Ah Breakfast. Now it actually IS the most important meal of the day.

New research has found that teens who skip breakfast as middle school students tend to have sex at an earlier age than those who start the day with a proper meal.

You may want to read that sentence again. I don’t blame you.

Exactly how some scientist even THOUGHT to look into this is way beyond me, and I’m not sure what to make of it.

Is it that these students skip breakfast and have sex instead? Despite what advertisers tell us, is the “Breakfast of Champions” really something other than Wheaties?

One thing is certain from these findings. Parents, if you want GOOD kids, you need to ensure they eat breakfast, no matter what.

And don’t just take their word for it. You sit them in front of the TV and WATCH them stuff that Egg McMuffin into their cake hole! It’s just good parenting!

Teens who skip breakfast as middle school students tend to have sex at an earlier age than those who start the day with a proper meal, a government-backed Japanese medical researcher said on Friday.

The link between breakfast and sex probably lies in the teens' family life, said Kunio Kitamura, executive director of the Japan Family Planning Association, who conducted the survey.

The survey examined sexual experiences as well as family relationships and lifestyle habits of Japanese females and males aged 16 to 49. It was carried out in September and was based on about 1,500 people.

The average age of first-time sex for those who said they ate breakfast every day as a middle school student was 19.4, while for those who skipped breakfast, the average age was 17.5.

"The fact that people can't eat breakfast may show something about their family environment," said Kitamura. "Before blaming individuals for having sex at an early age, it may be necessary to look into the sort of homes they are from."

The survey, intended to study how to reduce unwanted pregnancies, also showed the average age of first-time sex was lower for those who found their mother annoying.

People who said they disliked their mother had sex for the first time at the average age of 16, while the average age for those who appreciated their mother was 19, Kitamura said.

Fun Night with the Fitz Kids

Tent #1

So, Ben, Addie, and I played last night. It was super fun, and they were great kids all evening. We started the night by building a very large tent. The kids helped, though admittedly they tore down more than they built, but we finally got it finished, and we played for awhile, with Ben chasing "bad guys" in it with his "laser ring".

 

Tent #2

After we finished with that tent, we tore it down, and built another massive tent. The 2nd one was crazy huge. We played in it again. At one point I got my big hips stuck in the door, and was subsequently tackled, attacked, and jumped on while trying to free myself. Ah, good times.

Fear not though... I did finally make it through the door, and I must say, it was a damn fine tent. I didn't get it on video, but Ben did tell me I'm the "bestest tent builder, EVER!". Just take my word for it. It did happen.

 

Reading is Good

We finally settled down in the tent, (it was a 3 room, multi-path tent, and each room was big enough for me to fully lay down and stretch out in with the kids), and I asked the kids if they wanted to read books in the tent. It turned out to be a major hit, with both of them jumping up and running out of the tent to get books (it was now a 2 room tent, but still perfect and awesome).

They returned with quite a handful of books, and for the next 45min. we sat in the tent reading with Addie either laying on my arm with "Stinky-D", or crawling all over me trying to get comfortable (at least that's what I think she was trying to do). Ben listened while intermittently finding "new cool spots" in the tent to sit in while I read.

After reading I put Addie to bed, and Ben helped me clean up so Sarah would be happy when she came home. Once we had cleaned, Ben and I sat on the couch and watched a DVD together on the laptop, and then played games on PBS and Bob-the-Builder websites.

All in all, it was a fun evening.

Pink David - The Wall

My wall is done. Sure, it took me 7 months to complete, and sure, I still need to do "touch-ups", and yeah, I still want to put a wrought-iron fence on it... but it is basically finished! The structure is done, and it is a completed "phase 1".


I have a lot of shout-outs to do.

First and fore-most, thanks to Kirk. It was a lot of fun doing this project with you. I've learn a lot, and enjoyed it along the way. Thanks for suggesting that we take this project on; motivating me when I wasn't feeling like working on it; and being an easy individual to work along-side.

Thanks to my dad for helping with the veneer, and for doing all the electrical stuff. You saved us a bunch of time, and it turned out great! Plus, your travertine tile idea for use as the background for the lighting fixtures was a perfect idea.

