Rocklin Redeeming Quality #3

In continuing the theme of listing some of the things here in the Rocklin area which I couldn't find in the South Bay, I present to you Mel's Drive-In. You may recall Mel's rose to prominence in the movie American Graffiti. Then again, maybe you're too young to have even heard of the movie. In any case, Mel's became something of a cultural icon during the 50s and 60s.

Mel's diners are still out there, and many have captured the feel of the era in which it was most popular. The one in Roseville is in a strip mall, so it doesn't quite have the retro feeling when you look at it from the outside. Once inside, you'll see lots of pictures, particularly stills from the movie and autographed pictures from George Lucas and others who were featured in the movie. At the time, they were nobodies, but today, they're household names. Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Suzanne Sommers and many others appeared in that wonderful movie, which was filmed in my home town of Petaluma, California.

Back to Mel's. Anyone who knows me knows I love to eat breakfast at just about any time of day. Mel's is open 24 hours, and last night, I enjoyed the #4 combo of 2 eggs, 3 slices of bacon, hash browns and sourdough toast. Mmmmmmm, I loves me some late night breakfast! At each table, you'll find a little mini jukebox in which you'll find dozens of songs from the 50s, 60s and 70s. There must have been a Beach Boys fan in the house last night, because during my meal, I must have heard at least 3 songs. I didn't mind. I like the Beach Boys.

Mel's Drive-In, good food, open 24 hours, reasonable prices, and the retro feel help you forget about the stresses of today. Definitely a redeeming quality!

Rocklin Redeeming Quality #2

You may notice that the Redeeming Qualities that will appear up front will be food services. So far, aside from furnishing my place, restaurants will likely make up most of my new experiences during my first few weeks here in the Rocklin area.

With that being said, I present to you Sonic - America's Drive-In. I used to travel throughout the United States back in my younger days as a professional singer. I noticed that, particularly in the South, Sonics were a significant part of the fabric in many small towns. I don't know what it's like in those areas today, as that was more than 20 years ago, but cruising was a pretty widespread phenomenon back then. And it seemed that the Sonic was always the point at which cars would make the turnaround to head back in the other cruising direction.

There is no cruising in Rocklin, but there is a Sonic here which opened up just within the last few months, I'm told. It comes complete with carhops...on roller skates! As a sign of the times, some carhops are sporting roller blades, but the spirit is still the same.

The food is ok. I haven't eaten at a Sonic in over 20 years, and I can't say the food is the drawing card. The retro feel of pulling up to a spot and having your food delivered to your car window by someone on roller skates/blades is pretty much the draw. It also appears that you can sit outside and not only order your food from the patio area, but even pay for it with your credit/debit card without having to wait in line. This is particularly handy when trying to avoid poor customer service.

A recent example would be the Wendy's I hit with Lisa and Brenda after we started to drive back to Rocklin Saturday after cleaning out my apartment in San Jose. There were a minimum of 6 employees behind the counter, and only one gentleman waiting for his food. There were times when as many as 3 of the employees were consumed with helping that individual by placing fries, drinks and burgers on his tray. Meanwhile, no one bothered to approach the tired and hungry new customers who were patiently waiting to give their order. We waited and waited for more than 5 minutes, with no one in line ahead of us, before one employee finally stopped to take our order. And even after doing so, he still messed up our order.

I digress.

Sonic, decent food, fun ambience.

Rocklin Redeeming Quality #1

One feature I plan to make part of my blogging will be things I find here which are unique from the Bay Area. Not necessarily better, so put your torches and pitchforks down. Just stuff I didn't find while living in the South Bay. These items are not listed in order of significance, but in the order of discovery.

Today, I would like to highlight my lunch furnished by Chick-fil-A. Let me tell you, there is no better fast food chicken anywhere. I had intended to have lunch there Sunday as a respite from my unpacking, particularly since it's in very close proximity to the Wal Mart which has become a regular destination during this process. However, Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays. Like In-n-Out, Chick-fil-A was founded by Christians, and they close all their stores on Sundays.

"Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and directing our attention to things more important than our business. If it took seven days to make a living with a restaurant, then we needed to be in some other line of work. Through the years, I have never wavered from that position." ~ S.Truett Cathy (founder)

Pretty cool, huh?

