Eventually I’ll write some kind of script that redirects automatically. For now, click here to see Jeff Pruett’s new Blog.

Oh yeah, Kristen has a new Blog, too.

Thanks,
Jeff.

We’ve been busy keeping up with the little guy - he’s rolling over, trying to crawl, and laughing all the time. I continue to be amazed at how much he can communicate without words. It’s crazy how quickly his little mind picks things up.

Well, the fun nevers stops around here - so I’m off to bed in anticipation of an interrupted night. Hopefully, Isaac will prove me wrong.

Words are the most effective weapons of death in man’s arsenal. But they can also be powerful tools of life. They may be the only ones.

I did what I believed to be the ordinary things that an ordinary man would do. I said no to outrageous actions the way I thought that anybody would, and it still mystifies me that so many others could say yes.

— Paul Rusesabagina, Manager of the Hotel Mille Collines (Hotel Rwanda) and author of An Ordinary Man (c) 2006

An Ordinary Man : An Autobiography

Thursday’s win was a thrill to watch - but only the last few minutes. The game was torture! UCLA seemed to just stare at the zone - and was content to hoist 3-pointers all night while the steadily lost ground to the Gonzaga team. Then they turned it on with 3 1/2 minutes left and somehow snuck out a victory from 9 points down! It was awesome.

They play again today at 4. Guess where I’ll be.

Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you recognize a mistake when you make it again.
– F. P. Jones

Isaac with his Great-Grandpa Ron Welch

Isaac with his Great-Grandma Patti Welch

Good and Evil both increase at compound interest. That is why the little decisions you and I make every day are of such infinite importance. The smallest good act today is the capture of a strategic point from which, a few months later, you may be able to go on to victories you never dreamed of. An apparently trivial indulgence in lust or anger today is the loss of a ridge or railway line or bridgehead from which the enemy may launch an attack otherwise impossible.
— C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Go Steelers!

Isaac’s only word so far: “Ooooh…”

Isaac looks a little too curious next to that keyboard…

Enjoy!

Then one day something changes - a crack appears in the fascade of our decent personal image that we hold so dear.  We say something we didn’t mean to say, or explode with rage at the worst possible moment, or become insanely jealous over a small oversight.  We realize that we aren’t as great as we’d like to think - in fact, we’re worried that there are more cracks than we really know. 

Often we decide to patch the crack instead of removing the fascade.  We rationalized that our flaw is not as big as our college roommate’s, or our co-worker’s, or whoever else we can find who is worse off.  We tell ourselves that it was just a one time slip, not really representative of any character issues.  In fact, it was a minor slip at that.  We convince ourselves that we can manage the situation.  Then the crack comes back - often accompanied by tiny hairline cracks that are beginning to grow.

I was confronted with a crack in my fascade yesterday.  I won’t go into the details - I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about a small crack when I know it is only the beginning.  My Dad always said God gives us kids to grow US up.  Maybe that’s what is happening.  I like to think God sees me as a work in progress - and removing the fascade, not just patching it, is another step in the refinement of my character.  Hopefully I can remain honest about it - and resist the urge to cover it up.  It is tempting to try to appear better than I really am, but I know I need to let go of the fascade and rest in God’s refinement process.

I have a few pictures that need to be posted, and I’ll get to them soon. For now I’m just looking forward to life beginning to look a little bit more normal.

I’m looking forward to catching up with all my friends at work. I’m sure everything has progressed nicely since I was away - we’re probably still missing deadlines and scrambling to catch up, but that’s okay for now. I’ll miss seeing so much of my son, Isaac each day, but I’ll have to get used to that too. Unless I win the lottery (which would be amazing since I don’t buy tickets), I’m probably going to have to continue to work to pay the bills. At least I enjoy my work and those I work with

It takes time to create excellence. If it could be done quickly, more people would do it.
— John Wooden

The most fun has been to see him use his arms more and more. He’s able to stretch out his arms with more control when he yawns. He sometimes rubs his eyes when he’s waking up, and he’ll even pull his pacifier out and put it back in. I’m not sure the pacifier trick is on purpose yet, but he’s certainly changing fast.

Here are some pictures from the past few days:

Our good friends Shawn and Cindy came to see Isaac

Isaac has the joy of two grandmothers living in town who love him deeply

I know pre-teen midriffs are all the rage these days, but this is actually a shot of Isaac’s belly button just after the umbilical cord fell off.

Kristen is sleeping much better without nurses coming in to check on her constantly, and without the continual beeping of monitors and alarms. She is also healing well and continues to be able to do more each day.

Isaac had his first bath on Friday, and was visited by Grandma and Grandpa Pruett. Saturday promises more visitors, with neighbors and friends all wishing their best to our new little man.

Isaac has been sleeping well. I’ve been getting up a few times each night to change diapers, but overall he’s been very easy to care for. Right now he only seems to cry when he has a real need, and the few things he needs are easy to meet: the need to be changed, the need to eat, the need to burp, and the need to be warm.

Here are a few more pictures to capture the last few days:

Isaac lets out a huge yawn

Isaac sleeping peacefully

Isaac sleeping peacefully

Uncle Mark came to visit

Kristen and Isaac are excited to go home!

Isaac has a new outfit on for the trip home.

Isaac slept in the car seat the whole trip - even though it is a _little_ big for him

Isaac doesn’t know it yet, but he’s about to have his first bath at home

Isaac has his new cowboy outfit on. The shirt says, “My Boots, My Hat, My Horse.”

Kristen felt a lot better today - and continues to have more energy each day

The diapers kept filling - and I kept changing them

I call this pose “Magnum”

A kiss before lights-out

Grandma Sue with Baby Isaac

Grandma and Grandpa Van Corbach

Grandma and Grandpa Pruett

Aunt Kara

Aunt Bailey

Uncle Brian

Grandpa Ken

Grandpa Steve

Daddy’s little boy

I call this pose “Blue Steel”

I’ve been amazed at how naturally Kristen and I have adapted to our new roles as parents. I know I have tons to learn, but I’ve been surprised at how quickly my attitude and my actions have shifted. I’m now feeling incredibly protective of my new son, and notice myself taking opportunities to be his advocate without really thinking about it. It is so cool.

The night Isaac was born, I had an opportunity to hold him by myself for a moment - and was struck by a single thought: In my arms is a boy I barely know, and I already would do anything for him; God knows me - even designed me - and loves me with the same depth and generosity. How humbling to think that God doesn’t just love me because the Bible says so or because I’m a pretty good guy. He loves me because he sees me as his own child, his own creation.

I know I’ll learn much more from this experience in the days and years to come. I love the quote: “The years teach much which days will never know.” I’m excited to see the man I grow into - and see my little son grow up into a man in the process.

I don’t have too terrible of a bug this time, but it is enough to have me feeling tired and lethargic. I’m trying to stay hydrated and just rest. I watched The Transporter - which was actually pretty good. I hadn’t seen it before, but wanted to see it since the lead actor is supposed to be the next Bond. Jason Statham did a good job - and I think he’ll be a good Bond. Can’t get much worse than Brosnan. Shudder.

Since I’m sick, work will have to wait. I tried logging in remotely to get some work done, but it was just tough to be very engaged. I figured it would be more fair to my employer to just take the day off and come back energized on Monday once I kick this thing.

I’m off to curl up with HP6 and some home made cookies. Hopefully I’ll feel better real soon.

By the middle of the second half, we’d extended our lead to 46-37. At that point we promptly did our best to lose the game. I made several bonehead plays - fouled a guy shooting a three, took an ill-advised shot against a double team, and picked up my fourth foul. We only had five guys playing since our big man went down with a bad ankle - so getting into foul trouble with almost 10 minutes to play was a bad move.

The score tightened up to 48-47 us, with about 16 seconds remaining. Our point got fouled and missed the front end of a 1 and 1. Our opponents called timeout and drew up a play. With 15.5 seconds left they inbounded the ball to their big man. We were in a 2-3 zone with me at the left forward spot. I saw their best player trying to spot up in the corner so I slid out to cover him.

As their big man drove to the top of the key, my man started to cut to the basket behind my back. I saw the big man out of the corner of my eye and was able to tip his pass away just as my man would have had an open look at the basket. My man chased the ball down to the oppposit corner, but I stayed with him. He had to put up an off-balance, leaning 3-pointer with me and a teammate in his face. The ball bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded - a narrow victory for us - but redemption nonetheless.

It has been quite some time since I had the chance to just enjoy a sunny afternoon - and today is a gorgeous day. Ironically, I bought a new frisbee golf disc at lunch on a fluke. Guess I’ll have to give ‘er a toss and see how she flies. Couldn’t ask for a prettier day to take a long walk in the park.

How wrong I was.

We won the first game easily, I think by 20 points or so. The second game we played a weaker team - but somehow we just couldn’t play together as a team. We made bad passes. We stopped passing. We took bad shots. We didn’t stop shooting. We ended up losing by 22 to a team we should have blown out. I guess we lost our legs, I don’t know.

We’ll bounce back next week and hopefully resume our winning ways. I think we’re 7-2 on the season, so that’s pretty sweet.

