McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories

McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories
by Michael Chabon (Editor)
Vintage
ISBN: 1400078741

I've grown fond of short stories. There are several reasons for that. First, they're short. My time for leisure reading is pretty tight and I appreciate that I can read an entire short story in one sitting. Second, I appreciate the art form of the short story. It takes a special kind of author to create characters, situations, and a story that readers will care about in only a few pages. I have a few collections of short stories on my shelf. These represent the works of Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, and Elmore Leonard and I like to pick them up as I can. Still, I like to grab a more varied selection of authors at times.

That leads me to McSweeney's... I've enjoyed the McSweeney's website for awhile and I was happy to find the McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories collection of short stories at the library. Anyway, I enjoyed the stories. Admittedly, I did not get into all the stories. There were a couple that I started but eventually skipped over. I imagine that's typical for short story collections. I figure it's akin to my picking up a dozen books from the new books section at the library. Of those dozen, there's bound to be a few that don't appeal to me. That's not to say they were bad stories by any means. But, again, it goes back to my shortness of available time. If something doesn't grab me, I have to move on. In this case, I moved on just a few pages.

I especially liked 7C by Jason Roberts, the Miniaturist by Heidi Julavits, and The Fabled Light-house at Vi-a del Mar by Joyce Carol Oates. All were creepy and, really, just plain weird.

Shady Dealin's (Part 1)

A college friend* mentioned Etsy.com to me a few months ago. Since then, I've perused Etsy with some thoroughness. I've been impressed with both the site and most of the items I've found for sale. I also admit that I have yet to actually buy anything but I've marked several items for potential future purchase. And Christmas is coming up...

Anyway--and I know this is probably a bit premature but I'm pretty excited about it--my own Etsy store is almost up and running. I did set up a stop but I say almost because I have yet to actually post anything for sale. That part is in the works. I've been working to get some artwork complete and ready for posting. I wanted to have at least three pieces to sell and I've recently hit that goal. Just in the last week, I ordered a couple prints of each to see how they'd turn out. I liked the results.

So, I'm very close to having something posted. I plan on ordering a few more prints to ensure I have inventory beyond one. I still need to figure how I'm going to handle shipping and pick up any supplies needed for that. Finally, I should probably set prices for the artwork, too.

I'll post more information as it comes available. In the meantime, take a look at the Shady Dealin's shop. Looking won't take long...there's not much there

My one remaining question is with regards to the size of the prints. Here's where you can help. I'm taking an informal poll to gather my reader's thoughts. Take a minute to make your voice known. If you don't like any of the options, post a comment with other options. Rock the vote!

* Interesting trivia: This is the same college friend that was instrumental in getting my wife and I to go out on our first date. I am forever indebted to this friend.

Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father's Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood

Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father's Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood
by Robert Lewis
Focus
ISBN 1589973097

I have two sons. One will be two years old in November. The other was born just this past May. Raising these two guys is painfully important to me. And I deliberately use the work painfully as is pains me to think about the consequences if I don't raise them to the very best of my ability. I guess that concern is a good starting point but I want more.

Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father's Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood by Robert Lewis was mentioned in a conversation with a coworker and I am grateful for that. I appreciate that mention as I really, really liked this book.

As you would expect from the title, Lewis uses the idea of medieval knighthood as an ongoing analogy. The romanticized/idealized knight of olde was a chivalrous, honorable, courageous man in an age wrought with greed and darkness. But these knights didn't just become knights. It required years of teaching and training. There was a defined process. There was a ceremony to mark knighthood. Similarly, we can't expect our boys to simply become men. Manhood, in Western society, is very, very different. Genuine manhood is not something that's often actively taught, or even defined. The concept is clouded in ambiguity. What is a man? How does a man act? When does a boy become a man? Sons need guidance and direction.