My spirit and my tummy are both well fed!

New Beginnings

Well, after a whirlwind month, or at least several weeks, I'm settling in to my new abode in Rocklin, CA. It's amazing to believe that one month ago today, we were on the eve of Celebrate America at the Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View. At the time, I hadn't made an official decision to move, and now...here I am.

Crazy.

Last week is a blur. I crammed more into the last 8 days in San Jose than I think I had experienced in 8 weeks. And you know, I still didn't get everything done that I would have liked to. I didn't get to see everyone I would have liked to have spent time with, I didn't get to sneak in one more golf game with my favorite golf buddy, John. I didn't get to catch the ballgame with Troy, and so on.

Tomorrow night in San Jose, the Bethel women's softball team plays their next game. Here in Rocklin...I have no idea what I'm going to do. Starting over is brutal.

Life goes on. It's back to work for me in the morning. My internet and phone are all hooked up and ready to go, but most importantly, my cable and high definition splendor is up and running! Right now I'm watching the Giants do their best to hold off the Dodgers. The Giants have squandered all but one run of what was a seven run lead.

Some things never change.

Run Forrest, Run!

You know, it's almost comical the line of questions people ask looking for the logic behind someone making a life changing decision. The questions themselves are not comical. It's the fact that no matter how old one is, no matter what gender, what their background is, what their belief system is, the questions are exactly the same, and come in the same sequence:

1. Why are you moving?
   
2. Do you have a place to live?
3. Do you have a job lined up?

Questions 2 and 3, in my case, are necessary because most people relocate to another community for at least one of those two reasons. In my case, those reasons are not truly the motivation. In fact, I don't have any single particular tangible reason to move and leave the city, church and friends I love.

Instead, I'm moving without having a single clue as to what lies beyond even next week. I mean it. That's really true.

I was speaking with my dear friend Lisa on Friday by instant messenger. She succinctly put into words what I have been desperately trying to communicate and grasp for my own understanding. During our conversation, all I could think was "this is a blog waiting to happen". Call me a prophet because she wrote about it later in the day. You can read what she wrote here.

I consider myself something of a spiritual Forrest Gump. If you recall in the movie, Forrest just seems to meander his way through life without any real ambition or plan, yet he somehow lives an extraordinary life which affords him the opportunities of meeting presidents, being a hero, inspiring others, witnessing history, and even making history. The movie weaves a thread through the events of his life which are seemingly incongruous. For example, he is running away from the town bullies, only to race the length of a football field during a team's practice at such a rate of speed, the head coach can't help but get that kid on his team where he enjoys an impressive football career with a college football powerhouse.

Back to Lisa's post and whatever it is I'm trying to say at 12:45 am of my last day in San Jose. I have no tangible expecation in this move. I am not moving to make my fortune in some industry. I'm not moving to be an integral part of a specific ministry in a particular church. I'm not moving because I have met the woman of my dreams and prayers. I'm not moving because I'm buying my dream home.

I'm moving because it's the hardest thing for me to do. Excercise is difficult. It's not meant to be easy. But it is good for us. It is necessary for development. It is necessary for our health. I'm excercising my faith in a way I've never had to before. Any one, or all, or none of the things I listed in my previous paragraph may come to pass as a result of this move. I have no idea. But I am trusting that the Lord has something in store for me on the other side of this transition. I don't know what it is, but I'm believing I will be a better man for this experience.


I think Forrest and his mother looked at life incorrectly. Rather than seeing life as a box of chocolates in which you "never know what you're gonna get", I know that when I open that box, I'm going to find a bunch of chocolate. No surprise. I trust the contents of the box are going to be consistent with what the label said I'd find inside. The adventure and treasure in life comes by taking a bite and seeing what goodness lies on the inside.


Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the LORD is good;
blessed are those who take refuge in him.

Not Sure If I've Lost My Mind

...or if I've just packed it away.

My apartment looks like a war zone. Empty boxes, full boxes, partially filled boxes, boxes boxes boxes.

This has been a crazy week. Juggling 2 jobs, packing, address changing, changing the service address with PG&E, renting a U-Haul, getting cable/internet/phone installed, blah blah blah. It hasn't been a three ring circus, it's felt like about eight or nine rings.


