softball update

The girls are continuing to improve at softball. Both girls enjoy the sport and are quick to pick up and learn. I'm especially pleased with Hannah's coaches -- not only are they good instructors but they are very positive as well.

easter update

Here are few pictures of the girls on Easter Sunday ...

i'm alive

No worries ... I'm still around. For whatever reason, updating the blog has taken a backseat to living life :-)

On the family front: all three girls and both cats are doing fine. Hannah and Hope are both progressing well at school and softball. It's been exciting to watch both of them improve and get better. Tonya is excited to have her parents coming out in a few weeks. Pokey and Smokey are enjoying our new leather couches.

On the church front: we had our best crowd year-to-date on Easter. A good number of our guests were locals, which is always exciting. Several good stories are beginning to percolate.

On the job front: still a mixed bag. I've continued to send out resumes for local jobs and have begun pursuing freelance options. I've landed a few freelance projects but will definitely need more to afford the good coffee.

On the picture front: I'm hoping to upload a new batch soon ... just to prove we're still alive!

new shoes

I bought a new pair of dress shoes. I figure since I will be hitting the streets to drum up business for my new creative design venture, I'll need a good pair of shoes. After sticking my feet into more shoes than I can remember, I walked away with (pun intended) a pair of Born Shoes and I like them.

To learn more about my new venture/adventure, visit fullybrewed.com.

pastoring or pasturing?

You have to love Microsoft's auto correct / auto fill-in features. As I was typing an email tonight, I typed "it would allow me more time for pastoring." Only Outlook changed it to "it would allow me more time for pasturing."

How did they know!

pictures from the USS Midway

catching up

It's been another busy week. I often wonder, did my parents find themselves saying ... "Wow, another busy week." Or was life run at a different pace back then. I honestly don't remember being shuffled around from one activity to another; I do remember riding my bike through the neighborhood and building piles of leaves. Pretty soon I will remember having to walk to school through snow drifts. But wait! I did walk to school through snow drifts, albeit with shoes on.

On Friday of this past week, Hope had only a half-day of school so we made it a father-daughter day. We went to the USS Midway and took a tour. The Midway is a retired aircraft carrier and is enormous. It's been relocated to San Diego and turned into a museum by a private foundation. I had my doubts about how long Hope would stay engaged but she outlasted me. I'll upload the pictures soon.

After that, we meandered down to SeaPort village which just so happens to have a Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream store. After twisting Hope's arm, we decided to have some ice cream. It was OK.

Saturday was softball and more softball. The girls both love it and have great coaches this year. Hannah is even beginning to slide. During practice last week she did a head-first dive into second base ... and it was a planned dive, not a trip and stumble dive. Kind of reminded me of her old man ...

And today is Sunday. We get to gather with a great group of people at LifePoint and have a worship celebration. Life is busy but life is good.

creative brain trust

Fully Brewed Creative Group

astronaughty?

"Astronaughty." That was the creative genius of some writer at Fox News. It was used as the story title for an update on the astronaut who drove to Florida in a diaper.

you don't bring me flowers anymore

It's been so long since I've posted a blog entry that it made me think of that line from a Neil Diamond song ... "you don't bring me flowers anymore." I never was a Neil Diamond fan ...

Busy. That's about the best way to sum up life over the past few weeks. In order to allow LifePoint to remain viable, we made the decision that I would seek employment in the marketplace. So, it's been a flurry of resumes, a few interviews, and no job offers -- yet. I've mainly looked at web and graphic design positions, along with general marketing and communications positions.

I've also decided to start a freelance marketing firm. It will combine web, print, and other media. It's called Fully Brewed Creative Group. Here are the logos:

Those of you who are keen observers, might notice from where I get my inspiration.

So ... any job leads would be greatly appreciated!

ugandan orphan's choir

LifePoint hosted the Ugandan Orphan's Choir last Sunday night and our family had three little girls and a chaperone stay with us. It was a true blessing to have these special ladies in the house -- especially for Hannah and Hope. Through limited English and the universal language of smiles, the girls got along great!

One of the girls left a note for Hope, part of which said "You showed me love and fun." I'm actually tearing up again (sorry to disappoint you real men out there).