1. Leaders are there to serve followers;
   the followers are not there to serve leaders.
2. Don’t treat unequals equally.
3. Building a foundation on moral sand doesn’t last.
4. Hold others accountable for results.
5. You can’t do it alone.

While I intellectually agree with this list, I realize I need to put them into practice more consistently.

I often look for ways to serve my leaders - instead of ways to serve those who are following me. I guess there’s a tension there that has to be balanced. I need to serve my superiors, but I know those who look to me for leadership need my help to do their job as well.

I’m afraid I have a hard time treating anyone equally - but I probably give non-performers too much ground before confronting them. I think it is necessary to treat all people with respect and dignity. However, treating performers and non-performers equally in respect to their results is a recipe for disaster.

I think the thrid principle is the easiest to overlook because I consider myself to be a man of character and integrity. While I may have high moral standards, I need to always be building a strong moral foundation in all aspects of my life. Do I always act with moral consistency? How quick am I to compromise my principles when it is to my immediate benefit?

The fourth principle is challenging as well. Do I hold others accountable for their results? In the current project I’m leading at work, I need to actually let the team know the expectations - so I can hold them accountable. Without the standard, how can they know if they measure up?

The final principle is so easy to violate. It is so easy to get a super-hero complex and think that a little more work on my behalf will make the difference. While at times this pays off, it is a quick step on the path to burn-out. I need to allow others to succeed and to thrive - if I rob them of the opportunity to grow by doing everything myself I am doing them a disservice as their leader.

“There are two things for Brother Harris this week,” Johnson told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “The bad thing is, he has to cover me. The good is, he can save 15 percent by switching his insurance to Geico.”

Hahaha! Wow. That’s creative trash talking at its finest.

We went to dinner at Fresco’s, a small cafe in the Five Points shopping center. It was one of Kristen and I’s favorite places to eat during our four years in SB, and it did not disappoint this time! Everyone had a great meal, and then we all had amazing desserts. I had a tiramisu that was unbelievable.

After dinner we drove to UCSB. The concert was in one of the campus’ bigger concert halls, Campbell Hall. We arrived a little early, so I was able to show everyone around the campus a little bit. It was amazing how much has changed already - I think there were at least three new buildings! But for the most part the campus is still very familiar and feels a bit like home.

Keb Mo was the main event, however, and once the concert started, we were all captivated by his performance. The concert hall seats maybe 600 people, though that could be generous, so it was a very intimate setting. Keb came out with his guitar and harmonica and played his unique style of contemporary blues. His joy for life and his great sense of humor just bubbled over the audience. He had everyone laughing several times during the night, and interacted with the crowd in a very real and personal way.

After the concert was over, I was amazed to see that a quick two hours had passed. Everyone in our group agreed that it was one of the best concerts we’d ever enjoyed. I’ll be certain to be on the look out for the next Keb Mo sighting - and believe me - it will take a lot to keep me from being there.

The basics of the game are simple. Start with a grid of size 9x9 with several numbers populated in each box. The object is to insert the numbers in the empty boxes to satisfy only one condition: each row, column and 3x3 box must contain the digits 1 through 9 exactly once.

The idea is simple. The execution can be a bit challenging. A new one comes out each day, of varying difficulty. Give it a try. I bet you get hooked.

A recent study of 3,200 U.S. companies conducted by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania revealed that a 10 percent increase in spending for workforce training and development leads to an 8.5 percent increase in productivity, while a similar increase in capital expenditures leads to an increase in productivity of just 3.8 percent.
- John Maxwell, Leadership Wired, Vol 8, Issue 18.

I’m grateful that I work for a company (Lockheed Martin) that seems to genuinely value training and investing in their employees. I’ve already had numerous opportunities to take course that expand my skillset or stretch me as a leader. I’m benefitting from the size of Lockheed, as well. Their training opportunities are much larger because they are such a large company.

1. Rapport - Do you have a healthy relationship with the person who requires correction? If there is no mutual respect, or rapport, how can you expect a positive outcome? First seek to build rapport.

2. Relate to the Problem - Don’t beat the person up over the issue. If possible, share a personal example of when you made a similar mistake. Relate the problems to something you experienced and indirectly reference their mistake for maximum results. Ask questions to clarify or to solve the issue instead of giving orders. Always remember the person isn’t under attack. Their behavior may be, but never the person.

3. Restore Confidence - Confronting our personal shortcomings is never fun - it hurts! We need to look for opportunities to help those we confront save face and keep their dignity in the face of correction. Look for opportunities to encourage and build up the person after a corrective action has been taken. Carnegie says, “Give the person a fine reputation to live up to.”

4. Reassure - Make sure you convey your confidence in the person that they are capable of making the change. In fact, assure them that you know it is an easy adjustment for them to make. Look for ways to encourage and harness the persons desire to improve to create incentive for them to change.

5. Remove - As a last resort, remove the person from the position or the company if they are unwilling to accept correction or direction. It may be that they are in the wrong seat on the bus - or it may be that they got on the wrong bus altogether. Give them the opportunity to use their strengths in an environment that can benefit greatly from them.

I watched Vlade play in his “prime” about six years ago. He walked up and down the court the whole game and never broke a sweat. I was disgusted by his lack of effort, and began counting the days until the Lakers dumped him.

Sadly that day did not come soon enough, but somehow they got the Sacramento Kings to take the oaf. Then he boomeranged back to the Lakers - and Shaq left. Ouch.

Maybe now the Lakers will finally wake up and realize they need to build around a genuine big man. They mad Shaq mad, so he’s out, but they’ve got to start looking at who’s up and coming once the Diesel retires. Until now, I’m just happy Vlade’s gone.

Bill Walton once called him the #2 center in the league. If that was true, I could easily crack the top ten. And on a good day I’m 5′7.”

In many ways the letter was actually good news. It was good to see a door close and an option be eliminated, at least for now. It was good to know that I won’t have to interview, or keep pursuing another position. It was good to know that I can focus completely on my current position and not be pulled in another direction. I know it was good news for my wife as well. I’m sure she would have had a much harder time had they decided to interview me. For now it is great to know that I have a good, stable job that is providing wonderfully for our family. I don’t know if I’ve ever been happier to receive a rejection letter!

I could see myself getting caught in the same trap, but I realize now that a paradox is at work. As hard as I try, I cannot control what others think of me. That’s the nature of our ability to think independently. Your opinion of me is just that: your opinion. I may call what others think, “my reputation,” but in the end, I’m really saying that a lot of people hold the same opinion of me. Does my reputation really mean anything more than that?

John Wooden talked about this very thing, saying that you cannot control your reputation. You can only control your character. The decisions I make that are character decisions, if they are consistent, will eventually shape the opinion others have of me. If I consistently choose poorly, and compromise my character, my reputation - and the opinion others hold, will likely suffer greatly. If I consistently choose wisely, my reputation may improve, but it may not. The opinion of others is very fickle.

Think about the difference between these two efforts: building my reputation or building my character. If I strive to build my reputation, what am I really doing but trying to win at the game of politics? If instead I endeavor to build my character, I’ll be a better person - stronger and more capable regardless of others’ opinions. And when a crisis hits - will it matter what others have thought of me all along? Not in the least. Character is revealed in crisis - but it is formed much earlier. A reputation has too little substance to withstand a crisis. But if a reputation is built on character, the reputation will stand because the person’s character supports it.

So I will work on building strong character traits and let my reputation be supported by it.

A leader’s greatest obligation is to make possible an environment… where people can aspire to change the world.
— Carly Fiorina

I had to ask myself, “Do I want to change the world?” Really? Deep down inside? I know I want to change to become a better, more grounded, more mature, more faithful person. But do I want to change the world? That seems to me a mighty undertaking.

As a leader in my church, I think this quote is a genuine challenge. Do I cultivate an environment where the people I lead are inspired, encouraged, and equipped to change the world? I think that I do, but I can be more clear when I express the vision of challenging others to grow to maturity in their faith and to become equipped to serve in ministries of their own.

My dream is honestly to see Christians grow to maturity in their faith and become effective stewards of the message God has passed on to us. It isn’t a business dream - though many Christians are in business, so businesses would be affected. It isn’t a dream that is measured in dollars and cents, but it is still tangible. It is a dream that is critical to the future of our world.

It may seem to some that the business world and the religious world should be kept completely separate. Some might call this separation of church and state - though I would say the original intent was not that church and state be separate, but that the state should never prohibit the free exercise of any religion. I believe that as I grow in maturity in my faith, there are side benefits that the other areas of my life reap, including the business world. Why wouldn’t the business world want to see these benefits?

As I grow in my faith, my character deepens. My leadership in business will always be limited by my depth of character. Look at Enron to see that character matters.

As I grow in my faith, my ability to communicate difficult concepts clearly improves - a skill desparately needed in the business world. Communication is critical in business. I have worked with brilliant co-workers who could not communicate their ideas or strategies in a coherent, non-technical manner - and some who could not communicate without being condescending.

As I grow in my faith, my ability to understand different view points, to stand by my convictions in the face of opposition, and to walk in confident humility will all be strengthened. Each of these are necessary in the business world.