I pretty much feel like this guy. Part of my problem is focus. I start focusing on this "plate", and meanwhile the one behind me, to the left, is really getting wobbly. So I start working on that one, then the one to the right starts to teeter. It's taking everything I've got to keep everything from crashing into a mass of broken pieces...and not becoming one of the shards, myself.


On another note, the ladies of the softball team sprung on me their desire to take me to dinner tonight. Anyone who knows me knows I'm a pretty staunch carnivore, so why not go out with a bang at Outback Steakhouse! I'm really looking forward to seeing my friends one more time before heading out tomorrow. I can't say I'm excited to leave and move, but I can say I am strongly looking forward to this whole transition being behind me.

Much like my brain, this post is somewhat scrambled and disorganized. Hopefully once I can settle in, my writings will be more entertaining and thought out. Right now I'm just brain-dumping. I doubt I'll write anything tomorrow, and I reserve the right to flake on the entire weekend. But we'll see.

I need to take care of a couple wobbly plates now.

There's No Crying in Softball!

Tonight is, what I expect to be, my last significant "goodbye" before moving on Saturday. This evening is game #2 of the 2008 summer softball season for the women's softball team I've been coaching for I don't know how many years.

Melinda originally asked me to come out and help how ever many years ago, and I just kind of stuck around. I can't even communicate in words how fun it has been with this team. Some players have come and gone during my tenure, many are part of the team today who were part of it long before I came along. Every single person who has come through our dugout in a Bethel jersey has been a character in one way or another, and brought intangible qualities which has made the experience so much fun.

While I'm sad to say goodbye to these ladies, I think there will be a whole lot of laughs through it all.

We love to win, but even in defeat, these ladies give it 100%. I'm so proud to have been part of it, and I'll miss them. I expect to post one or more photos from tonight's fun soon, so stay tuned!

And Just Like That

...it's Monday. Back to the grind. Yesterday was an amazing day. I was so incredibly drained by the end of it all. My body was exhausted. My emotions were exhausted. My brain was just getting warmed up.

Saying goodbye has got to be one of my least favorite things to do. But it's pretty much part of life. But on the other hand, I made it point to say "I'll be back" more times than Arnold Schwarzenegger.

So many wonderful people came to me yesterday and shared very personal memories and thoughts with me. Maybe it was a song I did several years ago, maybe it was Upward Basketball. I left the building yesterday feeling very warm, filled...and loved.

Just when I think I'm one of the sappiest dopes whoever took air into his lungs, I come to find out that God will even go out of His way to script out perfect endings. The song we did yesterday, Let The Fire, was the very first song I ever sang with The Voices of Bethel back in 1996. In the days leading up to yesterday, I wondered if I would be able to make it through the song. As it turned out, it was the perfect song. It is a celebratory song written by Jon Lugo and Laurey Berteig. When Jon announced prior to the song that it would be my last Sunday and my last song, I heard the audible surprise from so many people. Once we started, I know people were still processing the news. But by the time we got to the exciting part of the song, the focus had clearly shifted from sentiment to an excitement in pursuing God and His Spirit. God took an emotional and sentimental fool and used that extra energy and emotion for His glory.

You know, that is so fitting. And just the way I want to live my life. Take me and use me. Take the quirks in my personality which make me who I am, and let it turn people's hearts to You.

Holy Blockbuster, Batman!

I went and saw the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. I had read and heard about the enormous crowds lining up to see the movie, so I decided to arrive at the theater in Santana Row a couple hours before the show we were going to. There was no one in line. What's up with that? The whole country is going nuts for this movie, and there was absolutely no hysteria where I was.

I fully expected to see people in costume, and this caped lady toward the front of the line in the minutes before they opened the doors was the only nutjob enthusiast I saw.

The movie was great. I don't see nearly the number of movies I used to, but this was definitely worth breaking the drought. It's not the cheesy Batman we grew up on, with the slanted bad guy hideouts, nor is it the 1989 Batman with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson which was also fairly cheesy. I wasn't really wild about the casting of Maggie Gyllenhaal, but Heath Ledger was everything the hype suggested. He was truly a gifted actor. He brought a lot of very edgy qualities that you just can't put into a script.