Most of the kids who stay at the village sponsored by Childcare Worldwide in Uganda have lost one or both of their parents to AIDS. Though the spread is declining, it is still devastating. They estimate that there are over 2 million orphans in Uganda -- a country about the size of Oregon.

I'm glad our daughters got to befriend girls from another part of the world, a part of the world that is experiencing struggle. And yet Fina, Ruth, and Joann beamed with love, joy, and thankfulness ... even thanking me for cooking after every meal. My prayer for Hannah and Hope is that they grow up with a sense of two things -- thankfulness and vision. To be thankful for what they have and to have the vision to see how they can make a difference.

Ruth, Hannah, Joann, Fina, and Hope

i'm a dummy

I’m a dummy. Maybe I’m only admitting what some of you have known for a quite awhile. If so, please be kind ... my children may still think otherwise.

What brought me to this recent revelation? The book I bought at Barnes and Noble told me I was a dummy. In fact, it reassured me that I wasn’t the only dummy but part of a larger group of dummies. There are times when one can find comfort in numbers; I’m not sure this is one of them.

Sitting three feet away from me is a book entitled, “InDesign CS2 for Dummies.” It’s mine. It’s not a gift for someone else. I am that dummy!

The “For Dummies” series of book have swamped every conceivable topic. Based on the large number of titles in the series, I can only assume that I’m surrounded by a bunch of dummies. Fortunately, I’ve not seen the “Brain Surgery for Dummies” book yet. But I emphasize yet.

Since we’re being candid, can I let you in on a secret? You’re probably a dummy, too. That’s ok: God loves dummies.

The “For Dummies” books are designed for people who want to learn, expand, grow, and develop. But the title alone forces you to admit that you don’t know it all; in fact, you may not know anything at all.

Take it from this dummy: When it comes to matters of faith and spirituality, we all have room to learn, expand, grow, and develop.

a day of guests

Yesterday was a good example of what it means to be a church community. Our worship leader was out of town, our main sound tech was out of town, and I was at Disneyland -- out of town. And yet the wheels of church didn't grind to a halt!

snapshots from disneyland

We took the girls and went to Disneyland over the weekend. We spent Saturday at Disneyland and Saturday at California Great Adventure. Everyone had a good time and no one got lost or otherwise injured.

where are you going?

I'm going to Disneyland. Each year -- around the time of Hope's birthday -- we take the girls to Disneyland. Since this is a three day weekend, we're sneaking off to the house of mouse. This will be the first Sunday since we started LifePoint that I won't be physically present!

after God's own heart

Logo for March teaching series at LifePoint.

sdsu softball

One of the young ladies on the SDSU Lady Aztec softball team is Tamani Wells. We've known Tamani and her family since our days in the Bay Area. She also attends LifePoint with us. We took the girls on Saturday and watched a doubleheader. First game ... good result. Second game ... don't ask!

first softball game

Action photos from the girls' first softball games.

it's a crazy world

Crazy. That’s about the best way to describe the news lately.

First, there is the story about the astronaut who drove 900 miles from Houston to Florida to confront another lady over a lover. Never mind the fact that she’s married and has three kids. Or that she drove the 900 miles wearing a diaper so she wouldn’t have to stop for potty breaks.

Then Anna Nicole Smith dies in a hotel room in Florida. She’s the former Playboy model, former wife of an elderly billionaire, and a former reality show celebrity. In the weeks leading up to her death, two men were embroiled in a paternity suit over her five-month-old daughter. Now a third man, the husband of Zsa Zsa Gabor, says he might be the baby’s father.

Prince Frederick von Anhalt, Gabor’s eighth husband, has been married to Gabor for 20 years but claims to have had a 10 year-long affair with Anna Nicole Smith.

Crazy!

And where has God planted you and I — right in the middle of this crazy world! It’s no mistake that we are Christ-followers living in 2007 instead of 1507. You are not here by an accident.

And what does God expect us to do in the midst of such a mixed-up world? He expects the same thing that he has always expected from those who follow Jesus — that we will live as authentic extensions of Jesus himself.

a dancing mom

As I'm sitting here at Starbucks, waiting for an appointment, there's a mom with two small boys dancing in the line at the counter. And then I notice the back of her jacket -- Irish Dance Team.

morning scriptures

Listed below are a few of the Bible verses that I was reading this morning during my early morning Bible reading. In light of the current challenges and opportunities facing LifePoint, they seem almost providential :-)

"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them" (Isaiah 42:16).

