Dave's ebay secret

Here's a light post for the day - I've been using ebay to buy & sell stuff since 2005, but it's not until the last couple years that I've perfected my technique for winning auctions. After some really good buys this past week (i.e. $175 snow pants for Jen for $13.06), I'm feeling pretty good, so I figured I'd share my secrets.

(1) Know the value of what you're bidding on. It's not a deal if you end up spending more than it costs in stores. I laugh when I see people get into bidding wars & drive the price to full retail or even more!

(2) Watch for bad descriptions & photos. I love picking up items that are listed as "Patagonia fluffy jacket" along with a blurry photo. A casual glance may not reveal much, but closer inspection may reveal that the "fluffy" jacket is actually a Patagonia Retro X windproof fleece, last year's model based on the pocket design & zipper pulls, that retails for $185. I'll pick up the "fluffy" jacket for $30, turn around & list it accurately with great pictures and double or triple my money.

(3) And lastly, the "Dave Snatch." I'll set my scope on a particular item, watch it closely throughout the auction period, and if the price is still low enough where it'd be a deal for me or I could easily resell it, I get down to business. First, know your maximum bid. Don't get swept up in the thrill of the hunt. Give yourself the maximum you're willing to spend on the item. If it goes for more than that, it wasn't meant to be. Let it go! :-)

During the final minute, watch the bids. With about 30 seconds left, enter your maximum bid (the most you'd consider bidding) and place the bid. Go with an amount that's weird. For example, instead of entering $100, enter $101.22. I can't tell you how many auctions I've snatched by 50 cents because of entering an odd amount.

Here's where it gets fun. Ebay will ask you to confirm your bid. WAIT!!! You'll want to wait until about 6 seconds left before confirming your bid (a second or two longer depending on your connection speed.) This timing prevents someone from submitting a counter bid before the auction ends.

BAM!!! The moment of truth. You either just won the item or another bidder's maximum bid was greater than you were willing to spend in the first place.

Happy ebaying!

The real tragedy of Global "Warming" (btw, the polar bears are fine!)

[Getting on soapbox] Ladies and gentlemen, the myth of manmade global warming unravels almost by the day. Googling "Climategate" produces a wealth of information. Regardless of what you believe, read everything you can get your hands on. At the very least, it should prove that the theory of manmade global warming is far from settled science. We need to show our leaders that we have brains & can think for ourselves.

But this post is not about whether or not we're responsible for raising the earth's temperatures. It's about, in my opinion, collateral damage resulting most recently from this whole global warming mess.

(1) The death of network news. In the two weeks following the University of East Anglia's documents being made public, the "major" news outlets in the US remained oddly silent on the matter, even as it was being reported in major outlets worldwide. Instead, viewers who rely on NBC, CBS, and ABC were treated to more than 35 reports on Tiger Woods' marriage problems, even something about a moose, with nary a SINGLE mention of quite possibly the biggest scandal of modern science. Crickets chirping...

And they wonder why their ratings continue to plummet? It's because they've lost our TRUST. No longer champions in search of truth, they've instead become a glorified infomercial, hawking agendas.

(2) Corrupted science. Contrary to how Al Gore and other global warming acolytes would like to portray them, the recently published documents from the University of East Anglia are pretty damning. An article in the Wall Street Journal-Europe calls "Climategate" the "tip of the iceberg" as raw data from other researchers, including NASA and NOAA, has not been provided as required by FOI. Interesting to see how far the rabbit hole goes! Think Al will give refunds if all this proves to be a big sham?

Used to be the scientific method couldn't be corrupted, but when the politicians write the scientist's paychecks, what should we expect?

(3) Polar Bears. Ok, contrary to what kids are STILL being taught in school (the "drowning" polar bear pics were debunked years ago, btw) they're really not a victim in this, as scientists who actually STUDY polar bears for a living report that their numbers are increasing overall, that the varieties that are decreasing are doing so primarily as a result of hunting. Actually, according to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, if there's an increase in temperatures, it'll result in an INCREASE in habitat for wildlife, decreasing the arctic desert and increasing forested areas.

