the week moving of course (HUUUUGE thanks to the community group guys and Jeff for helping us move) and a few days fishing on the Norfork and White Rivers (so make sure check out as always my fishing report on my Ozark Trout Bum link). I'll try to be more regular about blogging soon.

He is Risen Indeed!

Carrie and I hiked into Hemmed-In Hollow waterfall on the Buffalo River (Ponca Wilderness Area) this last weekend. All sources said it was a very difficult hike out of there but we defied all odds and made it out in one piece. One piece each that is. I guess that it is two pieces all together. We even enjoyed the uphill climbing. We hiked the 2.5 miles down to the falls in 1:25 and only took just less than two hours to hike back out. We camped at the Steel Creek campground afterwards, had a little Easter sunrise service by the riverside. It was a good time. Boy are we glad we made it back for lunch at the Essen's. The ham was delicious and the company couldn't have been better.

Sign at the Compton trail head

A pretty overlook at mile 1.5

Hemmed-In Hollow Waterfall

Don't mess with me, my wife will take you down

Opposite view

Pretty little trail

Wild Vic's Cabin

My cowgirl

Using my new camp stove at the Steel Creek campground

This rock knows many canoes

Hey Gang

Well, it's been a while since I last blogged. I've been busy, the weather has been just beautiful, hard to get in front of this computer. I just updated my fishing site (Ozark Trout Bum link to the right) so check it out if you're into that. Gosh, I love when it's finally time to set the clocks forward and the days are so long. I started my tomatoes, basil, and a variety of flowers indoors this weekend and they'll be ready in five weeks or so. I'm going to get my onions, lettuce, arugala, spinach, and peas in the ground this weekend. We've been enjoying fresh lettuce greens of several varieties already as they just came up when it got warm. Remnants of last year I guess. Got the bird feeders out as well as the hummingbird feeder. I haven't seen my first hummingbird yet but I think it's still early. I think they start showing about April 20th here in NW AR. It's time to get out and enjoy the natural state. Carrie and I are going camping Easter weekend with the plan of being back in town just in time to go to the Essen's for supper. If anyone wants to camp with us let us know. You are welcome. I'll include a few pictures here of some things we've done lately. We took off for spring break and enjoyed a crawfish boil with Carrie's family, a few days in Eureka Springs, and several days fishing.

Baldwin Family Crawfish Boil (Ford boiled 100lbs of crawfish!!)
Declan, Blakely, Uncle Patrick enjoying a day in the backyard
Nephew Parker with spiffy hat
"Come on boys, I want thems weeds gone"
I got a new tie for a wedding Carrie and I went to.
Carrie was a bride's maid at Kristy's wedding
Outside our Woods Resort cabin in Eureka Springs.
A little post crawfish dialogue around the tractors
Ty's my crawfish=eating buddy. He'll show you how to get it done.
Declan, you're teaching Uncle Patrick bad manners
Eastern Bluebird on our fence
Declan in his new cast.

I know God loves me cuz he gave me you

It is hard to believe Carrie and I have been married to each other for three years as of today. It's gone by so fast yet we sometimes feel we've known each other forever. I tend to evaluate life about every six months and I can say that every six months for the last five years I can say that the last six months was better than the six before. I don't know if that would be true without you in my life, my Carrie. I'm definately more the man I want to be, more the man I should be, and have more of the kind of fun I want to have with you in my life. You are a the perfect lover and friend. I love you. Happy Anniversary!

New Guitarist In Our House

Hope everyone had a good weekend. We did! Can't remember what we did now. The Olympics are over now and our lives can go back to normal now that we aren't glued to the tv. I gave Carrie her first guitar lesson last night and she rocks! She can make clean changes from e minor to A2 with good tone quality....and she's got G, Cadd9, and D down with just a few strings buzzing now and then.....and she's totally got it going on with the right hand. She was able to play a real simple chord progression while I practiced soloing. She's a natural. One lesson! Dang! It took me like six months to do that. I don't know if I want her to show me up. I can see it coming.