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze" (Isaiah 43:2).

"Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, 'Give them up!' and to the south, 'Do not hold them back.' Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth - everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf" (Isaiah 43:5-8)

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland" (Isaiah 43:18-19).

halftime report

Here's my perspective on the Super Bowl ads ... at halftime. Most creative: the Dorritos ads that were created by amateurs. Among the worst: the Garmin GPS ad with the map monster -- what was that! Among the most confusing: the CareerBuilder.com commercial that featured the office in the jungle.

softball opening day

Both girls are in softball again this year -- Hope is in the Mini's division and Hannah is playing in the 10 and under league. Here are a few snapshots from today's opening day ceremony ...

great adventure of faith

Following Jesus is an adventure of faith. There are times when God prods or pushes us into areas where we might be fully prepared. His timetable for action doesn’t always match our own; in fact, I’m not sure he consults our timetable at all.

This adventure of faith is filled with twists and turns. Those looking for a straight line from accepting Jesus to spiritual maturity will be frustrated to know ... There’s not one! A Christ-follower must be content to know that God is in charge and is at work in her life.

But it’s also the twists and turns that add excitement to this great adventure of faith. For when we least expect it, God shows up and in ways we may not have predicted.

What a great God we serve!

camp theme

Here are two graphics I just designed for Opportunity Camp's theme. Full picture:

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Text only:

new website released

I just finished redesigning the website for Opportunity Camp, a camp I've worked with for the last ten years. Opportunity Camp provides a week of free camping for kids from Contra Costa County Social Services and is staffed entirely by Christian volunteers. A fair number of these kids are in foster homes or group homes; others are in the social service network for various reasons. Opportunity Camp really is unique among Christian camps.

My "official" role is Director of Spiritual Development ... a fancy way of saying that I create the teaching material and speak at the morning and evening assemblies. Most of our campers have little or no church background and have a hard time sitting still -- a great combination for a pastor!

You can download a copy of the teaching material if you're really bored and need something to do.

tommy edwards and his mandolin

I'm blogging via email from the open mic at Cosmos. Up on stage is one of the freshest voices I've heard in a long time: Tommy Edwards. He's singing and playing a mandolin. He's got funky glasses and a stocking cap. And he rocks.

me we God you we

Those of you familiar with Andy Stanley's approach to preaching may recognize the "me we God you we" way of organizing a message. It's fleshed out in much greater detail in his book on preaching called "Communicating for Change." In fact, he uses the term "communicator" instead of preacher. Not a slight change in and of itself.

Me = starting with a personal revelation or disclosure.

We = finding common ground with your audience.

God = bringing God's truth to your one point.

You = applying your one point to the listener's life

We = inspiring a vision of what life would be like if everybody got it, too.

Becoming handy to have around

Over the past two days I've changed a headlight on my Honda, replaced two light switches, and fixed a broken track on a bathroom drawer. Fixing the light switches required me to make several trips outside to turn off the right breakers -- which I undoubtedly thought would be the wisest course of action. In the matter of 48 hours I've gone from techno-geek to all around handy man.

in between the now and the not yet

Many times we find ourselves in the space between now and the not yet. It is the place in life where we may feel like we're in a holding pattern -- circling around, waiting for directions for directions to land or to be given the green light to takeoff.

We often feel like the formative moments in life require action ... we must do something, tackle something, gain something, or give up something.

Perhaps there is just as great formation in the still moments, when no action is required or expected. When taking action may be the least prudent of all decisions.

Often God uses this space between the now and the not yet to shape and mold us in ways that endless action would never allow for. It may be that he is forming us in the interim for greater challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

the tipping point

I'm within a few pages of finishing The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell. It's a book I vaguely remember hearing about a while back but not pursuing until I saw it referenced in a book by Phil Vischer. I finally picked up a copy this past Saturday at Borders and haven't been able to put it down. It's about how social epidemics spread -- and it's fascinating.