Bottom line? Study for yourself, guys! And you politicians out there, beware. Knowledgeable citizens vote.

A financial milestone

Besides being December 1st (WHITE RABBIT!), today marks a significant event in our family's financial history.

We don't owe anything on credit cards. Zip. Nada. Zilch.

Four years ago, Jen & I were introduced to Dave Ramsey & Financial Peace University. Both with good jobs, in debt up to our eyeballs, Dave encouraged us to take steps to change our situation.

We learned that that dread "B" word...budget...isn't a dirty word but a tool intended to gain control of the money we worked so hard to make in the first place.

Then came the debt repayment plan. Almost $40K in credit card debt is hard to ignore, and even harder to pay off playing by the card issuers' rules, especially when they CHANGE the rules frequently (ex. "New changes to your account terms and what they mean to you.") Four years later, that debt is gone & we never wanna go back!

Next are the car loans & student loans. We're working toward having those completely paid off within the next 1 1/2-2 years.

We're already talking about saving for and paying cash for a house. How crazy is that?

Where's my stone?

I'll be honest. There are times that I'd like to throttle people. There's one in particular, right now, that I'd like to kick the royal ####### out of.

"David!" (I can hear my mom gasp)

As a husband & father, I was made aware last night of a supposed follower of Christ who recently announced to his wife (with infant son) that he was leaving. Reason given? He wanted his life back & his wife and child were holding him back.

Wanna take turns swinging? I'll share my bat.

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged." Luke 6:37 NIV

Ugh! Ok, God, I'm listening...

In this passage, Jesus isn't asking us to abandon discernment. It's not popular to say such things nowadays, but there still are things that are right and wrong. What Jesus is saying is that we should avoid self righteously judging others, whipping those rocks at someone who may honestly have 'em coming while we ignore the sin in our lives that deserve our own helping of judgement.

Pray for this family!

Memories of home

Spent some time last weekend transporting some things for my sister as she prepares to move back home to my parent's house. After bringing the last of the boxes inside, I found myself walking around the yard in the moonlight. It was amazing all the memories that came to mind...

* That scraggly little tree in the front yard that looked like a mop
* Dodgeball in the front yard with soaked Nerf footballs
* The apple "bush"
* Our dog's "minefield," especially when cutting the grass
* Riding bikes on the patio 'cuz dad didn't want us in the street
* Mom's chive plant by the back steps
* Throwing dried dirt clods at each other like hand grenades
* The grits I dumped into the evergreen bush when I made too much
* The play fort (manly 'til mom & Vikki painted flowers on it)
* Playing catch with Dad next to the garage
* Kickball games at the side of the house
* The Prayer Tree

Louis Vincent Albano - 1933-2009

I'm both sad & smiling as I write this, especially considering the substantial amount of time since my last full post. Who would've though that "Captain" Lou Albano would break my writing drought.

Ugh, another month has gone by!

Yes, I'm still alive. Not much new to post besides the fact that life is crazy as usual. Olivia continues to grow at an accelerated rate...Hattie is developing into a little girl with a unique personality (she laughs & smiles a lot!), Jen's busy with school & parenting, I'm trying to stay on top of the wave that includes being a good husband, dad, and camp program director (without a fulltime assistant) during a crazy busy fall outdoor ed season.

[breathe]

Oh hey, here's something new...I started playing volleyball in my church's league. Surprisingly, we won! I think the last time I played volleyball was almost 20 years ago. I remember because I broke my left middle finger during that game. No breaks last night, so maybe that's a good sign!

Taco John's + caving = ?

Had the pleasure of meeting up with our new interns yesterday in Richland Center for an afternoon of caving. On the way there, my friend Jim and I stopped at one of my favorite eating spots. Oh, Taco John's, home of the Potato Ole. Yumm! Anyway, as we were back on the road with the spoils of our stop, it hit me... can burritos and underground confined spaces ever safely mix?

I'll let you find that out for yourselves.

Summer draws to a close

Where did it go? Seems like not so long ago we were wrapping up staff training and welcoming our first week's campers. Now we just have a couple weeks of specialty camps, training for the new interns, then the fall outdoor ed season begins in force. Wow!