This is the vision I want to pass on to those I lead: we can change the world, both secular and non-secular, by challenging the Christian church to grow to maturity in their faith, which is accomplished by equipping them to be effective servants in ministry.

More of Carly Fiorina’s speeches can be found here.

Baby Pruett at Twenty-Four Weeks

We also had another ultrasound at thirty weeks - which further confirmed that we’ll have a son very soon!

The difference between a madman and a professional is that a pro does as well as he can within what he has set out to do and a madman does exceptionally well at what he can’t help doing.
–Charles Bukowski

Great discoveries and improvements invariably involve the cooperation of many minds. I may be given credit for having blazed the trail but when I look at the subsequent developments I feel the credit is due to others rather than to myself.
— Alexander Graham Bell

The articles are brief, which means they don’t try to cram a five paragraph essay into a ten-page paper. I’m still sorting through all the articles I printed for later reading. I’m sure I’ll comment on a few of them as I go.

Here’s a teaser, one article is titled: “Morons, Misfits, and Moochers: The Triple Threat to Your Organization.” Now doesn’t that sound like an interesting read?

There is a sample article on the site that outlines three paradoxes these “Second Chair Leaders” face:

1. Subordinate-Leader: How do you follow and lead at the same time?

2. Deep-Wide: How do you develop deep expertise in the scope of your project, but maintain a wide “big-picture” view of the organizational goals?

3. Contentment-Dreaming: How do you simultaneously live in contentment with the current direction of the organization and contribute new ideas and dreams to stimulate future growth?

I’m wrestling with these ideas myself and grateful for someone who has articulated these challenges so well. The article on the site is great, but I’m looking at ordering the book once I complete a few on my night stand…

The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry.
— Ernest Hemmingway, Farewell to Arms

I don’t usually leave as early as I did today - it was just a few minutes before six when I left for work - but as I stepped out of my front door and began walking toward my truck, I was surprised to see three large deer staring at me. They were on a small patch of grass about 20 feet by 20 feet just outside our home between me and where I parked my truck. I imagine they were eating the grass and were more startled than I was, but I jingled my keys to let them know I was coming their way. They took a couple of steps backward and kept watching me. Then I began walking toward them, and toward my truck. They backed away and up the slope behind our parking lot where they watched me drive away.

I think what surprised me most was how close they let me get before they ran off. I think if I hadn’t made noise they’d have stayed even longer - I wonder if they are too tame or if they were just that hungry?

“Hello?” Pause.

“Hello?” Great, a telemarketer, I thought. What telemarketer calls after 9:30 p.m. on a week night?

And then a machine came on. “This is a collect call from …” The guy said his name. “at the Santa Barbara County Jail.”

I almost fell down laughing. I hung up, and made a mental note. Memorize Mom’s phone number in case you have only one phone call some day. I’d hate to blow my one call on a wrong number. Wow.

The biggest joy for me is having a common interest with so many different friends. In fact, I only know some of the people in the leagues I’m in through the Fantasy league. Each year I get to know one or two of the other team managers a little better, which is always fun. And of course there’s Matt and Don - two of my best friends from college - they sucked me into this great game, and they keep me coming back for more.

Here’s to a great season!

Oh yeah. Matt and Don, if you’re reading this, I just bought ‘06. I’m practicing up so we’ll have to set up a tournament sooner or later!

The match was intense, like the Agassi match before it. Every point was hard fought, and the momentum swung wildly from side to side. It was a real treat to watch such talented athletes play a sport I love. My tennis league starts this Saturday — guess I’ve got some big shoes to live up to now! Ha!

Our company seems to give new hires plenty of time to get aclimated to the new environment - to learn the local jargon, to discover resources, and to begin to network with others in the company. Now that I sit on the other side of this orientation phase, I can see that the time I spent feeling under-utilized may have been to my advantage.

During that orientation phase, I developed several key sets of knowledge that I can see will be crucial for me to be successful in the future. I now have a solid set of peers that I know well enough to understand their strengths and weaknesses on different projects. I have a good understanding of the general process we use to develop and deliver our products, and know who to ask when I need clarification. I also know the team well enough to know where the holes in our overall knowledge lie, and can pursue training or education that can position me to fill those voids. Finally, I have begun to pick up much of the company’s “lingo” that sneaks into most conversations. Instead of being dazed when acronyms are flying at me faster than I can comprehend, I’m able to track the conversation because I know most of the acronyms now.

My workload has steadily increased, to the point that I now feel I have the right amount of work - not so much that I can’t do anything well, and not too little that I am looking for more to do. I hope to keep this optimal balance, though I know it is the nature of the workplace to push as far as you let it. I’ll have to work hard to not allow the seasons of busy-ness to become the norm. Work is important, but it is just that: work. In my hiearchy of priorities, it cannot be allowed to overtake my family or my faith. That’s what the battle for balance is really about.

1. Incident
2. Action
3. Benefit

The Incident is what happened - what’s the basic story that illustrates the point. The Action is the advice or point you want to share. Finally the Benefit describes what will be to the hearers advantage if they elect to take your advice or accept your point. We were told to share the Action we want to the audience to take in the format of, “My advice to you is …” We’d then share the Benefit in the format, “When you do …”

I shared the story below and had some very interesting feedback:

I was about seven or eight years old, living in a hut in a remote jungle of the Philippines with my parents who were missionaries. One day I asked my Dad to show me how we got the chicken meat that we often enjoyed at dinner. That afternoon we went outside to the area where we kept the chickens. My Dad caught one of the chickens and quickly wrung its neck. I helped hold the chicken on the chopping block and my Dad “surgically removed” the head with a machete.

Well, immediately the body sprung out of my hands and started flailing all around, running and bumping into things until it finally collapsed. My Dad picked up the dead body, had my Mom clean it, and said, “That’s where chicken comes from.”

My advice to you is be curious and ask questions. When you do you might get a good show.
— Jeff Pruett

After the evening was over, I caught up with some co-workers and one of them was obviously upset. Apparently my talk had seemed too insensitive to her as she cares deeply for animals. I tried to reassure her that the chicken felt nothing after it had it’s neck wrung. The rest of the action was just reflexes. It didn’t help. I hadn’t meant to offend, but realized that I wouldn’t be able to patch things up either. In the end, we went our separate ways, and hopefully she was able to accept my apology and move beyond the evening. We’ll see next week!

From The Pragmatic Programmer

You can accomplish anything you want in life provided you don’t mind who gets the credit.
— Harry S. Truman

We had some great players on our team, and it was fun to be part of a team playing at such a high level. Our opponents played great, and actually took the first game from us (the match was best of 3). We fought back and ended up winning the next two to take home the trophy and a commemorative t-shirt. I’ve only won a handful of championships - whether recreation, high-school sports, or whatever - but this was a sweet one.

Actually, come to think of it, our city league tennis team also won the title this summer! How cool is that? Apparently some of the teams in the tennis league are recruiting talent for the next season (starts after Labor Day). I’m going to have to spend some time the next couple of weekends with a hopper full of balls and serve til my arm falls off.

Like John Wooden says, “Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.” I need to prepare by practicing my serve. Then I’ll be on my game for the new season, no matter who my opponent is.

The will to win is worthless if you do not have the will to prepare.
— Thane Yost

1. Active Listening: As leaders, our behavior is a model for the rest of the group. Developing good listening skills is critical to keeping an active dialogue alive in the group. I find that when I lose eye contact with the speaker, or start shuffling through my notes to find the next question the group tends to drift off topic, or even lose momentum. I have to be careful to listen well to each member of the group so that the others in the group follow my lead.
   

2. Show Genuine Interest: I notice that as I take the time to develop relationships with members of the groups I lead they become more willing to share in the group setting. Developing a genuine interest in them and investing in our friendship encourages them to participate even more.
   

3. Give Sincere Appreciation: I am not always good at this, but I have seen more experienced leaders give honest, sincere appreciation in subtle ways to each person that contributes in their small group and have great success. I try to look for ways to affirm the members in my group as they participate. Something as simple as, “Thank you for sharing that Todd. I think we can all learn something from that insight,” may be enough to show my appreciation and encourage future involvement in the group.
   

I did a quick search on the surname Pruett, naturally, and found I have the 2,243rd most common last name in the U.S. Not terribly impressive, but the name Pruitt is number 619, which explains why so many people try to spell my name with an ‘i’ instead of an ‘e’.

The name Jeff is ranked number 120 for males, which made me feel slightly better about my poor showing in the last name category.

If you’d like to visit the U.S. Census site and check it out for your name, click here.

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
— Henry David Thoreau, Walden

One of my favorite quotes of all time. Thoreau nailed it when he wrote this one.

RELAXATION AND RECREATIONS
The most relaxing recreating forces are a healthy religion, sleep, music, and laughter*.
Have faith in God — learn to sleep well — love good music — see the funny side of life — and health and happiness will be yours.
— Author unknown

* They forgot “play basketball weekly” in the prescription. Otherwise I have to say this is spot on.