Thanks to David Arellano, Tyler Collier and Mark Fitzpatrick for lending your hands (and your wheel-barrow, Mark) to speed things along, and keep me company when I was working on my own.

Thanks to Tony for the use of your tools (and your dad's), and for spending your vacation weekend working on the wall. The block wall looked flawless, and good enough to leave uncovered!

Thanks to Kirk's coworker/boss, Josh, for the use of his tools. They saved me a ton of money from having to rent the tools.

Finally, thanks to Wendy and Julie. Your encouragement was needed, the water and meals appreciated, and Julie... giving up your husband weekend after weekend was awesome.

I'm totally impressed with myself and Kirk. The work was long, and tedious, but I have to pat myself on the back and acknowledge that it looks awesome and professional. The 7 months are worth it given that I don't regret any of our decisions.

Now, to enjoy it!!!!!! :-)

More about a Man...

As I feared, yesterday's post didn't come out totally the way I have it all in my head. Maybe it's a good thing I never became a writer. Wendy tried to get me to explain more what I felt was lacking, and I am just unable to do so... so I'll settle for what I was able to say yesterday.

Anyway, I'm posting more, not because of the above, but because I did want to comment about the way I ended the diatribe. It came out as if I had come to a resolution on the topic, and was moving forward... that actually wasn't the original intent of the topic, and thus I want to throw it back out there to you, should you care to participate.

Yesterday was about my thoughts on what being a man means. (Well, it's a small portion of my thoughts...) However, I'm interested to know if you have any thoughts on the matter, or words of wisdom, or scripture, etc. Now, with that last one -- Don't go reading through the concordance (sp?) of your Bible just to be able to participate... even I can do that. However, if you have a passage in mind that you feel is poignant, please offer it up.

What it means to be a Man

Just a quick word about a different topic... my wall is unofficially done (as of yesterday). I say unofficially, becauseI still need to do "touch-ups" to the morter-base and grouting... but everything is on the wall! Can you believe it? I'll talk more on it later in another post, but I want to have pictures to go with it, and there's a torrential downpour today, so the post will have to wait.

Now to the topic at hand: WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A MAN

I want to preface this: I'm having a really really difficult time articulating this, even in my head. There's just so much in there on this topic, and I don't know how to spit it back out. Additionally, I take real issue with the English language. It's lousy, really lousy. We have a thousand words to describe the exact same thing, but zero words that describe the nuances of something - Just take the word 'Love' for an example... but I digress. I'm just gonna throw it all out and see how it lines up, so bear with me.

What does it mean to be a man? That's a giant question, isn't it? I mean, it can be asking so many things, and be answered so many ways. I wanted to write about this last Thursday, but have never found an opportunity to do, until now.

I've been thinking quite a bit lately on what it means to be a man... I mean what it really means to be a MAN.

There's a lot that society wants to impose on us, as to how we should act, be, etc... and just like the way society controls the way women feel about their appearance; there's a clear desire to castrate men. It has gone so far as to make 'manliness' shameful. It's an important point to this topic, simply because it makes this question so much more difficult to answer. Furthermore, I don't want to confuse you, because the things I will cite and point to, are things that I desire, so they will not reinforce the societal stigma.

Like I said, this has been a brooding issue with me for awhile. Wendy and I watched "P.S. I Love You" on HBO the other night, and in that movie, the husband who dies, is very "male". He also has some qualities that I really admire. (The premise: the guy -Gerry- dies young from a brain tumor, and before he dies, he sets up a year of letters, messages, and events for his wife (Hilary Swank) of 9 years to experience after he dies. It not only shows how much he loves her, but also assists with the grieving [and letting go] process)

So, I kept thinking to myself; "Here's a guy who really know how to love his wife... he's a real man. I need to love my wife that way. I need to really think about her, and be thoughtful, and go the extra mile" (here's one of those places where the aforementioned articulation issue is coming in to play. You can be sure that it was a lot more flavorful and interesting in my head when I thought it, but I went for easy, cheesy and straightforward here to relate it to you... there's more of them to come, you can be sure of it.)