Learning to float

It's hard to believe I've been in fulltime Christian camping ministry for 10 years now. That's 25% of my entire life! Scary thought...some of the 6th grade students I may have taught in 1999 are now finishing their undergraduate degrees, some possibly with children of their own! Yikes!

How did I get here? As a senior at Elim Bible Institute, I thought I had it all figured out, and it didn't include camps. Sure, I got hooked on backpacking & rock climbing while a student there, but I had a plan. My friends were envious as we approached the end of our last year together. I had taken quite some time writing down in detail my plan for the 3-5 years following graduation. Yup, had it all worked out...

Until I sat in the "hot seat"...

Each spring, Elim has visiting ministers with proven prophetic ministries come to the school, a kind of "sending out" or commissioning of that year's senior class. As I sat with my back to them, facing my friends & the rest of the student body, I'll never forget the first words out of Stanley Hammond's mouth...

"Plans, plans, plans...this young man is drowning in plans. It's no fun to be drowning. I have a clear word of direction from the Lord for you. SCRAP whatever it is you have written down, and learn to float in the sea of My Spirit."

There went my plans!

Over the next couple of years following graduation, God continued to prepare and guide me, teaching me to "float", knowing that His current would carry me in the direction He intended for me. Bobbing around in that seemingly endless "sea" with no sign of a destination, God would sometimes drop a clue or an encouragement, especially when I started focussing on the waves instead of keeping my eyes on the horizon. On a trip to New York, just before Timber-lee entered the picture, a pastor I had lunch with shared a word God had given him concerning me. "I can't shake it," he said, "but I keep seeing a picture of a slingshot in my mind, and I believe God wants you to know that He's preparing to launch you into the ministry He's called you to. Don't be discouraged, like you're not progressing, or even losing ground, because like a slingshot, it gets pulled back before it fires. Be ready!"

A year later I was at Timber-lee in a fulltime position! Borrowing from the Peace Corps' slogan, it's the toughest job I'll ever love. I have to restrain my laughter when I'm asked what I do for a living & I tell 'em I work at a camp. "What do you do for the rest of the year?" is not an uncommon response. Timber-lee serves around 60,000 people a year on our grounds, and the ropes course program I oversee serves almost 30,000 participants annually. I'm a pastor with a climbing harness on, an adventure minister who gets to see lives impacted through the tools of adventure programming. It's a fulltime, year-round job that is very hard work, but I absolutely love it. Watching a sunset from atop our 40' climbing tower after a full day of classes, or Nordic skiing with school students when the air is calm & those huge snowflakes are falling...you get the picture. It's such a gift to have a career built around a blessing!

Thank you, God.

The pain will never end...

I've been chewing on this for a bit now. As you probably know by following my site, the past 7 months have seen the loss of both of my parents. Particularly hard for me is seeing pictures of mom & dad at the birth of our oldest, Olivia, two years ago. I was so proud to introduce them to her, to see them hold their granddaughter. This past May brought the birth of our second daughter, Hattie, only 2 weeks following my dad's death. Just the thought of them not being there still brings tears to my eyes. There are times that I fear, if I dwell too long on their loss, I may be swallowed by the grief.

I grieve deeply because I loved and was loved deeply...

I will always miss my parents. The void they left will never truly be filled. I'll never get to email mom the latest pictures of the girls for her work computer desktop...I'll never share another breakfast at McDonald's with my dad.

But I will go on...I can go on!

It's only because of Christ, and the love of others in my life.The blessed truth is that I will see my parents again someday, and in the meantime I have a wife & daughters that I love, brothers, a sister, and relatives that are here for me to love & enjoy. The sadness doesn't stand much of a chance when my Olivia jumps on the bed in the morning, a big smile on her face as she gets to "snuggle daddy", or I get that look from my wife that expresses a wellspring of love & support. Hattie pretty much just lies around at this point. I swear she smiles at me sometimes, but the accompanying farting sounds reminds me it's probably just gas.

Life without my parents will never be "ok," but God sees every tear, and promises to supply all my needs. God has blessed me with life & it's my responsibility to honor Him by treating each day I remain on this earth as a gift, and be an instrument of His love to those around me.