It was a great night, and it was just nice to not think about the state of turmoil and transition that my life is in right now. Tomorrow is my last Sunday at Bethel as a full time member, and my last solo with The Voices of Bethel, so the distraction last night was a nice getaway. Tomorrow is going to be a tough one.

Bittersweet

As I mentioned yesterday, last night was my last rehearsal with the Voices of Bethel. I knew it was going to be a tough night for me, and it was. But it was so special to share it with a very special group within my Bethel family. I'm posting some of the pictures which have been made available to me (thanks Pamela!). You can see them two ways. To the right you'll see the slideshow, or you can check them out here. Try to overlook my swollen and tear-stained face.

Sunday is the next emotional hurdle to get past. Thank God I have a couple days to compose myself.

Last Notes of a Choir Boy

Tonight is my final rehearsal with the Voices of Bethel. You know, there have been times when I was, let's just say "less than thrilled" about rehearsals when I'd rather go to a movie or just stay home. What I didn't expect was the swell of emotions I felt at last week's rehearsal. For reasons too many to even communicate, it all of a sudden hit me that something I've been part of for over 11 years is not going to be part of my weekly life anymore.

Yes, other churches have choirs. Most don't anymore, but some do. The Voices of Bethel is an institution. When I lived in Santa Rosa, more than 100 miles away, I used to drive down to enjoy Christmas Spectacular. I would see Johnny and Gina, among so many other wonderful singers. They, too, are Bethel institutions.

I'm still amazed that I got to sing along side them, as well as so many other talented and anointed singers, including Lisa, Connie, Greg, Ron, Pamela, Jennifer and so many others. There is such musical excellence which only inspires and challenges you to rise to the next level. Those are just some of the singers. Then you have to remember the incredibly gifted band members. Van, John Scott, Jimmie, Rich, Jon and Harold and so many others. I had never been part of a church where the mere idea of a background track was laughable.

Anyway, tonight marks the end of a great 11 year run for me. What is ironic is that this Sunday, my last, I will be singing the very first song I ever did with the Voices of Bethel back in November of 1996: Let The Fire.

If you're at rehearsal tonight, or at church on Sunday...please forgive me for what you may hear. I'm about this close to completely crying my eyes out, and it wouldn't surprise me if it happens right in the middle of the song.

Willow Glen HS Girls' Basketball

For the past 4+ years, I have been attending girls' basketball games at Willow Glen High School. Troy and Marlo's daughters, Brittany and Alyssa have been part of the program during this time. Brittany completed her high school career earlier this year, and Alyssa still has 2 years left. You might think this is odd, but I can honestly say that not being able to watch Brittany play at Mission College, and not being able to see Alyssa's games at WGHS are among the most difficult sacrifices in leaving San Jose. I am certainly going to try and make some games of theirs over the next couple years, especially Alyssa's "Senior Night" in 2010 (man, that just feels bizarre to even type).

I have watched "B" and "Roo" play basketball dating back to their very early years in Upward Basketball. I've had the pleasure of even coaching them with their dad. Seeing their smiles and getting their hugs absolutely lights up my heart. I'm going to miss that, but it's only going to make all that more special when we see each other in the future.

Special thanks to Troy and coach Amy Gannon who have let me be part of the program over the years. It has been so fun to help out at the scorer's table and keep stats on the bench. These are all special kids, and it's been a joy to watch them grow up. Win or lose, they have a fun time playing the game.

I'll be following the team on maxpreps.com, and I'm sure I'll get all the details from Troy. Right T-Dawg?

Think Anyone Will Notice?

Why do you think they call it dope?

A San Jose man drew unwanted attention to himself late Monday night by allegedly burning some marijuana plants in his fireplace, which led to his arrest on multiple drug charges, according to police.

Just after 11 p.m., firefighters responded to reports of heavy smoke near the chimney of a home in the 1,600 block of Estates Court in East San Jose. Firefighters detected the smell of marijuana and notified police. When police officers got out of their car, they detected a strong smell of marijuana in the air.

Police conducted a welfare check inside the home and found a small marijuana grow of more than 30 plants in one of the rooms, according to Officer Jermaine Thomas, a police spokesman. Police arrested Ruben Rivera, 28, of San Jose suspicion of possession of marijuana for sale and cultivation of marijuana.

