Attack of the Spiders

I killed approximately fifteen spiders this past weekend. Chalk it up to the seasons changing, I suppose, but it sure was getting annoying (and kinda creepy).

So we went out and got some Raid. And I sprayed every entrance to our apartment. I sprayed our vents. Now, we don’t have spiders.

Anyone else experiencing this?

P.S. It did give me an idea for a website though. Apparently “spiders” or variations of the keyword gets 56K searches per day. A lot of those searches are related to identifying which kind of spider is which, but I never found a really helpful web tool. What do you think?

Rich Baby.

At first I thought this calculator was just corny widgetbait, but I ended up really liking it. If you’re like me and don’t know your Net Worth off-hand, just type in the value of something you do know, such as your car, your current savings, your annual salary, or even your TV. If you really want a shocker, type in the money you spent on your education.

Definitely gives you an appreciation for how much we have.

April Gym Update

It’s been almost a month since my last gym update. The last month really went fast, and I’ve finally broken the 220 barrier. I weighed in at 219.5 yesterday.

We’ve had a lot of things to do during the weekdays this month, which has gotten in the way of our gym time. We’ve especially had to sacrifice cardio. I love lifting, and I sometimes work up a pretty good sweat doing it, but the last few pounds have shown me how crucial cardio is to reaching that target weight. Hopefully we’ll get some good running in over the next couple weeks.

P.S. My wonderful wife made me my favorite meal again last night. That coupled with the Bullfrog’s Chocolate Bock and some really quality time with my boys made for a much needed good night.

Beer Book: Saranac English Pale Ale

For our second offering to the Beer Book, we have a Saranac English Pale Ale.

I wouldn’t recommend this beer over some others I’ve had recently, but it’s definitely drinkable. It does have a fruity punch of flavor upfront and finishes crisp. It’s not as “Pale Ale”-ish as I expected; I’m a little let down. High on smoothness, low on bitterness.

Let’s hope the other Pale Ales in the batch kick it up a notch.

Dorky: Fractal Cookies!!

I really should not be so amused….BUT I AM!

Beer Book: Harpoon’s UFO Hefeweizen

Welcome to a new segment here at Kings Pray: the Beer Book. This was originally intended to be something Brian and I kept up on via mail, but since that hasn’t happened, hopefully this will make it happen to some extent. Hope you approve, Brian.

For the first tasting, I have a UnFiltered Offering (UFO) from Harpoon. I really liked this hefeweizen. It was wheaty but definitely not too wheaty, and it was only mildly bitter. It was refreshing. Obviously I need to work on my beer descriptions.

I recommend this beer to anyone that likes a lighter-colored beer. Don’t be afraid, if you don’t normally like a hefeweizen, because it’s not nearly as bitter.

Being Honest with Myself in Ministry

Here are some questions that you should ask yourself about your ministry, put up by LifeChurch. Honestly, #2 is a struggle, and #10 both by association (to #2) and on its own.

Funny how when life is good, you struggle with your Faith, with keeping it real and in the forefront. I don’t want an autopilot Faith, not with Jesus, so if you could, please pray that I’d be tested soon.

P.s. it took me a lot to actually write this, because….life is good right now.

Oldie but Goodie…well…

A quip about love.

And, if it wasn’t bad enough, further evidence that I’m a total dork.

End of an Era

This post comes via Brian:

Pure Tragedy.

Things You Own End Up Owning You

Prerequisite: name/google that movie.

Just a reminder that materialism, while sometimes a non-factor in my life, can also be an obsession. Honestly, I want the nice TV and sound system. I want nice furniture. I want movies and music. I love to buy these things…but part of the experience is the buying for me, the action of spending the money. Why? I actually have no idea. It’s a even little embarrassing to say, but it’s kind of a rush – ok, maybe not the right word, but you’re picking up what I’m putting down.

I don’t have a moral really here, but I hoped it reminded someone else to watch out for it, too. I know I need to snap out of it and re-prioritize sometimes.

And, because it’s so good, a bonus quote:

Home was a condo on the fifteenth floor of a filing cabinet for widows and young professionals. The walls were solid concrete. A foot of concrete is important when your next-door neighbor lets their hearing aid go and have to watch game-shows at full volume. Or when a volcanic blast of debris that used to be your furniture and personal effects blows out of your floor-to-ceiling windows and sails flaming into the night.

I suppose these things happen.