Zagg "Invisible Shield"

Looking for the ultimate in protection for your valuable gadgets? I tried one of their screen protectors for one of my GPS units & I'm sold. The installation process is a bit more involved than a simple stick-on sheet, but the extra labor is well worth it.

The invisible shield product uses a kind of activator spray that allows the military-grade film to conform to the surface. Over a 24hr period, any air bubbles are eliminated, resulting in a flawless-looking installation.

Since buying my iPhone the other day, I've ordered a full "skin" that protects the entire unit from scratches. Watching the video of the guy "keying" an iPhone with & without their product sold me.

Severe weather

A few days after the fact, I thought I'd post a little concerning our sever weather we had last week (yes, that's an actual radar image from the storms last friday.)

As usual, the Timber-lee "bubble" prevailed, so not much happened here besides some good thunderstorms, gusty winds, and lots of rain.

A little excitement - I got to hear what turned out to be a weak tornado that passed just north of camp. It's funny how Jen & I stood outside, debating exactly what a freight train sounds like for a few minutes before deciding it might be a good idea to go inside.

And you wonder why the world hates us!

Over the last few days I've read news accounts that, as a follower of Christ, have made me cringe.

Now, it seems like I'm always reading. My wife Jen pokes fun at me. She'll start telling me about something she heard, will stop mid sentence, and say, "of course you've already heard about this." I'm a bit of an information junkie.

The first, involving the recent crash of an Air France flight, is indeed a tragedy. Still under investigation, over 200 people lost their lives as their plane crashed into the Atlantic. Just days later, an older couple who missed being on that fateful flight were involved in a devastating automobile crash, killing the wife & seriously injuring her husband.

As I read about the couple's crash, I scrolled down to the "Comments" portion of the page. I get a kick of how even small news articles can generate hundreds of opinions. Some are obviously thoughtfully written, but it's amazing how, given a soapbox, the "nuts" come out. Instead of recognizing the pain suffered by this man, spared a plane crash only to have his wife taken days later, self-proclaimed "Christians" were trying to explain away the unexplainable, and tact or any sense of compassion was sadly absent.

"This is why I hate you Christians!" replied one of the readers, and his sentiment was not alone.

Example #2 - A former Baptist big wig was recently interviewed in a major news outlet. When asked about the current administration in Washington, he stated (and repeated when asked to clarify) that he was praying for the death of our president. When asked why, he answered that it wasn't wrong to "pray for something that God wants."

You should've read the comments posted below that article! Even worse were the multitude of folks who wrote how this only confirmed why they'd never want to become a Christian. Literally hundreds of lives potentially lost for eternity.

God, through His word, tells us to expect hatred & persecution for the sake of Christ. The American Church has escaped much of this while our brothers & sisters in other countries are persecuted, imprisoned, or killed because of their faith. I read another article (really? :-) that stated that Christians in the United States might see strong persecution for their beliefs within the next 20 years. The author of the article added that Christians are becoming perceived more and more as being ignorant, fanatical, and even dangerous.

4th Century Christian apologist Lactantius wrote, "God commands us to wait patiently for the day of heavenly judgement when He Himself will honor or punish all according to what they deserve...but let us work hard so that people will punish nothing in us but our righteousness. Let us strive with all our might so that we can deserve the avenging of our suffering and a reward at the hands of God."

A new car

Well, we're the proud owners of a 2005 Pontiac Vibe. Jen & I had seen this car at a dealer in Mukwonago for a few weeks now & even stopped to look at it a couple of times. Being a one-vehicle family has been a bit of a stretch, plus the Xterra only got 18mpg on the highway. Not exactly an economy vehicle, especially considering the $3/gal I paid tonight for gas!

The original price was reasonable, but it was marked at a sale price a couple weeks ago. We were prepared to ask for the reduced sale price, when the salesman pulled out a new sale tag from between the seats, due to be posted the following day, for $4000 below the original price. With our substantial cash down payment, the amount we had to finance was pretty reasonable & we drove away this morning with our new car...seating for all of us, and 35mpg to boot!