Rivera was allegedly burning leaves and stems from some of his marijuana plants, according to Officer Jermaine Thomas, a police spokesman.

Success vs. Significance

Life can be a very delicate thing as a noun, but as a verb, it's quite powerful. The noun of life can be snuffed out in an instant with one careless mistake or fluke, no matter how healthy or powerful one may be. However, the verb life can not only add quality and substance to the noun of life, but it can actually last longer than the noun.

This past Sunday, Pastor Art Gorman delivered a message about our need to be significant. One point he made that has been resonating in my heart and mind is how to not get trapped in striving for success, but instead, living a life of significance. So many in our generation seem hell bent on striving for financial, material and professional success. While there is nothing wrong on the surface with pursuing excellence in everything we do, it's a hollow existence to have our success be our significance.

I want a life of significance. One of the things I'm most afraid of in moving from San Jose is the overwhelming task of completely starting over. Building a reputation from scratch. I guess I had to do that when I moved to San Jose, but for whatever reason, that didn't bother me. Maybe that was because I was a relatively young man of 31 when I relocated to the South Bay. I'm now 43.

Significance isn't standing in front of thousands of people and singing a song. Significance is impacting thousands of lives...one at a time.

Modern Day "Who's On First"

I'm not sure I've ever watched a single episode of The Family Guy, but I heard this bit on the radio and loved it. The timing of the dialog, the attitudes...classic stuff.

What Did I Tell You?

Saturday I wrote a brief entry about my "sorting and purging" process, and how you have to be careful what you throw away due to dumpster divers. At one point, I had filled up four garbage bags with stuff to throw out. Due to their size, I could only carry two at a time, so I schlepped those down to the dumpster, then returned upstairs to grab the remaining two. I was gone maybe five minutes, and by the time I returned with the other two, some lady was already perusing the contents of one bags I had just thrown in there as if it were the clearance rack at Marshall's.

I wonder if she liked the bottle of milk that expired in March.

Fingerprints of God

This morning in church, I sang the Steven Curtis Chapman song, Fingerprints of God. It's a very good song which is, in essence, a contemporary view of Psalm 139. I'll post a video below so you can hear it, in case you aren't familiar with it.

Because the song was embedded toward the end of the sermon, I sat on the platform so I could make a relatively smooth move to the microphone without being too much of a distraction to the congregation. From my vantage point during the message, I could only see about 1/3 of the congregation during the first service. In my absolute line of sight was a little girl, all of about 6 or 7 years old, confined to a wheelchair. It was plain to see that it wasn't a broken leg or something temporary. She is permanently and devastatingly disabled. As I looked out to her, even 20 minutes before we'd get to the song, my heart was deeply touched as I ran the lyrics through in my head while considering this sight.

My emotions were so jarred by the combination of the powerful lyrics of the song and the plight of this young lady that I barely made it through the song. I don't know if she heard a single word, but I sang that song to that girl with everything I had in me. Following the song, I left the platform, made my way around the back to make sure I was awaiting this young lady and her family as they left the sanctuary following the service. I had the pleasure of meeting little Hannah and her family. She's a precious little thing, and I will never forget her.

The world will look at Hannah all her life and see someone who is flawed, even damaged. But God created her, and He just doesn't make mistakes. Little Hannah touched my heart in a very powerful way today, and I'll never forget her. I complain about so many trivial things, and little Hannah had the biggest smile I've ever seen as I talked to her and told her how pretty she is. She is a masterpiece.

C.R.A.P.

It has been a productive and eye-opening day. I have unloaded a ton of my Collection of Randomly Acquired Possessions, (C.R.A.P.), and it is soooooo nice.

Taking a break to grill up some pork chops on the George (Foreman grill).

To the victor goes the spoils.

Sort & Purge

I hate moving. Today I'm doing what I call "sort and purge". This is where I go through the stuff I've accumulated since I've lived here, (and some I dragged with me from my last place), and dump the stuff I don't need to drag with me to Rocklin.

Thankfully, it's not blazing hot today, so the numerous trips out to the dumpster, traversing 3 flights of stairs each time while carrying garbage bags, shouldn't be too bad.

Gotta be careful though. You know what they say about "one man's garbage..."

Rocklin: One of Top 10 Cities in America?

