I Love This Town.

Some people say there's nothing to do in Indy. Those people are wrong. Last night was a great example. It wasn't even a weekend, and tens of thousands of people headed downtown to their sporting event of choice: basketball (the Fever - WNBA), baseball, or football, featuring our beloved Colts in their fancy new stadium.

Dad and I went to the Colts Game. It was the Colts' second game in the new stadium, and our first. It's a fantastic venue - retractable roof and all. Yeah, I'm okay with paying that extra 1% f&b tax.

We parked at my office, which is probably about the closest we could've gotten. It was a little bit of a walk, but a great night. We walked along the canal, and there was a jazz concert going on at the Historical Society. So if you're not into sports, there are other things to do. :)

Tonight I have a couple of friends in town from Louisville. One of them had never been to Indy, so we took a little walking tour of downtown. Tons of people were milling about and enjoying the evening. 

We walked along the canal, and heard a little bit of the Peter Frampton concert going on at Rib Fest. Then we walked over to Monument Circle. Two fun evenings downtown... and my next two evenings will be spent wandering the streets of downtown Chicago.

Yours

Most of you probably heard about the tragic death of Steven Curtis Chapman's five year-old daughter in May. The day I heard about it I sat on my couch and cried for a good half hour. I'm not sure why - maybe because it reminded me of the day when I lost a family member without much warning - a day when I was sitting on a different couch crying for much longer than a half hour.

Since May, I've been following the what the media has reported regarding the Chapmans, as well as Steven's manager's blog. Steven's manager, Jim, has done a great job in keeping fans and whomever else updated regarding the family's progress - the good times, the bad times, and how we can be praying for them. Recent coverage has included a story on Good Morning America, an hour with Larry King, and several pages in People Magazine. It has been encouraging to see how this family is relying on their faith through such a painful time, and how they are using their tragedy to point others toward the Lord.

After his daughter's death, Steven (I know, I'm talking about him like he's my friend, and that's a little weird) rereleased the song "Yours," with a new verse at the end. I've found myself having this song on repeat a lot lately. You should download it. Now. The lyrics are below. I look at them and think, "yeah, that's what I believe." But am I living like this is what I believe? Probably not. 

Yours

by Steven Curtis Chapman

I walk the streets of London
And notice in the faces passing by
Somthing that makes me stop and listen
My heart grows heavy with the cry

Where is the hope for London?
You whisper and my heart begins to soar
As I'm reminded
That every street in London in Yours
Oh, yes it is

I walk the dirt roads of Uganda
I see the scars that war has left behind
Hope like the sun is fading
They're waiting for a cure no one can find

And I hear children's voices singing
Of a God who heals and rescues and restores
And I'm reminded
That every child in Africa is Yours

Chorus
And it's all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything

And I walk the sidewalks of Nashville
Like Singapore, Manila and Shanghai
I rush by the beggar's hand and the wealthy man
And everywhere I look I realize

That just like the streets of London
For every man and woman, boy and girl
All of creation
This is our Father's world

[New Verse]
I've walked the valley of death's shadow
So deep and dark that I could barely breathe
I've had to let go of more than I could bear
And questioned everything that I believe
But still even here
in this great darkness
A comfort and hope come breaking through
As I can say in life or death
God we belong to you.

Yearbook Yourself

I have recently heard a few people talking about www.yearbookyourself.com, and I couldn't resist the urge to try... This post and the next are my favorites!

1994 (and maybe a little too close to home)

1984

1980

More...

1978

1968

1964

1960

1952

Hiatus

I'm leaving for vacation today... hard to believe since we've been planning it for nearly 18 months.

We'll be blogging here.

And who knows, we may even end up on Channel 13. :)

Who dunnit?

Before I could make it inside the building this morning, a co-worker said to me, "Where's the board?" I responded with "Huh?" He said, "You'll see when you get inside."

And that, I did.

Near the front desk at our office, we have a 70s-looking board with everyone's name on it. It has magnets to mark when you are in or out of the office. (To be honest, I never use the thing. I come in the door at the other end of the building and rarely make it to the front desk.)

Then I saw the email... someone stole the in/out board yesterday! Oh, the drama! Commentary ensued, such as a suggestion to check eBay for it, and some quotes from "The Jerk." Later in the morning, we were assured that no questions would be asked if the board were returned.

By the afternoon, some people were wearing stickers saying things such as "person of interest," "friend of person of interest," and "suspect."

Will the in/out board ever show up? Only time will tell if this great mystery will be solved.

Note: This photo is not our actual board... unfortunately no photos of ours exist.

Somewhere between a bottle of wine and a mullet...

In the past five days, I have been to three large, fun events attended by three distinct types of people. (You'll have to forgive me for stereotyping and realize that I know not everyone fits the mold.)

Symphony on the Prairie - On Saturday night, we headed up to Connor Prairie for the symphony. This is one of my most favorite summer activities. The first time I went, several years ago, we picked up food from Subway on the way there. Then we learned our lesson. People go all out for their picnics... we're talking tables, tablecloths, multiple bottles of wine and types of cheese. Each time I go, we get a little swankier. This year we did well. Wine, cheese, chicken salad croissants, and yummy brownies were a few things on the menu.

Brooks and Dunn - Sunday night, Jordan and I went to see Brooks and Dunn at Verizon Wireless Music Center. (Let's be honest, it'll always be Deer Creek to us!) Country concerts are right there behind state fairs when it comes to people watching. We saw mullets, we saw airbrushed shirts, and we saw one shirt with a phrase so disgusting I don't care to repeat it. Definitely a different crowd than the symphony.

American Idols Live - Last night, Kelly and I saw the top ten American Idol finalists from this season. This crowd was a lot of screaming teenagers, along with some families, and some random older couples. (Apparently I missed the memo about making a t-shirt proclaiming my love for one or both of the Davids.)

I've been wondering... about which of these groups can I quote Rodney Atkins and say, "these are my people..."? I like to think I have a little of each in me - from wine connoisseur to redneck to teeny bopper. (Ok, maybe a little more of the teeny bopper than the others.) 

Let's not put people in little boxes when we see them - but rather take time to get to know them, appreciate where they've come from, and learn from their experiences.