More Mac thoughts...

I'm not going to write a long, massive essay on why I like my new Mac, but I did find myself realizing exactly why I like it...

You'll have to bear with me here. It's kinda like enjoying vanilla ice cream all your life, then suddenly being introduced to Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby...where have you been?!

I've worked with Windows computers for as long as they've existed. Shoot, our first family business computer was an old MS DOS machine, didn't even have a hard drive, and that was high tech back then.

All along, I've enjoyed what I could do with a computer. It was a tool that allowed me to express myself through writing, web & graphic design, digital photography, etc. New computers simply meant more storage space, more memory, faster processors, etc.

Working on a Mac allows me to not only enjoy the end product, but the "journey" to get there as well. It's almost a pleasure to work with. I can focus on my creativity, versus the occasional hung up program, long load times, etc.

Like Apple's advertising says, "it just works."

Ok, that's my last Mac post...maybe?

Loss of a friend

I couldn't believe the news when I heard it. A friend of mine from the fire department, someone I'd known for almost 9 years, took his own life a few days ago. Emergency workers like us get the sad duty of responding to calls like this - the first responders and EMS workers all knew him personally. 

We all knew he was going through a very difficult time in his life, and a number of friends from the department had reached out to him. How very sad that he still was willing to take such final measures to end his pain.

Our department won't be the same without him. We'll miss you, "Gump."

Please pray for his family as they deal with the loss of a husband & father.

Switched to Mac

I did it...after many years of wanting to try a Mac, I took the plunge yesterday & bought a 2.4ghz MacBook.

Nice.

After being a die hard Windows user for so many years, I'm surprised how easy it is to make the transition. I still haven't figured out all the nooks & crannies of Mac OSX yet, but it's pretty intuitive.

I'm also liking how well the MacBook is built. It's definitely not in the same league as the $599 deals from Walmart, or even some of the $1000+ models out there. In a word, it's solid. I got the aluminum 13" model, whose body is machined from a single block of metal. The fit & finish is remarkable - no creaks when you pick it up, the display is glass, not plastic.

Yup, definitely liking it!

Painful Praise

I’ve been experiencing something new in my spiritual life as of late, or at least I’m aware of it now. Probably not surprising considering my life these past 5 months. In that span I’ve lost both parents & experienced a rough start with our newest daughter Hattie. Add to that stresses at work…when it rains, it pours!

Now, I’ve definitely labored in prayer during trials past – health issues, financial struggles, future uncertainties, etc. Through it all I’ve had no doubt as to God’s presence in the midst of it, and His provision has been unmistakable.

Then came that phone call on December 9th, 2008…

The unexpected death of my mom was devastating! I had always imagined her present at my daughters’ weddings. My dad was killed in an accident on April 22nd, forcing us to not only deal with his loss, but also legal difficulties because of how his estate was left. Hattie’s birth, just a couple weeks after that, brought its own worries when she experienced complications requiring specialized care.

Then I realized it…

As the severity of my situation increased, not only was I praying (boy, did I pray), but I found myself praising God as much, if not more! The harder it got, the more grateful I became, confidently aware of God’s presence, even as it seemed my life was spinning out of control.

“I will not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let you down (relax My hold on you)! Assuredly not!” Hebrews 13:5 Amplified

I have to admit, it was tempting to blame God, especially watching my newborn daughter, unable to hold her as she lay in the nursery with tubes & sensors keeping her from the arms of her helpless parents. “How much more?!” I thought as I stood there, holding Hattie’s tiny hand. I was up to my neck in circumstances that could’ve driven me away from God, trials that have done just that to countless others who’d reached the limits of their trust in God. “If He loved me, He wouldn’t let [fill in the blank].”

Instead, I found myself driven closer to Him. With every cry, every tear, a wave of praise seemed to rise up from the deepest part of me.

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Christ Jesus is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” 1 Peter 1:6-9 NIV

Ok, I thought I'd finally take the plunge & set up a twitter account. I'm always hesitant to add even MORE online accounts to maintain, but I think twitter will fill a niche within thedavewave that it's ideally suited for - those things that make me go "hmm" that don't really require a full blog post, plus it's really easy to "tweet" from my phone when I'm away from a computer, adding to the spontaneity of the posts.

