Destin, Florida 2009

We are having a blast and are too busy to be typing on a laptop all day. So I may not write another post for a few days. We rented a small cabana about 200 yards from the white sands of Destin. It rain most of the morning Sunday but cleared off for a beautiful day.
Here was our schedule Sunday (We will doing the exact the next five days) Crab Fishing, buying seafood, sitting on the beach, building sand castles, walking on the shores, cooking in the back yard, reading, sight seeing, and snorkeling.

We have found that or favorite activities at the beach include: digging giant holes in the sand, beach washers, wave riding, and watching people get sun burned.

New York Day Five

Special note: There is a main terminal at NY LaGuardia airport called "Terminal B." Within Terminal B there is a wing called "D."

If your taxi driver tries to drop you off at Terminal D (Delta's terminal) and you are flying American Airlines, don't believe him. It is a LONG walk/ride back to the correct terminal D.

Also, when you do take that long bus ride, get off at Terminal C because the driver does not stop at before mentioned terminal D.

I'm just saying!

New York Day Four

A fabulous day today. The weather was amazing, sunny, small breeze, and 80 degrees. After sleeping in a little, we decided to walk to Central Park with just a few shopping stops along the way.
The park was amazing and the amount of people using it was mind blowing too. I did not know how huge these piece of land was. Even with the tens of thousands of people there, there was plenty of room for everyone.
I did come to realize... I am not used to walking so much. The 8-10 miles I put on my body almost killed me late that evening. I was ready to see my bed at the end of the day.

New York Day Three

A fun day at training today. Went by very fast. They did not supply lunch today, so we walked to a street vendor and ordered hotdogs and water. $5.

It was sunny and 70 degrees, so we walked to Madison Square Garden and people watched for about an hour. There was a taxi line near us, so we saw thousands of people walk, stroll, run, and sit by us. Lots of stories, lots of faces.
The afternoon class was very hands on and we all passed our final exam with flying colors. So after a quick walk back to our hotel to drop off paperwork and bags, we headed to the subway and then to Brooklyn. There was a pizza place we wanted to try. A hole-in-the-wall but it has a line out the door. It was GREAT!
We decided to walk back to NY via the Brooklyn Bridge. It had an awesome view of the city and the weather was perfect.
After touring Ground Zero, we caught an outdoor film festival next to the harbor and then caught a subway home. I'm headed to bed!

New York Day Two

Great day today in the Big Apple. Our Convio training classroom is only about 2 blocks from our crib. Mike slept on the floor last night. We have 3 guys and two beds. So man rules require one of us sleep in the car or floor. It was surprisingly quiet last night. I never work up once.
Of course, as soon as we hit the front door, music, smells, noise, and the business hits you in the face. This city has a vibe and energy like no other place.
After a productive day learning about computer software, we headed back to Rockefeller Center to shop the NBC store. Then Mike met up with an old friend and Chris and I headed to ChinaTown via a taxi. We ate at a little hole-in-the wall place recommended by a guy we met. It was tiny and crowded... with a small line in the door.
We also hit Little Italy too. After a subway ride back to the hotel, we are now looking for a local establishment playing the Mavs game. It is on NBATV and not on our hotel cable.

New York Day One

Left Dallas this am with Mike and Chris and headed off to the Big Apple. We have been growing beards for a few weeks preparing for our big trip. We are here to study a new CMS for our organization's web software. The trip had been planned for months and was needed so we could wrap up a project we are in the middle of.



Landed and headed off to see the sights of the big city. Took about a 3 or 4 mile walk and saw a lot tonight. Madison Square Garden, Broadway, 34th street, Macy's, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Empire State Building, and lots of people. The sights and sounds of the city are "exactly" what I imagined. Lots of energy and lots to see. Truly an amazing place!


I am looking forward to the morning and our class. Should be fun to learn something new.

Nashville Day Four

Started off mighty early today. I took medicine and went to bed around 8pm last night. I have been wide awake since around 3am.

I gathered some stuff in the dark, dressed quietly, and headed out of the room around 3:30am. I've been in a nearby lobby for the past few hours watching a DVD on my laptop, watching the night crew clean the stairs and carpet, and thinking about NRB.
I really enjoyed NRB last year. This year, I haven't caught the spirit. I am not sure if is due to the fact that IFL has a good game plan for 2009 and I am not hearing anything that is challenging me to think further down the road. Or could it be that no one has a great idea what the future holds for Christian media?