He talks about the three types of people who help create and spread social epidemics -- connectors, mavens, and salespeople. A connector is someone who is well-connected. The maven is an information gatherer and disseminator. The salespeople is a persuader. These three are what he calls the Law of the Few ... that it only takes a few people to create a wave of change.

He also discusses principles of stickiness -- what enables one message or product or trend to stick while others don't? In addition to this, there is the influence of context or environment on the probability of an idea taking root and spreading.

I almost hesistated to put Gladwell's picture up since it might prejudice you one way or the other -- but I kind of like it. His hair is actually a bit funkier on the dust cover of The Tipping Point.

high definition living

As I was driving along in my car this past week, I heard an interesting statistic: between now and Super Bowl Sunday (February 4) an estimated 2.5 million people will buy an HDTV just for the game. That’s up from 1.7 million who did so last year during the same time frame (link).

While I enjoy football, that statistic just cracks me up. I can almost hear the conversations as a couple drives past Best Buy ... “Honey, I was thinking that we needed a new 72-inch high definition TV so that you would enjoy the Gilmore Girls that much more.”

I must admit that the new HDTV’s are a fine sight to behold ...larger, clearer, more realistic. But there’s one thing they are not able to do — they can’t put you in the game. While it definitely improves your experience, it’s not the same as being there.

We are a people who hunger for a richer, fuller life and yet we often settle for buying bigger televisions. Instead of creating our own high definition experiences, we watch someone else’s from our living room. Maybe the living room should be outside the house, where life really happens.

While there’s nothing wrong with HDTV’s (and if you feel led to buy me one ...), there is something wrong with a Christ follower who chooses to watch from the couch rather than follow Jesus into the game.

May this week find us partnering with God to create our high definition memories.

ken hensley 2.0

Instead of coming up with a string of New Year's resolution, I've decided to dub 2007 as Ken Hensley 2.0 ... new and improved. I've been trying to eat healthier and exercise more -- and have been moderately successful on both ends. In terms of eating, I've added more color to my diet and try to eat a mix of fruits and vegetables every day. I've even started drinking a variety of natural juices -- pomegranate, cranberry, and a few of the Naked Juice blends (Blue Machine is my favorite). Just the other day I added V-8 to my rotation since I noticed that "one glass is equal to two servings of vegetables." I figured it couldn't get much easier than that! After drinking my first glass of V-8 I did feel better and more alert and even felt like pursuing a career as a trombone player.


The other thing I've done is try to limit my intake of foods that have high fructose corn syrup or similar sugars. Never a bad idea. I've also started eating more fish and have found a nicely seasoned wild salmon filet from Costco that I would recommend to anyone.

On the exercise end ... it's not progressed quite as well. I have taken out my bike for a few rides and walked a bit more but not to the extent I need to. I may have to come up with a beta version (2.0.1) sometime in the spring.

book update

A few weeks ago I posted about reading "Letters to a Young Evangelical" by Tony Campolo. That one has been finished and passed on to a friend. I'm currently working on two books concurrently. The first is The Gospel According to Starbucks: Living with a Grande Passion by Leonard Sweet. It's an interesting read about how Starbucks creates an environment and how God calls us to live lives of passion.

The second book is called Me, Myself, and Bob: A True Story About God, Dreams, and Talking Vegetables. It is the autobiography of Phil Vischer, the guy who created VeggieTales. I'm only about half-way through but it's a good read. Of course, it helps if you are a parent of a child who grew up on Bob and Larry.

A Few Phrases You Probably Will Never Hear at LifePoint ...

• “Way to go, Patriots.”
  
  
• “God prefers you to drink decaf coffee.”
  
  
• “Did you hear Pastor Ken got a tattoo?”
  
  
• “The Old Testament is way too long.”
  
  
• “I think we’ll go for a punk emo sound.”
  
  
• “Tuck your shirt in.”
  
  
• “God helps those who help themselves.”
  
  
• “Bingo!”

tim flannery in concert

Tim Flannery and friends will be in concert at the Christian Church of Lemon Grove on Sunday evening, January 28th at 6:00 PM. As you undoutedly know, Tim has a great Christian witness in addition to his baseball and music talents. There is a group discount rate for 5 or more tickets - call the LGCC office for additional info (619-465-1888).

to stand or sit

This is from John Leo, of U.S. News and World Report fame. Filed under "strange but true."