Hattie's here!

Hattie Leona Prowitz joined us at 4:25pm on Wednesday, May 6th. Eight pounds, 11 ounces, 20 inches long, with thick & curly dark hair. It's amazing to have another little one in our family. Jen's recovering well, and Hattie is doing alright. Seems like she's trying to outdo her older sister...an overachiever if you will...

...she cried SO hard when she was born that she gave herself an air bubble trapped between her lungs & chest wall. Evidently this happens sometimes, and they're treating her with moist oxygen & letting her body absorb the bubble. It sucks to see my little one with an IV & wires hanging off of her (it looks much worse than it actually is), but hopefully it will resolve itself in the next 24-48 hours. Oh, how I wish I could take all the pokes & prods for my little one!

It makes me appreciate even more, especially in light of the recent passing of both of my parents (my dad just 2 weeks before Hattie's birthday), how precious life is & how each day we have with those we love is a gift of God.

As joyful this time is, however, it just isn't the same without being able to share Hattie's arrival with my mom & dad. The first of many "firsts" without my folks. I miss 'em so much!

Gear Review: Patagonia

Ok, I'm taking a bit of a departure with this one - not so much a review of a specific product as it is a review of the brand as a whole.

As an outdoors professional, I have a tendency to look beyond the label. My gear has to WORK, regardless of price. Some of my most versatile equipment remains to this day among the least expensive...my $8 Walmart fleece flip-mittens, $25 insulated snow bibs. Don't get me wrong, I'm not afraid to hand over large amounts of cash for quality gear that'll do the job for me. I can imagine your face if I told you how much my GoreTex XCR technical shell jacket cost.

Having never tried Patagonia's stuff before, I usually shied away...seemed like an overpriced niche brand, especially compared to my usual brands of choice...

...then I took a chance & bought my first piece on ebay.

After having a chance to put my first jacket to the test, exposing it to a full range of conditions out on the challenge courses, I became very aware of how well made it was. The quality, features, attention to detail...a very well made, solid garment that's obviously built to perform, not just to look good worn by a teenager at the local mall.

I've since sold a lot of my old gear & replaced 'em with their Patagonia counterparts.

Reading "Let My People Surf", by Yvon Chouinard (founder of Patagonia) has only further solidified my growing appreciation of what goes into each of their products - company philosophy, extremely rigorous testing...testing, and MORE testing. Patagonia's never the "fad" brand because it can take 1-2 YEARS before a product idea becomes a purchasable product...that is, IF it survives the testing. Amazing stuff. I highly recommend reading the book if you get a chance.

I'm sold. Keep 'em coming, Patagonia!

My dad's gone...

On Wednesday, April 22nd, around 11pm, my dad went home to be with the Lord.

Of all the ways to go, he was hit by a train at a crossing in Pewaukee. I was stunned when my brother Dan called me at 3:20am when the police & medical examiner came to his door.

Only 2 weeks until my daughter Hattie is due to be born. Why?!

Only four months after my mom's death, we've lost another parent. Still raw from December's loss, now my pop's gone. There are times the grief is overwhelming.

But...

God has proved Himself faithful throughout this maelstrom. I'm actually thinking of writing down the growing list of ways God has answered prayers, supplied for our needs, etc. during this difficult time. Even the way dad died fulfilled a wish of his...when the medical examiner says, "I don't know how to explain this, but...", it's another reminder that God's in the picture. Despite being hit by a TRAIN, he had no broken bones, no devastating internal injuries...the only physical cause of death found was his broken neck. His death was instantaneous. Dad's biggest fear, especially with his heart and other health problems, was that he would slowly, painfully pass away in a hospital. Wednesday night, he was here one second, gone the next. The God who intimately knew my father honored that wish.