Anyway, Gerry's part really made me think, but what really hit me was a single line from a living character, played by Harry Connick Jr., during one of his conversations with Hilary. Harry has been "trying" to court Hilary, but she's still wrapped up in her loss. During a conversation with her where he's finally feeling frustrated that she's stringing him along, He says, "I'd like to be somebody's Gerry". I know that doesn't sound like too much when i write it (you don't really have context), but if you get the chance, rent the movie, and you'll know what I mean. It's a very powerful line... at least it struck me as powerful.

I think every guy wants to be somebody's Gerry, but that made me think, if I'm gonna be Wendy's Gerry, I have to own it. I have to live up to that honor.

The movie 300 is all about being a man. Why? because it was a history of men who are infamous for being real men. You may think it was about war, but you're wrong. It's about being a man. The best reflection in the movie is the king of Sparta. He's proud, honorable, brave, a warrior, protector, provider, leader, husband, and he stands for something greater than himself. The thing is, while he's all those things; the thing that most gets the point across about his qualities?... the others in the movie believe it, and thus it reflects on him. The best example of this is his wife, and the way she speaks of him, to him, and with him. She's also proud, but her pride is directly tied to who he is. She stands with him, believes in him, and loves him. (Behind every good man is a good woman, right?) The men? They face impossible odds because of him, and follow him to their deaths because they believe in him, and what he stands for. They wanted to stand with him, because of his honor, not theirs... but it in turn made them honorable, and they knew it.

So, I guess I'm talking about character (yes, it just hit me). I mean, that's what being honorable, and all those other qualities I mentioned, are all about right?

I want to be that guy. If I died tomorrow, I'd want my legacy to be one of honor, and character. I guess that's the draw to Christ. I think the "father-figure" image is all nice and good, and I think for many it's important... but for men, I think the image of a KING is perhaps the most important one. I want to be my own King within the little world I live in... in my household, my office, my relationships. However, at the same time, just like the men that fought with the King of Sparta, I want to stand near Christ, with Him as my King, because of that desire to potentially reflect His honor and Character, and be a better man because of it... because of merely the reflection of His qualities.

That's strange isn't it? I mean, not that I want to stand near Christ, but that the purpose, the goal, is to reflect.

So I want to reflect Christ, but not just those qualities which are the 21st century representation of Him. Christ's portrayal has become soft, because we like to think about the warm and fuzzy side of Him, and also because like I said before: the English language sucks. I think His Love, speaks of so much more than a "father-figure", friend, let-me-hold-you-in-my-arms-and-adore-you kind of love. I think it speaks of powerful, honorable, warrior-like-let-me-lay-down-my-life-for-you Kingship love. The fruits of the spirit often get hosed down, and washed out be the gooey ones: Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Gentleness... but what about the others? Goodness, Faithfulness, Self-Control, and Love - these are the qualities of a King... of a Man. I think that's the nuances of these qualities. They're manly.

Christ is our King, and just like the King of Sparta, He died for us, because that's what kings do.

In the Narnia movies, Edmond and Peter are kings. Even they answer to Aslan, but it doesn't make them any less of the kings they are designed to be.

So, I want to be a King in my little world. I want to be an amazing husband, one who loves like Christ. That means always thinking about Wendy, honoring her, providing for her, leading, protecting her, and standing for her, going to battle for her. I want to be what she needs, not what she wants, and those two things don't always line up.

I want to be an amazing friend. Not just a guy who other guys want to have around because I'm fun, or easy going, or like-minded, or non-confrontational. I want to be the friend that other men go to when they are in need. One who carries their respect, so that if they need accountability (even when they don't want it or ask for it), I can provide that for them and they'll be willing to accept it because of that respect. I want to be a man of wisdom, and character, so other men will want to stand with me because of the example I provide. I want to be iron-sharpening-iron.

I want to be a leader. One whom men, and women alike, friend, family or co-worker, look up to. I want my character to make me a leader... not one who simply demands respect and leadership, but rather one who commands it.

To have all that, it means I need to stand with Christ. Not just be a guy in His kingdom, but a man that stands with Him.