I can't help from thinking about a few major points. Even though there is such thing as best practice and human nature, Christian giving comes from a different place than charts, graphs, data, and trends can document. And will the model built for Christian Radio/TV ministries morph to the Internet? Is the Internet just another leg on the stool or a whole new chair?

It is fun meeting people, hearing ideas, spotting trends, and learning the industry, but I am wanting to see clearly down the road. I guess I'm frustrated I can't do that right now.

So, I guess I will work on learning to walk with bisters on both heels and learning to talk with a sore throat. And just keep at the gameplan we have already established for the next year. Its sound.

Nashville Day Three

The morning started off great.. had a small breakfast buffett with Wayne and Bill at an artificial riverside cafe. Had theological discussions about the messages from the night before and philosophical discussions about ministries in general.

Bill and I attended a worship service. It was nice and had great music too.
I then headed to a cafe and asked for hot water and salt. I gargled for a few minutes to try and relieve this pain in the back of my throat. I'm not exactly sure but I am thinking a 10-12lb frog with sandpaper on its back, crawled into my throat last night and is break dancing in and around my sinuses. When I try to swallow, he puts his arms and legs against the walls of the opening and tries to block anything from passing, then kicks me a few times. I feel OK, but my throat is killing me.... did I say killing? Good, I meant it!

After the gargle, I went to a 2 hour lunch/meeting to discuss Convio, meet other ministries, and the Convio team. Great time, wish I felt better so I could interacted more and with a clear head.

I am now in bed for no other reason but to protect myself from talking to people... Did I mention I am in pain?

I wish I knew how to get medicine here. I need some sinus medicine BAD. Maybe a Z-pak! Are there bootleggers for this sort of thing?

Nashville Day Two

Woke up and worked out. I was out of breath before I even made it to the gym. This place is huge. I did get in a few miles at the treadmill and the stationary bike.

I then made a horrible discovery. 260 lbs will not fit into a 240 lbs black suit. I'm not sure if this suit will make it back into the closet in one piece. I feel like a teenager in a chicken suit holding a "Eat at Joe's" sign. I'm not naked but I feel out of place and know people are watching and shaking their heads in disbelief. :)
Today is the big day. www.insight.org won Best Ministry Website of the Year and we receive an award and have a photo op later today. More to come. (I have to go sign up for a Yoga class).

We received our NRB award. We had our picture taken with the president of NRB and we had a few famous people in the room with us.

After the photo op and a quick bite to eat, we headed to the General Opening session of NRB and sat on the third row. A great 2 hours. A Christian band, Salvador, played. Billy Graham's daughter, Anne, spoke, then Alistair Begg.



I am coming down with something. My throat is killing me. I also made a horrible mistake. I bought new shoes before I came and now have two giant blisters on my heels. I may "seriously" have to wear tennis shoes with my suits for the next 3 days. Otherwise, I will need to rent a wheel chair. I will see what kind of looks I can get from people when I mix suspenders with K-Swiss.

Nashville Day One

Back at NRB (National Religious Broadcasters) in Nashville Tennessee. We are at the Gaylord, right next to the Grand Ole Opry. This year was not as bad as "day one" last year. We didn't have to fight through delayed flights, icy weather, getting lost leaving the airport, and long lines at check-in.

It was smooth sailing from the time Bill picked me up in the driveway till tonight's viewing on our 30 anniversary DVD in our IFL suite.

Blue skies and 65 degree weather greeted us as we unloaded our bags and checked in. After unpacking, most of us went to the suite to help setup the furniture and electronics. Somehow I seem to always get the backseat in any vehicle I get in. I don't mind but as I get older and heavier, my body doesn't enjoy the positions I torque into.
Then an evening at a steakhouse capped off the night nicely. We enjoyed a nice evening of good food and told each other eccentricities about ourselves. I think I had the worst, but I am not surprised. The prime rib was one of the best I have ever eaten and I think I gained 4 lbs by just looking at the dessert. I need to thank Cynthia again.

The IFL Day One Crew

My Blog Spot

I am headed to bed and hope I wake up. I have a Canadian coming into the room after 10pm. Not sure what they do after dark. But I hope it doesn't involve watching hockey, calling moose, or singing their national anthem. Good night.