Well it wasn’t long and I could tell he was more than a bit cocky. He kept saying, “Brick!” every time I shot a basket - trying to make me miss. If you don’t know me, there’s nothing that grates on me more than an ego with nothing to back it up. (Probably because I have an ego and can’t back it up, but that’s a topic for another day!)

The kid was starting to irritate me, so I asked him if he thought he could make 10 shots in a row from right in front of the basket. Of course he was sure he could do it. So I asked him, “If you miss, will you do 10 push-ups? I’ll do them if I miss.”

“Oh yeah. I do push-ups for football all the time.”

He missed the first shot.

I said, “Alright, you get one miss,” and handed him the ball to try again. He made two in a row, then missed again. To my surprise, he dropped and started doing his push-ups. I had expected him to try to negotiate his way out of them, but he pumped out 10 push-ups.

I took the ball and promptly sank my 10 shots. We continued the drill from a couple of other spots until I could tell he couldn’t do any more push-ups. I had to do a couple of push-ups at one point as I missed from a corner spot, and I think that probably made him feel better.

In the end, I could see that even though the kid was a bit cocky, he at least wasn’t afraid of a challenge, or unwilling to work hard. That impressed me, and left me a little less irked by his original attitude. I’m not sure I’d have the guts to go up to a college kid when I was 12 and ask, “Can I shoot hoops with you?”

Consider carefully before you say a hard word to a man, but never let a chance to say a good one go by. Praise judiciously bestowed is money invested.
— George Horace Lorimer

I have yet to find a man, whatever his situation in life, who did not do better work and put forth greater effort under a spirit of approval than he ever would do under a spirit of criticism.
— Charles M. Schwab

I ended up getting some good reading done, and was grateful for the extra time today. Tomorrow will genuinely be a basketball morning, so I’ll repeat the drill but actually put on my shoes and head for the YMCA at 5:30. Amazing what a year out of college does to you - just last year I was up until 6 a.m. to wrap up a project. Now I’m getting up at dawn to read or play basketball!

Do the things that matter most to you. If you don’t love it, it’s not worth it.
— Don Rosensweig, COO, Yahoo.com

At one point we paired up and shared a bit about ourselves. The guy I was sharing with kind of looked at me funny when I said I enjoyed basketball as a hobby. He said, “But white guys can’t jump, right?” To which I quickly responded, “Yeah, but I play big.” We had a good laugh over it. And if you know me, you know how I have a tendency to think I’m bigger on the court than I really am - so there’s some truth in that.

At the end we went around the room and each person had to share their name and a memorable picture with which to associate that name. After each person had shared their names and pictures, we numbered off and had to write down the name that went with each number. About four people got all of the names (36 people, first and last), and though I didn’t get the spelling right on a few names, I was in that four. Hopefully I can build on that and keep remembering names well as the weeks go on.

All in all I enjoyed the session, and I’m able to be more intentional now as I remember names.

I think it will be a great course, and as with all things, I know have room to improve. I’ll keep you posted as the course goes along. Who knows maybe I’ll pass on few gems of wisdom I learn from the course.

The Quick and Easy Way to Effective Speaking

We could make out a ton of distinct details (I’ll post the video once I get it converted), but had a bit of trouble verifying that we’re having a boy. The angle of the baby wasn’t “optimal” for viewing. Poor guy was probably freaked out at us staring at him while he’s stark naked.

The last video was pretty obvious, but I’d like to see how things turn out once I digitize and edit this third one. Our doctor said he’ll do another ultrasound around 30-32 weeks (We’re at 24/25 right now), so we can be sure. Hopefully we’ll get a little more cooporation from the kid this time =)

My favorite of the night:

I see I came to the MidState Fair in Paso Robles on Redneck Night. We’re gonna play three redneck songs in a row for ya.
–Toby Keith

Only a star can insult the crowd and get them to cheer for it! Ha!

Anyway we had a great time, and I’d definitely see Toby play again.

Effective leaders delegate a good many things; they have to or they drown in trivia. But they do not delegate the one thing that only they can do with excellence, the one thing that will make a difference, the one thing that will set standards, the one thing they want to be remembered for. They do it.
— Peter F. Drucker, “Your Leadership Is Unique,” Christianity Today.com

Drucker is a guy I’d like to read more on, both biographical and what he’s written in the areas of management and leadership. I know his life and writings have carried significant impact in the way corporate America views management and leadership practices.

The quote made me consider: What is the one thing I do best?

Not what is the one thing I do best in all arenas, but in a given arena, what is the one thing I do best? In the corporate world? In ministry? In my family?

Am I pouring my energy into what I do best in each arena? Or am I living under the tyranny of the urgent? Today feels like I’m a slave to whatever is most urgent, but I think recognizing my need to prioritize and focus my energy is a step in the right direction.

The ceremony was beautiful, and I think everyone had a wonderful time. The day was gorgeous, and Brian and Bailey seemed thrilled all day long.

I’ve finally pulled some pictures together from the day. Enjoy!

Bailey and Brian at the altar

Bailey and Brian at the altar

Mr. and Mrs. Brian Pruett

Bailey and Kevin (Father of the Bride) share their special dance

Bailey, Brian, Kristen, and I

Brian and Bailey, the Happy Couple

Bubbles!

Brian and Bailey Drive off into the Sunset

Time Management is an area I’ve had to really watch the past several weeks. I’ve always wrestled with using my time wisely, but I realize as my life begins to fill with new commitments and activities I have to revisit this discipline more frequently and make sure I stay on track.

The five principles presented in Dr. Wetmore’s article are five mistakes people make when managing their time. I’ve made each of them many times, but they are also very easy to avoid. It just takes a little discipline and commitment to change.

Top Five Time Management Mistakes

1. Start the day without a plan of action
2. Get out of balance in your life
3. Work with a messy desk area
4. Don’t get enough sleep
5. Don’t take a lunch break

So before I continue the day, I’m going to map out a plan of action, look at ways I can be a little more balanced in life, and clean up my desk. But not until after lunch!

As Enron was collapsing in the fall of 2001, the Boston Globe published an article by a Harvard classmate of Enron CEO Jeff Skilling. The author described how Skilling would argue in class that the role of the business leader was to take advantage of loopholes in regulations and push beyond the laws wherever he could to make money. As Skilling saw the world, it was the job of the regulators to try and catch him. Sound familiar? Twenty-five years later, Skilling’s philosophy caught up with him, as he led his company into bankruptcy.
–from Authentic Leadership by Bill George

As I read this story about Mr. Skilling, I was struck by how common this attitude can be. I’ve seen first hand the trap that success can bring: first you exploit the grey areas to bring continued success; then you expand the grey areas; finally you decide very few issues can be truly “black and white.”

I’ve also been fortunate to have several role models in my life who have consistently modeled excellence in this area. They seem to make every issue black and white - which makes the decisions easy, but the follow-through may not be painless.

When I check my own attitude when dealing with regulations, taxes, and laws in general, I like to ask questions like the following:

• Do I knowingly choose convenience over compliance if I won’t get caught?
• Do I purposely remain ignorant about the law so that I can claim ignorance if I violate it?
• Do I live my life in pursuit of living up to the spirit of the law or do I look for gaps in the letter of the law?

I think if I’m honest, I have fallen short on each of these questions at some point in my life. That said, I know that today I’m more cognizant of my attitude in these matters than I was several years ago. I can see significant growth in this area, but I do not want to loose my edge. As with so many aspects of Leadership, I need to always evaluate the example I set by the life I live and compare it to the values I claim to embrace.

I was able to contribute a couple of ideas last week that seem to have helped on some projects. Hopefully this week will be even more successful. I look forward to becoming a key part of our team.

Dwayne Wade blocks Ben Wallace’s shot

The problem isn’t the health system, though - at least it isn’t the only problem. A large part of why premiums have gone up is because of legitimate and not-so-legitimate lawsuits. Insurance companies have to raise rates so that they have enough cash on hand to pay out when someone dumps hot coffee in their lap and sues McDonald’s for not telling her it was “hot.”

Or my favorite is kids suing a company because the cigarettes they sell killed their parents. I’m pretty sure if you have half a brain these days you can figure out that cigarettes cause cancer - smokers accept the risk and believe that they can beat the odds. When they lose that gamble, their kids get rich? Why does the company, who warned the consumer of the risks, take a beating?

Now don’t get me wrong, there are legitimate lawsuits, and I wouldn’t want to lose our ability to sue to right a wrong, but there needs to be some kind of limits placed - perhaps on the punitive damages? I don’t know the solution, but I do know we’ve got a problem.

One solution that’s doomed to fail, however, is global healthcare. Look at Canada and Switzerland. Sure they have their healthcare provided as part of the taxes they pay to their governments, but the quality of care is not even close to what we’d consider “acceptable” much less excellent. And the Swiss are paying something like 50% of their income in taxes to support this?

As flawed as our system is, I think I’ll keep it. Hopefully we can get some limits on lawyers bringing frivolous cases to court - maybe they should pay the bills for the court and court staff if they lose? That would make thing interesting…

Here’s to new beginnings!

There is a recording of the message, and there’s even a handout that goes with it to make it seem more “official.”