According to Family Circle Magazine, Rocklin has been named as one of the top 10 cities for families in America. According to the article, "eco-conciousness" is one of the contributing factors, in addition to strong neighborhoods and the high quality school system.

Hey, those qualities are fine, but until they have a major league sports team, I'm going to be left wanting.

I think right now, residents would just be happy to be able to see the sunshine without a thick veil of smoke.

Love This Show!

Several years ago, I was over at Troy's house for the Super Bowl. After the game was over and everybody had pretty much gone home, we were flipping through the channels and stumbled upon MXC on Spike. Oh my gosh, if you haven't seen this, you have to. It was some kind of marathon that night, with one 30 minute episode after another. We must have watched it for 2 hours. It was hilarious!

Here's a clip which gives you a taste of the bizarre games and the hilarious dialogue.

Co-Defendant; God

You know, as a Christian, I never cease to be amused/embarrassed by other so-called Christians in the news. Here's a story in today's news which should entertain you. Feel free to comment. You just can't make this stuff up:

(07-10) 10:45 PDT Knoxville, Tenn. (AP) --

A man says he was so consumed by the spirit of God that he fell and hit his head while worshipping.

Now he wants Lakewind Church to pay $2.5 million for medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering.

Matt Lincoln says he is suing after the church's insurance company denied his claim for medical bills.

The 57-year-old has had two surgeries since the June 2007 injury but still feels pain in his back and legs.

He says he was asking God to have "a real experience" while praying.

Lincoln says he has fallen from the force of the spirit before but has always been caught by someone.

Lawyers for the church say other congregants saw him on the floor laughing after his fall. They say he failed to look out for his own safety.

Original story found here.

Glass Is Full

Well, the latest episode of broken glass brought about by someone who felt he was entitled to the contents of my car, is now complete.

The auto glass company who replaced the windows each of the three times, AA Willian's Auto Glass, has been awesome. They came to my home the first two times, and today they came to the parking garage by my office next to San Pedro Square. They vacuumed out all the glass, were very quick, very friendly and very clean. The price in each case was very fair, particularly considering they drove down from Mountain View to wherever was convenient for me.

I hope you never need them for anything, but if you do, give them a call. I highly recommend them. Their number is 650-937-0272.

Enough Is Enough

This morning I went out to my car to head to work, only to find that someone had broken in to it sometime during the course of the night. This is now the third time that has happened in the 21 months in which I've lived in my apartment complex.

The first time, I believe it was for the express purpose of stealing my GPS unit which I had foolishly left attached to my windshield. Lesson learned.

Having learned said lesson, I left my car virtually empty on the inside. Nothing of substance in the glove compartment, center console, floors, and certainly not on the seats in plain view. Yet, some joker broke in and actually crawled in through the broken window, sat in my car, went through my glove compartment (and dumped most of it on the floor), and went through my center console. Their bounty consisted of some $2 pens, my iPod car charger and my window shade.

Who steals a window shade?

Last night when I got home, my hands were full. I had set my laptop bag on the floor of my back seat. It was empty, but I got lazy. I always take it in, but this time, I talked myself into trusting that it would be ok "just this once".

Nope.

Gone is the nice laptop bag which, thankfully, didn't have my laptop in it. But my digital camera was in it, which I loved. While I'm not excited about leaving San Jose, and there are very nice things about the apartment in which I live...I can't get away from that place fast enough.

What Am I Getting Myself Into?

Yes, this is the weather over the next 5 days in Rocklin. I have to admit, I'm somewhat intimidated by the heat there. On the bright side, it's going to 'cool off' by the end of the weekend.

Oh well, doesn't matter. I'm in San Jose this week, anyway.

Yes, it's true

After 11 years in San Jose, I am moving away. I really never thought this would ever happen. I have loved my time in the South Bay, and it's hard to leave. I am part of the best church in San Jose, and I have the very best friends I've ever had. In fact, they're more like family than mere friends.

On a positive note, I'm not moving all that far away. I'm moving to Rocklin, CA. It's only a couple hours away, so I hope to come back to San Jose for events and just random connections with great friends. I will be a permanent resident of Rocklin as of August 1, but if all goes smoothly, my transition may be completed by the last weekend of July.



I'll be sure to post more information as it comes along.