"Now sit, Ingvar, sit."

Young women in Sweden, Germany, and Australia have a new cause: They want men to sit down while urinating. This demand comes partly from concerns about hygiene–avoiding the splash factor–but, as Jasper Gerard reports in the English Spectator, 'more crucially because a man standing up to urinate is deemed to be triumphing in his masculinity, and by extension, degrading women.' One argument is that if women can't do it, then men shouldn't either. Another is that standing upright while relieving oneself is 'a nasty macho gesture,' suggestive of male violence. A feminist group at Stockholm University is campaigning to ban all urinals from campus, and one Swedish elementary school has already removed them. In Australia, an Internet survey shows that 17 percent of those polled think men ought to sit, while 70 percent believe they should be allowed to stand. Some Swedish women are pressuring their men to take a stand, so to speak. Yola, a 25-year-old Swedish trainee psychiatrist, says she dumps boyfriends who insist on standing. 'What else can I do?' said her new boyfriend, Ingvar, who sits. "

and this didn't happen in california

Typically, when strange but true news stories surface, there's a good chance it happened in California. I'm not sure of the exact odds, but they're pretty high. That's what makes this story so fascinating -- it actually happened in Memphis and not in San Francisco.

A 60-year-old man is charged with paying a mother to have sex with her 8-year-old daughter. That alone is bizarre enough. But the man was scheduled to be arraigned in a Shelby County court ... and the presiding judge is his fiance! That conflict of interest was quickly resolved when all of the General Sessions judges in Shelby County recused themselves because of the relationship.

The accused guy is an employee of the Shelby County's Sheriff's Department and used his fiance/judge as a reference when he applied for the job. Newspapers have reported that he was not only engaged to the judge, but they were living together at the time the purported rape occured. Wow!

And in a final twist, the new judge promptly reduced his bond from $150,000 to $75,000 and the fiance/judge told attorneys that he will continue to live with her if he is able to make bond.

nature or nurture

This entry is being posted from an "undisclosed" Starbucks location. I'll only say that it's somewhere in East County. I'm not sure if it's location, time of day, or just luck of the draw ... but I'm surrounded by some of the strangest collections of people ever gathered in one Starbucks. Even typing that doesn't seem very pastoral, but it's true. And if they knew I was a pastor ... they'd think I was the strangest one of all.

a life of adventure

Sometimes the Christian life is portrayed as a dry and dull routine of staying within the boundaries of what is acceptable to God. It’s seen as a lifestyle that limits rather than expands opportunities. To those on the outside (and a few on the inside), the life of a Christ-follower is viewed to bland and boring.

Nothing could be further from the truth!

The life of a Christ-follower is an invitation to follow him into the risky parts of life ... to serve those who are disenfranchised, to battle injustice, to dream up creative ways of communicating truth.

The life of a Christ-follower is to be marked by a sense of adventure. Where will God take me today? Who will I have the opportunity to influence for eternity? What does God have in store for the next chapter of my life? What dream is God forming in my heart that he has the resources to accomplish?

When seen through this perspective, the Christian life is anything but boring and predictable. God forgive us when we lose our sense of wonder.

My prayer for you is that you capture the spirit of this great adventure and live it to the fullest! Don’t settle for less and expect God to do even more than you ask or imagine.

busy season starts in earnest

The busy season is here. We have school, church, piano, and now softball has started. Take today, for example: 9 AM softball practice, an 11:00 bowling party, and a 4 PM concert at the Sports Arena. And it's Saturday ...

a near rumble at starbucks

Last Thursday, I was working out of the Starbucks on Navajo and Fletcher Parkway. This Starbucks -- like many Starbucks -- doesn't have enough electrical outlets for people to plug into. I find this to be highly annoying, especially since Starbucks is trying to court the laptop crowd. It is either a design flaw in their store roll-out plan or a deliberate attempt to limit the time people will spend in the store.

At any rate, I digress. Just had to get that off my chest.

I was sitting at a table, plugged into the closest electrical outlet -- which left one open. Two guys sit down at opposite ends of the table and begin to unpack. One guy hands me his power cord and asks if I'll plug him in. So, I take his cord and start to plug it in. At this point, the other fellow speaks up and says to this guy that he was about to plug in there. Then an argument breaks out over who was there first.