I want to be a King. I think that's what it means to be a Man.

So it starts now. Wendy, and friends - this is my pledge to you. I will not be the same guy I've been. I'm going to be a man. I'm not simply going to stand near Christ... I'm going to stand with Him. The "armor of God" is a powerful image, and I plan on getting in shape with it.

Wendy, I'm going to love you like you deserve. It's time I stop treating you well, and start treating you right.

Friends, I invite you to put me to the test. I vow to get past the surface, and begin to really love you. It's time I be the brother I'm supposed to be. I'm not sure how to do so, but iron-sharpens-iron, which means I need you, and also means I'll have the opportunity to learn by putting it all into practice.

I'm determined to take this journey. It makes it easier for me to think of it as an epic journey. That's the guy side of me. A glorious adventure! I hope you're in it with me.

A Weekend of Motorcycle Fun

I took my CHP-sponsored motorcycle training course this weekend. It was pretty fun, though it sucked that it basically ate up my entire weekend. (I'm currently quite exhausted)

At the course they taught us basic operation of motorcycles (using the clutch, braking, shifting, turning/cornering, leans, etc.), and then also taught us some very minor accident avoidance techniques (quick braking, braking from a turn, swerving, riding over objects in the road, etc.)

It was very fun, however I'm a bit torn on whether or not I should have taken the intermediate course versus the basic. Since I ride a Vespa, which is a twist-and-go (and thus I don't have to use a clutch or shift gears, etc.) if was good to take the Basic course just to learn to operate an actual motorcycle effectively. However, by that same token... since I ride a Vespa, I technically don't need to know how to operate a motorcycle, and really just wanted to learn lots of accident avoidance techniques (riding techniques versus operation techniques). We did learn some, but not as many as I had hoped. Still, I enjoyed it.

My only real complaint is that the motorcycle was a bit small for my height (pictured to the right). Oh, it was fine to ride on, but as soon as I had to use the rear break [right foot] my knee was in my rib cage - no, not really, but it was freaking high and awkward... really not meant for my size person. Also, when we were riding the bikes over 2x4" wood beams (the purpose was to simulate riding over unavoidable objects in the road, or things like train tracks) you are supposed to stand on the foot pegs, and ride standing with your butt off the bike so you can use your legs as shock absorbers. Well, because of my height (and the fact that the bike was too small) it was incredibly awkward and difficult for me to do, because I had to lean way over to still reach the handlebars and throttle.

Anyway, besides the above, it was all very fun and easy. I missed a single point on the very last riding test: It was a smooth cornering skills test, where you basically do a full 180, but in a wide turn (not very sharp). You can get docked points for lack of control, needing to slow in the turn, moving outside the bounds of the turn (lines and markers in the road), not using both brakes before entering the turn, not keeping your eye focused on the exit of the turn (as opposed to looking down and watching the road), or in the case of my failure... not going through the turn fast enough. They time you through the corner, and I guess I was just a "bit" too slow for the test, so I lost one point. It kinda bugs me, since many people lost 5-8 points for their speed, and I barely missed the appropriate timing. (soooo close to a perfect score... Phooey!)

I also missed one question on the written test portion of the course. It was pretty easy, and I was the first one finished. So I'm certified, and I'll be picking up my actual M1 drivers license as soon as Saddleback sends me the certificate of completion.

There was one lady in my class that ate crap during one of the tests. We were practicing coming to a very rapid stop from a turn. The whole point of the exercise is to learn to bring the bike to a complete upright position (in a turn/corner, you're bike is leaning) before braking. Given that 70-80% of your braking power comes from your front brake, you definitely need that brake for a rapid stop. However, they told us over and over (and over) again... never never never use your front brake in a corner because 1 of 2 things will happen: 1) you'll lock up the front brake and it will pull the bike to ground, or 2) you'll lock the front brake and it will sweep your wheel out from under you. Hence the purpose of this very important "rapid braking from a corner" skills practice. Anyway, sure enough this lady did exactly what she was not to do... she used the front brake during the turn, and her bike (with her) came crashing to the ground. Since she was totally OK (a hurt ego, but nothing else) I found it entirely funny. Especially given the fact that she was now the class' "what not to do" example student :)... as long as it wasn't me, right?