That direction comes from scripture and Lewis draws heavily on the Bible to define manhood and how a man should act. He details what's missing from Western culture and lays out a plan for fathers wanting to raise sons to be Godly men. The overarching theme is that Dad's need to be deliberate in their fatherhood. Pulling directly from Lewis, men reject passivity, accept responsibility, lead courageously, and expect the greater reward. This is how men should act and this is how men address fatherhood. This is how fathers remove the ambiguity regarding manhood. This is how our sons know we truly care about their growth.

I also liked the Lewis is a big supporter of ceremonies. Similar to a page becoming a squire and a squire becoming a knight, fathers ought to mark a son's transitional periods. When a squire was knighted, there was no uncertainty as to what was happening. The new knight was honored and celebrated. Similarly, we should celebrate our sons. We remove yet another ambiguity. With a ceremony, sons know their lives are changing. If marking a transition to manhood, they know they're putting away their childish ways. They know that, going forward, they'll be expected to act like a man and they'll be treated as a men. Investing time and effort into this will prove to them that it's the big deal that it should be. They will want to meet those expectations.

There is so, so much more I could write here but you're much better off just reading the book. I've taken it to heart. While my sons are very young and I'm a little limited in what I can explicitly teach them (we have worked on a couple of the Biblical ideals -- kindness and perseverance) -- defined by Lewis) , I know the other things will come soon enough. My first step, though, is to be the kind of man I want my sons to be. My boys are watching how I live with incredible closeness. They're learning from me without my sitting down and directly instructing them...maybe more from my example than anything I'll teach.

While it was definitely written for the father raising his sons, I really think it has a lot to offer others. Fathers of daughters. Husbands. Singles. Women.

If you'd like a second, better written review, check this one out at John Calvin's Ghost.

Nine Years!

My wife and I celebrated our ninth anniversary last Thursday. I really can not believe we've been married for nine years + three years of dating before that. I can't even believe we've been out of college that long. Where did the time go?

Our anniversary was excellent. That's even with everyone in the house having some kind of cold/sinus thing. We had a quiet (doesn't happen very often) dinner together after the kids were in bed. Dinner was delicious. And we made it a point to talk about things other than the kids. It was fun reminiscing about how much has happened in the last nine years. Apartments. Houses. Churches. Neighbors. Friends. It's been a busy nine years. I don't see the next nine+ being any less busy. But I do see them getting better and better.

Here's a couple pictures. My wife is more beautiful than ever. Me...well, I'm alright. Overall, I think we've aged pretty well.

THEN (9/11/1999)

and NOW (8/30/2008)

Wow...our ten year anniversary is right around the corner. We're thinking of doing something big. Maybe a trip together. Maybe Florida. A cruise. I don't know.

Politics

I don't follow politics. It's not that I don't care. It's not that I don't feel they're important. And I don't begrudge those that do follow politics. So why don't I? Frankly, I have enough going on in my life that, in order for me to invest in politics (or much else), I'd really have to cut something out. What do I cut? God? Family? Work? Friends? Art? Sleep? No thanks. What I've got going on has a much bigger effect on my life (and the lives of my family members) than who happens to be in an elected office. Don't get me wrong. When election day rolls around, I'll have carefully and prayerfully evaluated the candidates. I'll vote. And I'll do so proudly. I really feel voting is not only my duty but a great privilege and I'm genuinely thankful to have that opportunity. But I'm not going to let the process overtake my life.

So that's the short answer. Since this is likely to be my one and only political post, it seems like I should take advantage of it and provide the longer answer(s) regarding my political beliefs. Some notes:

1. First and foremost, my hope for the future comes from God and not from those in office. God's track record is far, far better than any political party's.
   
2. Regardless of who happens to be our President, Governor, Mayor, or HOA President, I will give them the respect due to them both as people and as our elected leaders. They will be in my prayers.
3. Second to trusting God, I trust in myself. And, no, I really don't think it's an ego thing. Am I better off now than I was four years ago? Yes. Eight years ago? Yes. Does this have anything to do with the who was in office? Probably not . I'm better off because I work hard and God has blessed me far more than I ever deserve.
   