I was brave enough to listen to it yesterday. I was shocked to hear that my voice is way higher than I thought… And I sounded much more calm than I felt. I felt like I was quivering almost the entire time - I was fidgetting with my tie, putting my hands in my pockets, and frozen at the pulpit — I couldn’t move at all. But somehow I guess I kept my nervousness to myself.

I had to learn a lot about the topic I spoke on (Discovering and Using Your Spiritual Gifts), so the deadline of giving a sermon really forced me to study and understand the subject well. All it all I think it was a great experience, but I realize how hard it must be to do week in and week out.

Now I don’t make copies of CD’s and sell them on the black market, and I rarely copy a CD and give it away. But I do make a habit of copying just about every CD I buy to put in my CD-wallet in my truck. Why? Because invariably, the CD’s in my CD-wallet get beat up as they slide in and out of the slots. I’d hate to ruin an original CD, so I only put copies in my truck.

Additionally, my car insurance company only covers $200 worth of CD’s if my truck is ever broken into. Well, at any given time I’ve got an easy 100 CD’s in my truck at $14 bucks each - it makes sense that I keep the originals at home so they don’t get stolen. Generally, my originals sit in my Media Display rack untouched until the copy in my truck gets scratched. Then I toss the scratched version, pull my shiny original off of the rack, and make a new “play” disc that I can use in the truck.

Okay, so I take my fresh “copy” of a DMB CD to the truck, and drop it in my stereo on the way to an errand. The result? A completely heinous mix of pops, distortions, and a little DMB recognizable in the middle. So somehow this MediaMax thing was preventing me from making a “play” disc, even for what I consider very valid reasons.

Well, today I stumbled on the truth behind MediaMax. It turns out they installed some software on my computer even though I cancelled the install! I was furious. I protect this PC from spyware and everything else because I’m a fanatic for security. And what happens? I cancel an install and stuff still gets installed? Ridiculous!

Apparently there’s a fix for this, and I immediately gave it a try:

Click Start, Run, and type: command
Now type in the following:
net stop sbcphid
del %systemroot%\system32\drivers\sbcphid.sys

Basically, a driver is installed to use the CD - behind your back! I certainly hope the next version of Windows catches this and makes sure that you want the driver installed.

Well, it seems the fix has worked, I’m listening contently to my “play” disc of DMB’s Stand Up, and it’s a pretty good album, really. Now I can put my original back on the shelf, and not be worried if I scratch the “play” disc in my truck.

If you want the full details, they can be found here: Analysis of the MediaMax CD3 Copy-Prevention System

If you were to destroy in mankind the belief in immortality, not only love but every living force maintaining the life of the world would at once be dried up. Moreover, nothing then would be immoral, everything would be permissible, even cannibalism.
–Dostoyevsky, Brothers Karamazov, Pt 1, Bk i, Ch 6

Kristen and I were high school sweethearts, so it was nice for us to both know a lot of people at the two gatherings. I can only imagine how the spouses of other classmates felt - not knowing anyone, and being stuck with playing wingman for the evening.

It is amazing to me the pressure that is unspoken to arrive at a reunion with an incredible success story to tell. I noticed in the weeks leading up to this weekend I would think through the highlights of the past ten years and consciously evaluated which to share and which to leave out. I battled with building myself up too much, yet being fair to all that God has brought me through.

I know I am not alone in sensing this pressure - three guys who were good friends in high school arrived with fictitious stories of their pasts. One claimed to be a corn farmer in Illinois, each time he told the story his “past” got more and more outrageous. We had a good laugh over it, but I think the real tragedy is that so many are truly stuck in their past. It was amazing to see how many people had not changed in the ten years that have gone by. So many seemed stuck in the track they had chosen (or maybe drifted into) while in high school.

The true highlight for me was re-connecting with two guys who had been acquaintances, and always were nice to hang around with. One is recently married, but more remarkable, is now involved in a local church and obviously changing as he grows more in his relationship with God. The other has had some ups and downs with church - which while unfortunate is inevitable as long as people are in the building - but really seems to have a heart for God and to serve him as best he can. I would not have said either of these guys were Christians when we were in high school. Perhaps they were as I was in junior high, they believed but their lives didn’t show it.

All in all I’m glad we went to the reunion. I wished I could have seen more of my friends and that there had been a bit better turnout. Hopefully at the twenty year reunion there will be even more highlights!

Yeah. Those are fun people.

Happy Birthday Brian!

Also, any idea what Creole Seafood Seasoning is? Can I buy that at Albertson’s?

The one that sounds the best so far is this one (If you know the actual recipe for the dish they serve at Bubba Gump’s, please let me know!):

New Orleans Style Barbecue Shrimp
24 each 36-42 count Gulf shrimp
2 tablespoons Creole Seafood Seasoning
3 tablespoons olive oil
15 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary (1 1/2 teaspoons dried)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons hot sauce
3 lemons, juiced
½ cup beer (an amber like Abita preferred) (I use dry white wine)
Kosher Salt to taste (watch the salt, it can become very salty!!)
1 stick butter, room temperature (NO MARGARINE!!!)

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Season shrimp with 1/2 of Creole seafood seasoning and lightly toss. Place garlic and rosemary in pan and stir to brown the garlic. Be careful not to burn. Add shrimp and carefully stir. Add Worcestershire, hot sauce, and lemon juice. Deglaze with beer and reduce, while shaking the pan. Allow the shrimp to cook (timing will depend on size) and add remaining seafood seasoning and salt and pepper to taste. When shrimp are finished cooking, the liquid will have a sauce consistency. Reduce heat to low and add butter. Sauté until butter is emulsified and sauce is thick. Adjust seasoning.

The author encourages readers to imagine what a church would look like if it was taught be people God supernaturally gifted to teach, lead by people God gifted to be leaders, comforted by people God gifted with mercy, and reaching out to the world through people God gifted to share His message authentically and effectively. In other words, if the church actually lived up to its hype, who could resist that kind of love, that kind of mercy, that kind of larger purpose?

I want to be a part of a church that lives up to its hype; a church that actually models the love, compassion, mercy, and grace it so often preaches; a church that accepts people like Jesus accepts them. I think I’ve found a church that is on that track, but I think we can still do better… Hopefully this new series will spur us further toward living out the model Jesus gave us.

It gets more and more real with each passing day. It is still pretty amazing to think there’s another little human in my wife’s belly. Yesterday was Father’s Day, and people told me “Happy Father’s Day,” for the first time. Crazy!

Every man should periodically be compelled to listen to opinions which are infuriating to him. To hear nothing but what is pleasing to one is to make a pillow of the mind.
- St. John Ervine

Hurry means that we gather impressions but have no experiences, that we collect acquaintances but make no friends, that we attend meetings but experience no encounter. We must recover eternity if we are to find time, and eternity is what Jesus came to restore. For without it, there can be no charity.
— D.T. Niles, Warrack Lectures, 1958

Jeff and Kristen at Bubba Gump Shrimp Restaurant

If you haven’t heard of Alcatraz, it is an island just a little over a mile from land in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. It was a military camp at one time, and later used as a prison for high risk prisoners such as Al Capone. The creepy part is that you can see the island very clearly from the various wharfs and piers that jut out into the bay.

Alcatraz Island as Seen From Pier 41

The only way to tour the island is to take a tour boat (tickets were maybe $15 per person). Once on the island, there are guided tours, and a self-guided tour with a walkman that explains the various parts of the island in the words of guards and former inmates. We took the self-guided audio tour, and spent about two hours on the island.

Travelling to Alcatraz Island by Boat

As the boat pulled up to the island, a few things become evident. First, the sign forbidding aiding criminals from escaping.

Don’t Help Prisoners Escape!

Second, the fortress like quality of the buildings. The first picture is a view of the island as we drew closer — the building on the left is the actual prison. The second picture is a building that was primarily used as a military defense building and included bays for cannons that defended the bay from enemies. Later this building was used as living quarters for the staff and guards that managed the island.

Drawing Close to Alcatraz Island

Military Fortress on Alcatraz Island

Third, we noticed how “near” the city appeared - and thought how hard it must have been to know that the free world was moving on without you if you were a prisoner on this island. In the audio tour, a few of the prisoners remarked that they could hear the parties from time to time, and especially heard the revelry on New Year’s Eve.

View of the City of San Francisco from Alcatraz Island

Once inside the actual Alcatraz Federal Prison, I was amazed at how small the cells were, and how much time the prisoners had to spend in their cells. If a prisoner was on good behavior, they would spend 18 hours of each day in their cells. If they weren’t on their best behavior, they’d spend 23 hours in their cells. The really difficult prisoners would spend 24 hours a day in solitary confinement.

A Typical Prison Cell at Alcatraz Island

A Solitary Confinement Cell at Alcatraz Island

The solitary confinement cells were the same size as the standard prison cells, but had an extra door that would block all light into the cell. I stood inside one of the cells, and was amazed at how dark it really was. If I had been forced to spend a few days like that, I’m quite sure I’d never act up again! But I guess that’s the point, isn’t it?

Overall, the visit to Alcatraz Island was very interesting. I’d highly recommend you take the time to visit the island when you are next in the San Francisco area.