So, now my back really hurts (it feels bruised) from 2 days (10+ hours) or riding skills practice, with heavy braking, etc. Given how physical the constant hard braking and maneuvering is; it brings a whole new respect for guys like Kirk who race the bikes. Kirk has told me quite a bit about his need to work out regularly back when he was racing, and now I've gotten a small taste of it. I feel like someone had been punching me in the back for 2 days. I can't see my back, but it feels like it's black and blue.

On a side note: now I have have the motorcycle bug... riding them is super fun.

Amazing connections, and a Truely amazing testimony

I will talk about Wii Fit eventually, I promise! However, I do have a far more interesting thing to talk about today... or rather to share (I won't personally talk too much about it)

I listen to Shawn McDonald fairly regularly. He's on the shuffle on my iPod Touch, and I enjoy his music. Specifically, I have his album Shawn McDonald: Live in Seattle, and in true spirit to the fun we had in Indy, on that famous Starbucks night that is Lolly's birthday; one of my favorite songs on the album is "Take My Hand". It's an awesome (and fun) song, but that's not the whole reason I like it.

You see, on this particular CD, there is a guest singer: Cara Flory. She sings in a couple of songs, and has a fairly small backup part in this one. Something about her voice is spectacularly haunting and I just love it. It's that simple... her voice resonates (pun intended) with me.

Anyway, so today I did a google search of her, trying to learn more about her. Is she a legit professional, or just a friend of Shawn's? Does she have her own music? What I found is a very very very very simple website with her picture titled Singer/Songwriter... not much else besides and email contact. Other than that there are very few other sites that come up with her name: most about a gentleman photographer named Joel Flory who is married to a Cara Flory. Now, I know that Shawn was once roommates with Cara's husband before Cara married him (Shawn talks about it breifly on the Live CD), but Shawn never mentions Cara's hunsband's name. Being interested, I followed the Google path, and it turns out that Joel is in-fact married to THE Cara Flory I'm curious about, and I happened to find his (and her's apparently) blog!

So fun! I found her blog! But, I was still skeptical that I was at the right place, so just to "make sure" it was really her, I did a search on their blog for Shawn McDonald (figuring that he would be mentioned somewhere). I didn't get any results.

However, on the left navbar is a link to another blog by a Kate McDonald. "Could that really be a connection?", I thought. There was, naturally, no way for me to not follow that link. I'd be crazy to end my journey here!

So, I followed it. And as you've already guessed, Kate is married to Shawn, and it is in-fact her blog.

Well, those of you with your own blogs, that know me well, also are aware that I'm a Blog-Stalker (n. one who regularly visits someone else's blog without ever letting their presence be known) - [I think that's a pretty good way to define it]. So, in true blog-stalking form, I read her initial post from today.

I was moved. I'm an emotional guy anyway, but really, I was totally blessed and moved. I mean, TOTALLY. So, I'm not gonna say much more about it: you just need to read it for yourself. Note, that it is very long, so if you don't have the time to fully read it right now, uninterrupted; come back later. But DO read it at some point.

I feel that God lead me to that page TODAY, for an important reason... not just to bless me, but to bless one or more of YOU. So, I'm passing it along.

Love you all!

Have we totally shifted?

I've had big cars for quite a few years now. I remember when i never used to think about the cost of gas... I mean, I did think about it, but not really in the way that would deter me from doing anything... until recently of course. I think we all know that the gasoline game changed for everyone when we hit $5 a gallon.

So, now that we're back down sub-$2, do you think we're gonna go back to the old way of thinking? I personally think we would have, had it not been for the horrible economy forcing people to rethink their budgets, regardless of gas prices (of course, it's the same economy that caused the gas price decline).

Back when I got my Vespa, I was all excited about the fun of the ride, and the savings on gas. At the same time, I got rid of the Lexus, and got myself a new Toyota Corolla. I convinced myself that I liked the car almost as much as the Lexus, and with the other benefits (price difference, maintenance savings, gas savings etc.) it was on par with the Lexus.