4. I have low expectations from government. Let me explain. I dislike the general feeling that the government can/will fix our lives. I don't expect the government to provide for my retirement (I'd gladly opt out of Social Security if I could). I don't expect the government to provide health care for my family. I don't expect the government to cover my mortgage. I am charged with those things and I will be responsible for them. I don't share the feelings of entitlement that seems to have flooded our world.
   
5. Likewise, I don't expect any one administration to solve the problems that took decades to create. Terrorism. Gas prices. Poor hurricane safeguards. Foreclosures. All building for years.
   
6. The government is a reflection of the people and I don't buy into the notion that the government should do that which we choose not to do. Can we demand health care for all if we look the other way when we see a sick person? Can we demand care for the poor if we ignore the homeless? Should the government balance its budget if 43% of Americans spend more than they make and the average American has thousands in credit card debt? Perhaps we should first raise our expectations of ourselves.
7. I find the political hate tiresome. You want to put a pro-anything sticker on your car, fine. But, when you put a hateful, anti-candidate message out there, I stop valuing anything you have to say. If your political statement fits on a bumper sticker...well, maybe you didn't have much to say.

All in all, life is going to go on regardless of how the elections go. The decisions I make aren't related to any office. I'm still going work hard to provide for my family. I'm still going to be debt free and live on less than I make. I'm still going to develop a loving, God-centered home, raising my kids to know the Lord.

Business as usual.

Something I Need to Work On

Conversation.

Ha! If I left it at that, you'd think I wasn't even trying.

Seriously, though, I don't talk no good. Maybe it's less the conversation as it is my introversion. Then again, maybe I'm introverted because I fear my conversation skills stink. I've been like that for decades.

My wife's family had a Labor Day cookout this week. It's one of those things where you get together with people you really only see for a couple hours during holidays and/or long weekends. It seems like it would be a great time to catch up with people, right? Well, here's what I end up doing. I hang out with my wife. I talk with my wife's parents. I talk with my wife's siblings. And I play with my kids and my nephew. That's it. I'm essentially doing the exact same things I do with my in-laws every couple weeks.

Don't misunderstand me. I love hanging out with my wife's parents and siblings. They're great people and I love them dearly. I consider her family to be my family. But it's silly to limit myself. I'm being far too...insular (I'm not convinced I'm using that term correctly).

I don't expect to be best friends with my distant cousins but I can do better. I'm really only hurting myself by not engaging these near-strangers in conversation. And, by isolating myself, I fear I'm running the risk of looking like a snob. That's no good. To go further, I don't believe God has put me on earth (or in family cookouts) to be a wallflower. I really don't feel I'm representing Him by with my current inaction.

Anyway, Christmas and Thanksgiving are coming up so I'll have plenty of opportunity to talk with family I rarely see. Maybe I'll break the ice with a magic trick. On the plus side, if I mess up the conversation, I probably won't see them again until Memorial Day.

Auburn 2008: Sale-A-Bration

Labor Day has come and gone. As is usual, my Dad and I hit the Kruse Auction Park in Auburn, If for our annual trip to the enormous collector car auction. We've been going on Saturdays recently. Typically, that's when the most cars are there. That also means that's when the most people are there. This year, we shook things up and went Friday evening. It was a good decision. For one thing, admission was half price after 6 pm so it only cost $10 instead of $20. The crowd was a lot smaller too. That means no fighting to see things, no fighting to get food, and no fighting to find a place to eat your food. The weather was a lot nicer too. We had the cool evening breeze instead of the 90 degree afternoon heat. And there were more than enough cars.

Some notes:

1. We saw 5 AMC Javelins. That's more Javelins then I've seen at Auburn for the past 10 years...combined.

2. We saw probably 10 Avantis and 10 Studebakers.

3. And the Edsel count had to be close to 20.

And there's something special for you Hardcastle and McCormick fans out there (you know who you are) It's the first picture of the bunch.