Snowed In

Hey folks. We're snowed in our house again today. Hope everyone in NW Ark is enjoying the snow as much as we are. This will be our second day at home all day. We probably could get out but it is nice to have an excuse to stay home and to slow down. I've been in my pajamas pretty much the whole weekend except when we walked down the street for Taco Soup with the Kellys and Davises. I think it's been a few weeks since I've blogged. I was going to try to do this every week but as so many New Year's resolutions don't come together my resolution to blog once per week hasn't either. Dang. I can say, however, that I have worn my seatbelt every day this year which was also something I resolved to do this year. It's hard but I'm taking it a day at a time. I'm going to get a little nerdy here (it's my nature) and give you a few numbers for the year related to resolutions, how we've been spending time, what's been exciting to us, what we're looking forward to.

• 49 - consecutive days of wearing seat belt
• 07 - my place finish in the Grove Men's retreat poker tournament (see poker pals link)
• 04 - days after the retreat before I could move without hurting
• 01 - fish landed on my most recent outing to the Norfork (see ozark trout bum)
• 05 - Springdale High School D-1 recruits who signed with the Razorbacks
• 01 - national ranking of quaterback (Mitch Mustain) signing with the Razorbacks
• 30 - estimated hours of watching Olympics on tv so far
• 03 - shows we are regularly watching this year (Survior Panama Exile Island baby!)
• 1,085 - number of days I've been married to Carrie (3 years in ten more days, March 1)
• 11 - scarves Carrie has knitted with her knifty knitter (11 hats too)
• 10 - hrs spent learning "Bourree" (from 1st Lute Suite, Johann Sebastian Bach) on guitar
• 05 - chapters read with community group from Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted
• 09 - Sarah's cookies I (Patrick) ate at our community group superbowl party
• 01 - times Carrie mistakingly used my toothbrush
• 62 - where we've had our thermostat (gosh it's cold in here)
• 04 - Getcha By breakfasts at Susan's
• 02 - months till the Jones Center offers curling class (come on guys you know you want to)
• 26 - days till Spring Break (Carrie and I are off)

Well, that will about do it for now. I've got to get started on my chores. If you're reading this then know that I'm excited about YOU cuz you're probably my friend and Carrie and I are blessed to have you.

Chuck Norris Facts

• Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. Ever
  
• Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunt implies the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.
  
• Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light, went back in time, and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean.
  
• Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.
  
• In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else as ever gotten.
  
• Someone once tried to tell Chuck Norris that roundhouse kicks are not the best way to kick someone. This has been recorded by historians as the worst mistake anyone has ever made.
  
• Chuck Norris originally appeared in the "Street Fighter 2" video game, but was removed by Beta Testers because every button caused him to do a roundhouse kick. When asked about this glitch Norris replied, "That's no glitch."
  
• Chuck Norris is the only human being to display the Heisenberg uncertainty principle--you can never know both exactly where and how quickly he will roundhouse kick you in the face.
  
• If you ask Chuck Norris what time it is, he always says, "Two seconds til." After you ask, "Two seconds til what?" he roundhouse kicks you in the face.
  
• Chuck Norris can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.
  
• Chuck Norris can drink an entire gallon of milk in forty-seven seconds.
  

(These are only a few my favorites that got passed on to me in an email. Thought they were worth sharing. If want the email I forward you).

Time to Morph

I just read the first chapter of Ortberg's The Life You've Always Wanted. I heard Ortberg speak back in the fall while at the American Association for Christian Couselers' world conference in Nashville and I can say that his guy is the real deal, not just a bunch of fluf and things put well. I've had this feeling the last few weeks, that one you get when you are more aware than usual that the world is not as it should be. The news, the consumerism all around me. I made two phone calls to the Arkansas child abuse hotline just this week. Things are not right. I'm not right. I listened to Rob Bell's Praying With An Ache sermon (see link to right) recently and it sticks with me. He talks of God being able to handle our doubts, our fears, our asking him if he's planning to show up here and help us when we are waiting. I wonder if my feeling sad about the way that things are bothers God. Or if it's pleasing to God, or if he feels some other way. Or if this aching is in itself a form of worship or prayer. The Spirit groans within us when we don't even know how to pray says Paul. I've not done well in practicing all of the spiritual disciplines recently and ask "Am I spiritual?" Then I find myself in the "pains of childbirth" as I work with distressed families, wondering if they are going to "get it." I feel a lot of things deeply yet am not always in conversation with God about them, or am I? Anyone? I like this idea of morphing--of being just a dude and yet no mere mortal, of accessing a power that is not my own for the benefit of others. Anyone want to morph? We should use that word a lot this year. If any of my co-workers read this they are going to think I'm nuts.