Passage to the Prison Basement

Passage to the Prison Basement

Cell Block as Seen From the Recreation Yard

Golden Gate Bridge and Recreation Yard

Leaving Alcatraz Island

In other news, I’m hoping to start my new job on June 27th. I had initially hoped to start sooner, but it appears the company I’ll be joining has a few hoops they need to jump through before they can bring me aboard. Oh well. It’s out of my hands at this point.

Cheesiest thing anyone said to me: “What was Forrest’s last name?” (@ Bubba Gump’s Restaurant as the waitress quizzed us on our Forrest Gump trivia knowledge)

The only thing I can figure is that the owner of this router didn’t realize that he had Internet problems. Or if he did, he had no idea that they could be related to the router. My best guess is that the router froze and the power outage forced it to reboot and cleared everything up.

Now I just need to get a PG&E outfit so I can “reboot” the condo’s around me when this happens again.

On the otherhand, a week without Internet access proved almost unbearable. So I’m in the process of ordering DSL so that I’ll have someone to yell at the next time things go haywire.

As far as I can figure, the neighbor that was so graciously sharing their Internet with me wirelessly has moved on. Their signal is nowhere to be found. I’m in the process of ordering DSL, but I imagine it will be a couple of weeks at least before I’ll be online regularly again. Sigh.

If only they could ’stay classy’ they might have redeemed the film.

1. Does the candidate have a good value system?
2. Is the candidate a lifelong learner?
3. Does the candidate have good work habits?
4. Does the candidate have a positive attitude?

While these seem intuitive, in an interview it can be a challenge to discern the answers to these questions. However I think they are an excellent start to evaluating a potential hire.

Another metric I’ve seen advocated that addresses many of the same issues is the Three C’s approach: Character, Competence, and Chemistry. Character speaks to a good value system, and good work habits. Competence can only be maintained if the candidate is willing to learn over a lifetime and with good work habits. Chemistry will erode without a positive attitude.

I think there is value in both metrics, and these four questions give some good practical direction to evaluating the Three C’s of a candidate.

*Used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell’s free e-newsletter ‘Leadership Wired’ available at www.maximumimpact.com

1. Give careful consideration to all the facts and options.
2. Pay attention to your heart, intuition and gut feeling.
3. Once you make a decision, don’t second guess yourself.
4. Act with the knowledge that you’ll probably make more good choices than bad ones in a lifetime.
5. Anticipate success, but don’t be afraid to fail.

Each of these was a great reminder for me. I’d add that I believe there is a spiritual component to step 2 — that is “Seek God’s Direction.” While I believe God doesn’t always give specific direction in every circumstance, when He does I want to be in line with the direction He’s heading.

One other think Biggs said in the interview I find worth repeating was “Don’t let the past completely paralyze you.” It’s all to easy to think that since we failed at something long ago we’ll never succeed at it. I’m not sure why this is, but I know it does seem to show up in my life from time to time.

*Used by permission from Dr. John C. Maxwell’s free e-newsletter ‘Leadership Wired’ available at www.maximumimpact.com

1. Found in the Footnotes
2. Marketing at Microsoft
3. Decent Marketing

I haven’t looked at them yet, but I didn’t want to lose track of them before I had a chance to check them out. If you happen to see them before I do, let me know what you think!

The smart ones ask when they don’t know. And sometimes, when they do.
— Malcolm Forbes

Are you gaining or losing momentum?

In reflecting on the question, I realized that in most of the leadership roles I fill, I’ve seen a general stall in momentum. Things aren’t failing, but they aren’t growing quite as quickly as I’d like either. I imagine the great amount of change that has been occurring in my personal life has had an effect - I’ve not been able to poor the same energy into each role as before - but I wonder if there are greater causes.

Whether my lack of energy is the cause, or if there is something larger at play, I know I need to begin working to build momentum again or risk losing the progress we’ve fought so hard to achieve. As John Maxwell says, “Momentum does not sustain itself.” I think I’ve been expecting things to sustain on cruise control… when in reality it takes work and effort to keep moving forward.

What can I do to keep us moving forward? I’ll start with refreshing the vision — laying out an attractive picture of where we want to go. Then I’ll present our plan for moving toward that vision, and invite input to help us overcome obstacles we may encounter. Finally, we’ll start implementing the plan and expect great results. If all goes well, we’ll be back to building positive momentum in no time.

Light a man a fire, you warm him for a night. Light a man on fire, he’ll be warm the rest of his life.
–Unknown

Kristen also turned a year older this weekend. I learned long ago you don’t publicly discuss a woman’s age or weight - so yes, she’s 19 again this year. We had a great time hanging out - we ran down to Thousand Oaks and spent the day checking out a few shops before ending up in Santa Barbara. We intended to grab a nice dinner at The Beachside Restaurant, but Kristen started to feel a little ill so we swung by Borders and headed home early.

I also picked up John Wooden’s latest book: Wooden on Leadership, which I am very excited to start reading. He’s one of the few leaders I look up to who has lead as much with character as with competence. That combination seems increasingly rare these days, and I like to surround myself with role models who have found a way to be consistently competent while exhibiting character and integrity.

1. Dining Area
We were able to hang the ceiling light much easier than anticipated, but had some drywall patching to do after digging around to try to evaluate the situation. Also, you get a good look at the red wall — we painted the walls downstairs a light golden color, but painted the main wall that leads up the stairwell a nice brick red. You have to see it to appreciate it fully.

2. Stairwell Area
We re-carpeted and refinished the stair railing by sanding and painting.

3. Living Room Area
The main project here is meant to be invisible. We ran a gas line from just to the right of the window all the way to the kitchen — inside the wall. After patching and painting, you’d never know we did it!

4. Kitchen Area
The major project here was painting the kitchen cabinets. Kristen’s mom did a wonderful job on this, and our dad’s helped a ton with fixtures, water lines, and the rest.

5. Bedroom
The majority of the bedroom is going to be used as a home office, with the bed tucked away in this nice nook area. We haven’t pulled everything together to make the office look how we’d like, but it will come soon enough. I have ambitions of building a desk or two, so it may be a bit before you see pictures of that project.

All in all, we love our place, and are so grateful for all of the help we received. It was truly a team effort to transform our place, and now it feels like we have a new house!

Come by and visit! Unless I don’t know you. Then don’t. You might creep me out.

I took the picture while on vacation in Montana a few years back. I couldn’t believe someone would put up a billboard like that as I drove by it — and later came back to take a picture. It still cracks me up.

Click on the picture for a full-size image (or click here)— you could even set it as your computer’s background if you like it enough.

Click on the image for a version that you could use for your computer background.

1. Dining area
We initially thought we’d have to run electrical conduit up to the center of the room in order to hang a light over the dining room table. Turns out the wires were already there, just covered up by a previous owner. Of course we didn’t discover this until we’d taken a good chunk of drywall out - oh well!

2. Living Room area
The plan here was to take the gas line that ran to the fireplace (er, the old fireplace that was removed by a prior owner) and run it to the kitchen so we could put a gas stove in at a later date. This actually went much easier than expected, as we ran it just above the baseboard behind the drywall. We had some patching to do, but it really came together nicely.

3. Kitchen area
Another large project was to repaint the cabinets in the kitchen. Kristen’s mom spent a ton of time tackling this one, and did a great job. We also painted the walls, cleaned the light fixtures, installed our fridge (and ran a water line for our ice maker), installed an RO unit, and installed a new faucet.

4. Stairway
We spent a good bit of time with the stairway, but not until much of the other work was completed. My dad painted the metal railing white (it was black in this picture), and we painted the hand-rail and runners a khaki color. My dad and I re-carpeted the stairs as well, and they turned out really nice. I learned a ton on this part of the project, and think I could probably tackle a similar one on my own next time.

5. Upstairs bedroom
The entire upstairs is the master bedroom area, including a walk-in closet and master bath. As with the rest of the place, we scraped off the acoustic ceiling (popcorn texture), and re-textured and painted. We also installed new baseboards throughout, but these pictures give you an idea of what the upstairs looked like before we started.

The second bedroom will soon be a nursery, and the bathrooms will also need a little updating, but for the most part, we are extremely happy with the way everything came together. We had tons of help, and could not have done all of this work without the help of our parents and some key friends.

Thanks!

I started off the night with four straight birdies, but then it went downhill from there. I ended the night three over par for eighteen holes. Not Tiger Woods by any stretch, but I still had a great time. Of course I probably would have had even more fun if I hadn’t finished second!! Oh well.

Click Here to View the QuickTime Ultrasound Video

Or just click this picture:

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.
— John F. Kennedy

Did you catch that? 90 percent.

That means faced with life or death, nine out of ten chose death. Or rather their inability to change implies that they are willing to live (or die) with the consequences.

The article goes on to discuss that fear, even of death, is an insufficient form of motivation. Rather, changes that are introduced as an agent of bringing joy and a better quality of life - in other words changes that will bring a better future - are actually more effective. The changes must be radical, so that immediate results will be seen, and they must continue to bring results as the changes are implemented over the long run.