I know there are those out there who either don't believe in God, or at the very most believe He's hanging around on a cloud somewhere, watching us make due on our own. That's not the God I know. I've seen His involvement throughout my life, financial provision, physical healing, guidance...to say that God's not around makes absolutely no sense to me.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Oh, the picture...dad had it hanging in his office at church. When I asked him about it, he said it reminded him of me when I was little, how I'd run to him with my arms in the air. It also reminded him of the love of God, our Father, and how much He delights in His children.

I love you, dad!

Where are all the pictures?

I've been wondering why I've been feeling like this for some time now. Seems so out of place. I've been taking pictures since I was 12 years old. Most notably, I've photographed a hit TV show, shot a few weddings, portraits, and then some. I've derived great pleasure through photography over the years.

I don't take pictures anymore, at least not like I did.

When did this change? I'm a photographer, after all. Then it hit me today...my mom's gone. Since she passed away, I've only taken 265 pictures. This is in stark contrast to the nearly 800 photos taken during the same time period last year. Why the difference?

My mom was my biggest fan. We shared a love for photography & we'd frequently share our pictures with each other. Almost like a child's art hung on the refrigerator, I couldn't wait to show mom my latest "yes!" shot, or to email her the most recent Olivia picture for her computer desktop at work.

I've lost my biggest fan.

So, what am I going to do about this? Not take pictures anymore? To borrow from the cliche, I've got to get back on this particular horse & start photographing for myself again.

Mom wouldn't want it any other way.

Can you beileve it's almost May?

I can't believe we're already starting the 3rd week of April. This year is flying by at an unbelievable pace. What's new?

(1) Baby Hattie is coming in less than three weeks! I'm really looking forward to holding my newest daughter (and Jen's ready for Hattie to stop doing chin ups from her ribcage.) With how much I love Olivia, my little Jelly Bean, I can't imagine loving her any less, or Hattie any more than the other. I wouldn't trade being a dad for anything. Olivia's my joy, and Hattie can only add to it!

(2) Busy springtime at Timber-lee. We're starting to see a marked increase in school groups. Plus, in a little more than a month, I'll be welcoming my summer team.

(3) I'm selling The Biner. Yup, I can't fit 2 child seats in the cab of my faithful steed, so it's nearing the time to say goodbye to my 2002 Ford Ranger. Know anyone who's in the market for a fuel efficient (24mpg hwy) pickup truck outfitted with red emergency lights & siren? Only 65k miles...anyone?

(4) I'm reading a fantastic book, "Let My People Go Surfing," a book written by Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia. It's really cool to glean from his experience as an outdoors enthusiast who started a business doing what he loves.

That's about all. I'm actually going to hit the sack early tonight. See ya next time!

It's coming...

Outdoor Education this spring is arriving like a lion...who, after a huge roar, soon after takes a nap. Tomorrow & Friday are extremely busy, with the first High Ropes & Archery classes of the year, plus Tower, GPS, and multiple Teambuilding classes all going on simultaneously. You'd think it was mid-May! The following week is fairly slow, but that's only temporary. Bring on the school groups!

Hiring for summer is coming along. I've got more than half of my instructors so far, with a small pile of applications on my desk.

Keep me in your prayers. Without a full time assistant for this year, it could get pretty rocky. Without a wife or children, I'd probably dive in, suck it up, and deal with the work of 2 people, but a wife & daughter, plus another one on the way, I'm really not willing to write them off until November when things slow down again. I've got some creative ideas...we'll see how they work out.

Oops, I forgot about my website!

Hey readers, sorry I've been gone for so long. Family & work have kept me busy this past month. I'm just about ready to hit the sack, then a thought crossed my mind...when's the last time I updated thedavewave?

What's new? Things here at camp are going alright. getting things in place for a very busy spring & summer...and fall...you get the picture. We're going to try some new and exciting things with staffing my activity areas this summer. I'll know by mid-June if it was a success.

This is cool - I'm seriously considering doing a 100k ride in June. It's for raising funds for diabetes research. I've wanted to do a ride of this length this year, plus it's kinda fitting as I've got family who've dealt with this disease. I've got to raise a minimum $150 in pledges - I can already take online payments via PayPal...hmm...I'll keep you posted, especially if you'd like to pledge something.