Now, these are not 15 or 16-year old kids; one guy looks to be in his 30s and the other fellow was at least 50. Neither guy would back down. The older guy then begins cussing out the younger guy. This is all unfolding right in front of me ... right in the middle of Starbucks. I really thought the old guy might start throwing blows.

I only had about 30 minutes of work left and knew that I had a fully-charged battery. I offered to unplug and let both of them plug in but the older guy wouldn't let me. Instead, he sat there and stewed while the other guy plugged in. When I finally left, he said "thanks" and proceeded to call the guy another name while he finally plugged in. The best part was ... they had to sit directly across from each other in order for both to be plugged in.

For a few seconds, I thought about grabbing another cup of coffee and just settling in to a comfy chair to watch.

If a fight had broken out, there may have been the workings of a class-action lawsuit against Starbucks for not having enough electrical outlets.

opportunites, challenges, and consequences

Opportunities, challenges, and consequences. These are the very things that faced Adam and Eve as they were given a place in the Garden of Eden.

Just imagine being given the opportunity to name all the animals. Or being handed the chance to establish traditions that would impact the history of humankind. One of the statements that often grinds a vision to a halt is “But we’ve never done it that way before.” For Adam and Eve, that was especially true.

Inherent with these same opportunities were great challenges. We often benefit from the experiences of others through mentoring relationships or by reading books. For Adam and Eve, there was no one else to set a precedent or provide an example.

With opportunities and challenges come consequences. Not all the consequences were negative. They had moments of intimacy with God unlike any that others have experienced. Some of the consequences were earth-shattering. One poor decision changed the course of human history and each of us are impacted by it.

Ironically, these are the same three things which each of us must face every day. How we handle opportunities and challenges forms the measure of our life. The consequences which flow out of those moments of decision may indeed be earth-shattering ... for good or bad.

first sunday of 2007

Just thought I'd post a short note on this first Sunday of 2007. I hope your next twelve months are even better than the previous ones. I'd also like to encourage you to think, dream, and act on deeper things -- the weightier matters of life. Don't be afraid to believe that you can make a difference ... or repair a relationship ... or start a new project ... or leave behind unhealthy baggage.

The bottom line: don't be afraid to live life to the fullest, the way God intended it to be.

Feel free to shoot me a line, give me a call, or buy me a cup of coffee if you'd like to talk more.

Ken Hensleyken@lifepointcommunity.com

new year of teaching at lifepoint

Our teaching series this month at LifePoint will focus on great stories from the Old Testament (also known as the Hebrew Scriptures). As I was looking over teaching ideas, I felt drawn to many of the great characters and plots that are found in the first half of our Bibles.

In January we’ll cover the implications of creation, the consequences of Adam and Eve’s decision-making, the faith of Abraham, and God’s great rescue of the Israelites which became known as the Passover. The first three stories are found in the first book of the Bible.

In fact the first half of this year will be spent in the Old Testament. As those who follow Jesus, it benefits us to understand the teachings that influenced Jesus himself. The stories of the men and women of the Old Testament are there to inspire, challenge, and inform us about how to live godly lives.

Some of these stories will be familiar; others may be somewhat obscure or lesser known. That’s the great blessing of delving into the Bible — finding those gems!

As we go through these different lessons, I would encourage you to embark on some sort of intentional reading plan. Maybe it’s to read the Bible in one year or to read through the Gospels. Perhaps you want to read from the Psalms.

The key is to allow time for you to interact with God’s Word. The results will be life-changing.

not the way you want to start the new year

You'll notice this post is about a week after the last post ... no big trip to NYC or vacation. As we entered the new year, Tonya and I both agreed we needed to lose a few extra pounds and I found a way to drop a quick 8 ... get sick! Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday were spent laid up in bed -- and with the realization that 24 hour cable news only consists of about 28 minutes of news played over and over and over. Our television in the bedroom is one of the older models that doesn't go past channel 99 without a cable box ... so that cut out the Science channel, Discovery-Times, and Noggin (just kidding about Noggin).

But as you may surmise ... I'm back. A little thinner, smaller appetite, and just glad to be upright.