Sometimes I wonder if I’m any different? Odds are I’m in the majority that is content to live with the consequences rather than live with the discomfort that I perceive will accompany change. Why am I so content to live in mediocrity? I think I want to accomplish more, build deeper friendships, mature in my faith, experience an enriching, fulfilling marriage, thrive in a challenging work environment, and live a full, healthy life in pursuit of excellence. But am I willing to pay the price?

As I consider my work environment and the changes I’ve attempted to push through to others or even changes in general strategy, I’ve seen that the attempts to make slow gradual changes have seen widespread failure. They work for a little while. Then everyone reverts back to their old habits.

However, when I’ve introduced sweeping changes they have actually been more effective. It hasn’t been easy, and it takes a lot of personal effort to succeed. I’ve had to paint a picture of what lies ahead if we make the change - and it has only worked when that picture is far better than the course the organization is on at present. I’ve had to be decisive and very clear in my communication. And I’ve had to be humble enough to admit that I see with limited vision and will own my mistakes as they come.

I can foresee some radical changes coming in my personal life as a result of entering into fatherhood. They’ll be a catalyst for change in many aspects, and as a good friend of mine says, “With change comes opportunity.” I want to be willing to pay the price of pursuing excellence and fleeing mediocrity. I want to be in the 10% that beats the odds. I’m making some decisions to take advantage of this change agent to cull some of the dross that has filtered into my habits and routines. With God’s help and a willingness to keep learning and growing, I’m confident I’ll beat the odds.

Click here to view the video: Baby Pruett Ultrasound Video.

There is also an AVI version (may work on the Mac): Baby Pruett Ultrasound Video.

It was rather amazing to see how much more “lifelike” the baby is now, even though we’re only at about 12 weeks. We were able to see (and hear) the heartbeat, watch the blood circulating, see a cross-section of the brain, and recognized many other features such as particular bones and the spine.

At the very beginning of the ultrasound, the baby arched its back for what looked like a big yawn, then dropped back down again to rest. It was pretty funny to see, but also made it so much more real. Amazing that at less than 3 months into the pregnancy we’ve already got a real baby. I think the people that argue that a pre-birth baby is just a fetus haven’t seen an ultrasound before.

I’ve edited the 11 minute video down to about 2 minutes. I’m working at providing it in more than just Windows Media Player format, but we’ll have to see what I can do.

Take a look, let me know what you think.

We had a blast in the tournament though. It’s an adult league, but several of the high school kids in the area still jump in to play. We played a team with two guys from local schools who just wrapped up their tennis seasons. One of them played pretty well, though they both hit far harder than I can. Of course they are both incredibly inconsistent, so we won the match relatively easily.

We’ll be matched up against a different team next weekend. Hopefully I’ll remember sunscreen. And hopefully we’ll win again .

I’m not a fanatical fan, but I enjoy DMB’s music and their excellence as a live band. I’m always impressed when a band’s performance gets better on stage than in the studio. So many artists today (ahem) can’t even sing on stage without the vocal track playing in the background. It’s crazy.

Uncertainty creates the necessary condition for leadership.
— Jim Kouzes

As I reflected on this quote, I think what Mr. Kouzes is saying is that if everyone knows exactly what to do and where we’re going, why do they need a leader? A leader is needed precisely when there is a lack of clarity.

I like to think of the analogy of my college flag football team. In the huddle, players may suggest routes and ideas to the quarterback. If the quarterback doesn’t provide some direction in the huddle and call a specific play or specific routes problems will show up as soon as he yells “hike.” Without a clear play called, everyone will improvise - which is another word for “running around like a chicken with its head cut off.” On the other hand, if the quarterback calls a clear play - even though he’s uncertain how the defense will react - the team stands a much better chance of succeeding following his lead.

Our team certainly lived this principle out. We had a good run of four or five wins in a row where we played as a team following the calls of our quarterback for the most part. In the end we lost our final game to a team with more talent, and perhaps it could be argued better leadership. The quarterback of the other team was far more confident and clear in his play calling - perhaps because he played football for the local city college. I guess the lesson there is that experience, talent, and clarity in the face of uncertainty defeats clarity all by itself. It’s one of those package deals.

This experience made me wonder what other areas of my life are in need of a slight tune-up? I’m sure there are many areas we all neglect. We get used to the discomfort of knowing things are just not quite right and convince ourselves things aren’t that bad. I’m going to do a bit of an inventory and just make sure I’ve got a healthy balance in the key areas of my life. I’m sure a little attention to each area will yield good results.

The office area is still a bit cluttered, but at least the living room, kitchen and dining areas are all coming together now.

I found some pictures of what the place looked like before we bought it, before we started fixing things up, and before we moved in. I’m hoping to take some pictures of things once the furnishing and decorating is complete. Then you’ll be able to see the process from beginning to end. Won’t that be fun?

Don Cheadle was up for an Oscar for his role in the movie, and it had received some good reviews, so I thought I’d check it out. It turns out I was in for more than I bargained for. If you haven’t seen the movie, push it to the top of your “Must-See List.” It really carries that big of an impact.

I just found a great program, ID3-Sync — ID3 because that’s the format used to store the descriptive information with the MP3 file — that makes this process much less painful. Based on the file name, or even the file structure, ID3-Sync can lookup the missing information and enter it into each MP3 file for you. All you have to do is walk through your list of MP3’s and verify that it got them right. Super easy. I’ve spent a few minutes this morning playing with it, and probably fixed 50 or more songs.

Check it out here: http://id3sync.meista.de/

Attitude 101 addresses several key questions:

• How does attitude impact leadership?
• How does attitude impact an individual?
• What shapes a person’s attitude?
• Can an attitude be changed?
• Can obstacles actually enhance an attitude?
• What is failure?
• What is success?

I read the first half of the book several weeks ago, but came back to it this week and read the sections on failure and success. To be honest, they came at the perfect time. I’m watching a chapter of my life seem to come to close - an entrepreneurial effort that I had high hopes for and had dreamed would set up the rest of my life in many ways. While I’ve wrestled with feelings of inadequacy and failure, I’ve also been fairly confident that I’ve given my all in this endeavor and have grown tremendously in the process.

Maxwell encourages readers that failures often open a new opportunity - and generally provide chances to grow and learn as an individual. I like the quote by Bill Vaughan:

“In the game of life it’s a good idea to have a few early loses, which relieves you of the pressure of trying to maintain an undefeated season.”
— Bill Vaughan

In this process of building a company, shaping our team, defining our market, pursuing key customers, and delivering services I’ve seen my leadership skills and understanding of the business world - and the importance of personnel dynamics - experience great growth. I still have tons to learn, and continue to devour lessons from great leaders, but I realize that without this opportunity my life would have been very different.

Every time I read a Maxwell book I walk away encouraged - in this case I’m encouraged that when I fail it gives me an opportunity to grow, to learn, to explore new opportunities. My character is displayed as I respond to adversity, but the outcome of an endeavor is not the same thing as my identity. Failure does not define me.

“Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”
— President Theodore Roosevelt

The history goes like this: a month or so ago I tweaked my lower back and was in some good pain for a week or two. I scheduled a visit with the chiropractor, but they couldn’t fit me in (as a new patient) until today. In the mean time, the pain has gone away. I figured I’d keep the appointment anyway since it would probably be good to establish a baseline for when I feel good so that I know what’s wrong when I feel bad.

The chiropractor was extremely nice, and worked me through several motions to determine my range of motion and such. A few times he noticed some aberrations, but for the most part I was looking pretty good. At one point, he had me lay on my back on a massage table, and as I lay there, he immediately noticed my right leg was shorter than my left leg. Hmmmm.. That’s cute.

He had me pull each leg up to my chest, and as I did, he showed me how my right ankle came in during the motion while my left stayed in line with my knee. Apparently my right femur is rotated slightly outward at the hip which causes my right leg muscles to be tight, and the leg to appear shorter. We didn’t measure bone length, so I don’t know if this is a permanent situation - but the doc seemed to be confident we can adjust it and I’ll be back to my normal, less lopsided self in no time.

He even thought I’d see an improvement in my hoops game. So watch out. All of you who thought I couldn’t play ball just cause I’m short and white — it’s actually because my right leg is shorter than my left. Now you’re all in trouble

~J

Now Reading:Wooden - A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court

With the help of several good friends from Santa Barbara and my local church, Kristen and I were able to move into our new house today. We were able to pull it off in one trip, which was sweet! The total move time took maybe 3 hours… unpacking is taking a bit longer.

Of course, true to my Computer Science background, the computer had to get set up on the first day. I’ve only got the laptop working at this point - the other computers will have to wait until tomorrow. I’m actually writing this via a wireless connection that one of my neighbors is sharing with the world… Heh. Hope they don’t mind

At this point, we’ve got boxes coming out of our ears, but the upside is that we’ve now got our own space. It is bizarre to be in this situation, but I’m grateful for the way everything came together to allow us to be in this home. I’m tired tonight, but I know by this time next week the excitement will have repaced the weariness, and I’ll be jazzed to begin new projects to get our place organized and settled.