Practicing Mindfulness (week 1)

I'm going to try blogging each week this year. That's not a new year's resolution but maybe writing a thought or two each week will help me be more mindful. Mindfulness...yes, that's what I'm after this year, to practice mindfulness. I wasn't mindful much this past year. I didn't make enought time to really know myself, have a relationship with myself, know my thoughts and heart. It's harder to relate well to others and to God when I don't know myself. It comes down to taking time to be quiet and to avoid distractions like television and menial tasks and to know what is still left when I stop thinking about what's on television or what's for dinner or what thing I'm going to try to pick up next. I waste a lot of time thinking about or preoccupied with stuff that can take up a whole day and that isn't very meaningful. My wife asks me what I'm thinking pretty often. She did several times while traveling in the car to New Mexico for Christmas. And usually, I wasn't thinking about much that was worth a flip (where is Mitch Mustain going to play football next year, what's mom gonna cook while I'm there, gosh I want an ipod, when do I need to rotate my tires again). So, this year is my year to be more mindful and to sometimes have a better answer when asked "what are you thinking?" Not that I won't still think of fishing, or that thing I gotta do, but I want to do more pondering of things that matter much more this year. And, I want to know how I'm really doing, to be more aware of my emotional state, anxiety, stress, fear, whatever. To know when I'm okay and when I'm not, and to not be decieved on this as I think I have so often been this last year. So, if you see me ask me what I've been thinking and how I'm doing. I'm also going to wear my seatbelt every day this year. I'm on my second day now. It's hard but I'm taking it one day at a time. I hate that thing. You'll see that I've changed some names around as far as my blog sites go. That's mostly just for fun and cuz it's a new year and thought I'd change it up a bit. So long to aaalllllll of my readers out there. Have a happy new year, have fun, and be a better person.

Eat a Crunchwrap

Crunchwraps rule. If you haven't had one yet, I highly recommend it. Get one at a Taco Bell near you. Though I eat them regularly it was nice to eat real mexican (or New Mexican) food again as I went to New Mexico for a week. This won't be much of a post or entry or whatever you call this, just wanted to report that I'm back in Arkansas for my few friends who care about me. I had a great time and enjoyed my family, nice weather, camping, hunting, and pretty scenery (oh yeah, did I mention the food). I'll post some pictures at RN pictures (link to the right). Carrie missed me terribly but she is okay now that I am back. Thanks David for dropping my truck off at the airport. You're awesome and I'm going to take that picture of you with the messed up hair off the RNP site........NOT! Thanks buddy.

The Ranch where we hunted.

Fall is finally here...well sort of

Well, fall has just about made its way to NWA. We've had a few cold days now though it was warm yesterday. Carrie and I hiked the Yellowrock Trail at Devil's Den yesterday and many of the trees were still green. We haven't hit our peek yet which usually seems to be about the last week of October. Tim Ernst (well known photographer and writer of the ozark hiking trails book series for those of you outside of AR and aren't famliar) is predicting a slightly later fall this year based on what he sees with the changing colors out west. This picture was taken at Mt. Sequoyah on 10-29-05. It's pretty up there as well as around Wilson Park in Fayetteville. Also, I was fishing on the White River below Beaver Dam last weekend (Oh, be sure to check out my Really Neato Fishin' Site, link to the left) and there were some beautiful bankside trees which probably are prettier since they see a lot of water even in the dry months due to the heavy water generation from the dam in the hotter summer months. There may be a few more good weeks to get out and have fun before it gets too cold so get after it. This nice weather season always seems too short.

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