Hind-sight is 20/20, and looking back, i'm happier than ever with the car. There's nothing so satisfying with a car, as pulling away from a full tank fill-up at ~$20. Add to that my experience today: I took my Corolla in for it's first service... it cost me $0! No Charge, no labor, no tax... zero, zilch, nada!

You see, when I bought it, I got the 4yr. FULL maintenance agreement for only $7 p/bill. That's just $84 a year... for all my service needs. You have no idea how good it felt to drive in, get the stuff done, and then just drive away.

I LOVE my Corolla. It's simple, reliable and efficient. I like that.

On another note with cars: Toyota has a new cross-over car called the Venza. It is quite an attractive vehicle. I saw one, of only two, on the lot at the dealer (they just got them in this week). What struck me as odd, is that this is the 2nd vehicle I have seen at a dealer (the first being the Ford Flex) that have shown up at dealers without the slightest bit of advertising or hubbub. It's so weird. I mean, I know the economy is bad, and the auto makers are having problems... but no advertising? at all? Crazy.

Anyway, so yeah... i love my car, and I really like Toyota's (and Lexus family). I ALSO love my Vespa, and I'm excited to take the CHP course this weekend at Saddleback. I'll tell you all about it next week.

Already???

Surprised? Really? Well, if you've ever started a blog yourself, you know that when you finally decide to start one, it is because you feel inspired into action, and thus you have a lot to say.

Of course, this flurry of thought is short-lived, so don't expect me to bless you with my ideas everyday. However, since I've just started this, you can expect that I'll be a busy body with it for the near future.

So I was going to talk about Wii Fit... but I've decided to put that off (not the actual exercising, but rather the talking about it).

What I am going to talk about is this blog. Yes, I made it look pretty... if that's what you're in to, then you're in luck! I plan on making quite a few changes to it, with the most dramatic being early on. (Oh, BTW... Lolly - if you're not a fan of those pics up top, or would prefer not to have them exposed, feel free to tell me. They were just what I had handy, so I made use of them).

Soon, I'll be adding a slide show to my right navbar. It'll be cool. Trust me.

For those that wanted to add comments, you now can. When modifying my layout, I broke the comment box. I still haven't figured out what I did wrong, but I was able to fix it by changing the comment control from "on-page below the post", to a separate "pop-up" style. Not as cool looking or convenient, but hey... at least it works now, Right?

Anywhoodle... so I guess this doesn't count as a "real" blog post, since it really has nothing to do with my life. Maybe I'll get around to it later this evening... if not, you can bet I will tomorrow. I'm at work now, so I probably should jet...

Oh, here we go... I can quickly legitimize this blog post with the following "real life" info:


I just got my car washed (or rather Wendy's car). I had used it to lug around manure and new plants to put in front of the wall. Ewwww! It now smells and looks clean. Horray!

So long for now peeps!

The First Wind

Ok,

Just to be clear... the name is about being long-winded (and thus totally appropriate for this blog), not about passing gas, or blowing smoke, etc.

So the blog: I was thinking about Lolly's blog and realized... I have a lot to say, and if I die tomorrow, no one will know what I was thinking!

Well, perhaps you don't care what I was thinking when I died. If so, I'm really hurt. I mean, I'm dead! I had a legacy to leave behind, and the least you could do was to care, and cry a bit. Where are the tears? Whatever! I didn't want you to know my thought anyway!

So for those of you that did care, or do care -hypothetically of course- then this blog is for you. It won't often be coherent, or contain deep thoughts... but they are my thoughts, and that counts for something, yes?

So this introduction is merely to say, I'm going to begin to add to the clutter that already dirties the world wide web. My own little piece of infinity... ...

I already have a first post planned even! Ok, so you're reading it, but that doesn't make it any less exciting! If you absolutely must have another sneak peek, I'll also be chronicling my Wii Fit adventures (yes, I have a Wii Fit, and I plan using on 5 days a week for a month to see if it does anything! I'm even planning on spilling the beans as to my weight and fitness, so it's gonna get messy, dirty, and personal) :)