Ok, now I'm going to bed, but now I can sleep knowing I'm not leaving ya hangin' for an update! :-)

Zzzzzzzzz

Live from the conference

It's been a while since my last post. I'm live at the 2009 WEA/PRCA conference in Bloomington, Indiana. Lots of meetings and workshops - very cool stuff, but after 3 full days, I'm ready to go home.

Cool update regarding my previous gear review - the owner of the company wrote me & asked if they could use my review for possible website & catalog promotion.

Gear Review: Rail Riders Weather Pants

It's been a while since my last gear review, and I've had a chance to really put these through the ringer, so here it goes...

Ok, to be honest, I used to throw away their catalog (dumb mailing lists!) I mean, c'mon, the "toughest clothes on the planet?" Limited selection of products, kinda pricey, etc. Well, after trying some of their stuff over the past couple years, I'm a fan.

And now for the review. I bought my first pair of Weather Pants last fall. At $80 retail, I had to think of them not as your general, run of the mill pants, but as a piece of gear. As the temperature began to drop here in Wisconsin, I started layering underneath them, using them as a shell pant.

First of all, they're built like a tank, but surprisingly light weight & nice technical features. You can wear these year round. The nylon dries quickly if they get wet, plus the butt & knees are reinforced with a heavier nylon. As an added bonus, they look nice enough that you can teach a college lecture or two in them & not look like you're just in from the backcountry.

Buy 'em with confidence, and don't let the sticker price fool ya. They're a true workhorse, extremely versatile & worth every penny (plus, as of the day of this post, they're still on sale for $39.50 at www.railriders.com.)

About time!

I remember purchasing my first Palm handheld in 1996, back in the days when they were still US Robotics and made in the USA. Since then I've owned 6 models, ending with my Palm T/X. Though I've switched to WinMo smartphones (HTC Touch is my current phone), I've always had an affection for Palm, but with an operating system that's remained relatively unchanged for a number of years, and hardware design that's been left in the dust by competing products, the future of Palm looked pretty bleak. Combine that with company "promises" of something new that have been fraught with delays, I had pretty much given up hope...

Until now.

Palm unveiled the Palm Prē at this year's CES, a new smartphone that appears to be worth the wait. Full touchscreen, slideout keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and a user interface that some early reviewers are gushing over makes this a Palm to get excited about. Due out in early 2009, it'll be exclusively available through Sprint, but if the Palm Centro's term of exclusivity with Sprint of 90 days is an indicator of how long we'll have to wait, it may not be long before this device is available through other carriers.

As a long-time Palm fan, all I can say after viewing available video demonstrations and photos is "nice job!" It's been a long time coming.

Yuck!

Jen's been asking me the last couple days, "have you written it yet? Did you write the post yet?"

Ok, here's the story. The Friday after Christmas, Jen & I were staying at her mom's house & were taking advantage of a very willing babysitter to have a night out.

After sitting at the top of Grandad's Bluff, talking about the roller coaster this holiday season has been without my mom, Jen asked where I'd like to go for dinner. For those of you who know me, my comfort food is Chinese food. My mom & I would occasionally hit area buffets followed by leisurely browsing through the nearest book store. It was one of our "things." The food's not exactly Jen's first choice, but she was game, especially considering my emotional state, so off we went.

Our first warning signal should've been the fact that there were only six other people in the restaurant, at 7pm on a Friday night. Strike two was the limited, unremarkable selection of food in the buffet. Those sauteed green beans had obviously been sitting there for a while.

After finishing our first plates, we sat talking for a few minutes, very softly since no one else in the restaurant was talking. Seriously, Twilight Zone stuff! I was just about to get a small 2nd plate when one of the staff, mopping the floor by the food lines, loudly snorted & cleared his throat like he had a 50lb wad of phlegm in his mouth.

Uh, yeah. I was done. Strike three! Check please?

I had to try so hard not to laugh as we paid our bill & quickly made our way to the exit. Once clear of the door, I lost it. Fearing she'd been scarred for life, I offered with a smile, "for the foreseeable future, I will not ask you to eat at Chinese buffet."

The night wouldn't have been complete without a trip to the book store.