Now Reading: “Hard to Believe : The High Cost and Infinite Value of Following Jesus” by John MacArthur

Now Reading:“Everybody’s Normal Till You Get To Know Them” by John Ortberg

Cleverness, I suspect, does not reflect intelligence.
— Jeremy Post

I learned this, at least, by my experiment;
that if one advances confidently in the
direction of his dreams, and endeavors
to live the life which he has imagined,
he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.
–Henry David Thoreau [Walden]

I’ve come to realize that some dreams of mine may never come true. I don’t think that is a terrible thing, really. I’ve had many dreams I thought were terrific. But now, on this side of the dream, I see that had I achieved them I would have been disappointed at best, and miserable at worst.

I remember there were crushes I had when I was younger that I dreamed would turn into a life long romance. Fortunately, God allowed those to fade and exceeded even the best of my dreams with my wife of the past six-plus years. This year we’ll have our first child, certainly exceeding those boyhood dreams, as I never saw myself as a father back then. I’m thrilled today, but I know I could have never dreamed things would happen the way they have - and for that I’m grateful.

I’ve had similar experiences with careers - I was at one time convinced I would become a compassionate doctor, caring for the sick and troubled. At others I’ve been sure my destiny was to teach. Today I’m building a business. Tomorrow I may write software. My vocation has shifted a little, but I’ve at least seen that I no longer idolize my career as I once did. I see it as a vehicle for other things, not an end in itself. If you know me well, I’m fond of saying “Work is tough. That’s why they call it ‘work’ and not ‘basketball!’”

I’m learning that the important thing is less what I accomplish in the working world than how I accomplish it. Am I striving to achieve quotas or personal wealth, or am I striving to build lasting, changing, transforming relationships? Do I leave those I encounter better for it, or poorer? I believe if I create an environment for my team that spurs them to growth in their pursuit of excellence the quotas will follow - and if they don’t, my team will still be richer for the experience.

So moving forward, my dreams are now of rich, transforming relationships with co-workers, customers, and strategic partners alike that mutually seek to pursue excellence in all aspects. I look forward to working in a company that has established a culture of familial belonging and sees each member caring deeply for the rest while striving to perform at the highest levels of excellence.

Business trips aren’t terrible, but unless you are wired for the type of work that requires heavy travel, I’d have to recommend you find a job that keeps you close to home. When Kristen and I first got married, my job required me to be out of town at least 2 weeks each month! As soon as Kristen got used to me being around, I’d leave. As soon as she got used to being independent, I’d be back. Not a good formula for a happy wife.

Thankfully I’ve transitioned out of that role, and now only travel very occasionally, maybe 1-2 days every two months. I think our marriage could handle me gone more often, and still remain healthy, but I don’t know if I could. Being home has a great way of restoring you. I sleep better, eat better, and just enjoy being around. I’ve definitely come to the conclusion that a job that required heavy travel is not for me.

“We want to apologize to any of our listeners who actually thought 50 Cent would be on today’s show. We love our listeners, and did not mean to mislead anyone with what was meant to be an innocent April Fools joke.”

HAHA! They went on to say someone was filing a complaint, and made it sound like some legal action may even be taken. It was so hilarious!!

I’m sure there’s a lesson in all of this somewhere, but I’m still just laughing at both the DJs and the listeners. Wow.

After working on the house for the afternoon, we all went to my folks for a great dinner my Mom had prepared. We hung out for a bit afterward, playing Madden and just chatting about school, life, and such. I got lucky on a couple of plays and ended up beating Matt by a larger margin in Madden than the game really felt. Then Lance beat me pretty handily but I lost one of my best players to injury in the first quarter. I don’t think the end result would have changed with that player, but I think things would have been closer.

It was great to see them again and just hang out. I love this new stage of life, but hanging out with the guys was a great part of the school years. I need to make a point to arrange for a “guys weekend” or something every so often. I think it could be a lot of fun, and a good refresher from time to time.

A good listener is not only popular everywhere,
but after a while he knows something.

— Wilson Mizner

1. I don’t know everything. The sooner I admit it, the better the project progresses.
I’m pretty quick to admit that I am not Tim “The Toolman” Taylor when it comes to projects around the house. I’m eager to learn, and willing to work hard, but in all honesty I lack sufficient experience to tackle many projects without significant outside help. I’m fortunate to have my Dad and my Father-In-Law around to help provide that extra experience. They have both made a huge difference in the projects that we’ve tackled, and the more often I admit “I don’t know what to do,” the quicker stalled tasks get rolling again.

I realize I need to be more sensitive to this aspect as a leader as well. If a task seems stalled, perhaps a probing question will reveal that I failed to give adequate direction or give me an opportunity to clarify an aspect of the project. This also ties closely with the “Task Maturity” idea in number 3.

2. The right resources are critical to keeping a project on track.
Many times I’ve seen that a home improvement project can be transformed from “daunting” to “done” in almost no time when the right tool is brought in for the job. I must admit my inexperience with these projects limits my approach to solving them to the few tools I feel comfortable using. When my Dad or Father-In-Law pitch in, they have seen a much broader array of projects and tools and can often see that my time can be better spent if I have the right tools in hand.

In leadership I see this as a very interesting parallel. When I give a project to someone, they will use the resources at their disposal to try to solve the project — but they will be limited by their experience and the “tools” they are comfortable using. Over time their experience will broaden, but in the beginning I’ll need to be sure to monitor their progress a little more closely, and step in with the right “tool” when the timing is correct.

3. Team projects need to account for task maturity (borrowing from Andy Grove).
Working with two experienced craftsmen on a home improvement project is an interesting experience. On the one hand I get to enjoy watching the depth of their combined knowledge streamline the projects we tackle, and on the other I get to see them collaborate to their strengths to make sure their individual expertise is used to the fullest.

A few days ago I was struggling to stay busy, and felt I was watching the others work more than I was actually working. I certainly didn’t feel this was fair, and wanted to help more, but was stuck. My level of task maturity - or ability to be self-starting and see a task to completion with little or no monitoring - is pretty low when it comes to home improvement. I admitted to both my Dad and my Father-in-Law that I needed some more explicit direction, and they were able to give me a list to tackle. I love lists like that. I was able to take each item, and work through it… in a day I’d accomplished more than the previous three combined because I had adequate direction, and a sequence to follow.

As I leader I need to be certain I evaluate my team members and their task maturity. The more mature, the less detail and description a project will take. The less mature team members will require a more sequential project description, and perhaps more of a walk-through to get going. Additionally, the degree of monitoring will vary dramatically with the task maturity of the team member. I will need to monitor everyone until I know how well they can handle a particular task or category of task on their own. Then I can begin to back off and allow them to function at their task maturity level.

Conclusion
I’m enjoying working on our new house immensely, and am glad I’ve been able to recognize these parallels to the working world. It is amazing how some principles seem to recur regardless of the arena in which they are found. Hopefully you can use these same principles in your sphere of influence.

I’ve really noticed that I struggle to listen attentively to conversations that in the past were very easy to stay focused upon. It isn’t that I lose interest, or that I’m plotting my response too quickly - it’s more that the words start getting scrambled before my mind grabs them and puts them into thoughts. I notice the words scrambling, and then force myself to concentrate… I never used to have to work to listen… But at least I notice, right? It could be worse… I could not know the difference — shudder — Wouldn’t that be scary?

Maybe if I get some sleep… and cross a few things off my TODO list tomorrow… hopefully then I’ll start to pick up the pieces and feel less scattered.

In analyzing why I haven’t met several of these goals, I’ve come to see that many contributing factors have been outside my control. Before I start casting blame and dodging responsibility, I must admit some goals were unmet due to my lack of preparation or follow through. I’ve been working hard to prepare more and be more persistent in my follow through as a result. I realize I cannot change the past but I can learn from my mistakes and try to keep them from repeating.

The unmet goals that have been a result of factors outside of my control will have to be lived with. I realize more and more that my goals should be related to my level of effort, and the rest will follow. I believe that if I am well prepared, if I give all of my effort, and if I follow through on the projects I begin, the journey will be enjoyable - and results will be achieved. They may not be the results I set out for, but if I’m giving all I have to give, I’ll know I’ve done my best.

At the same time, getting into a house and starting a family were not explicit goals I’d set for this time period. They did not happen without planning and careful thought, but in many ways I realize they represent success in ways that my other goals fell short. I’m excited to be starting this new phase of life - and realize that the ride I’m embarking on will be challenging but rewarding in ways those unmet goals would never have satisfied.

Success is a journey not a destination. The more I think about it the more I believe it to be true. If I consistently pursue developing my character, giving all of my effort to tasks at hand, building into the relationships I cherish, serving those around me, and growing in my relationship with God, the journey itself will be a success. If I focus too much on my goals and destinations, I’ll miss out on enjoying the surprises that come my way.

We’re looking forward to tackling a few home improvement projects - those of you who know how I enjoy woodworking can imagine the ideas I’ve come up with already! I think we’ll tackle the essentials first, new baseboards, paint throughout, and some lighting fixtures. We’ll probably also rehab the kitchen cabinets and do a little extra plumbing so that we can get a gas stove instead of electric down the line.

As far as woodworking is concerned, I’ve got dreams of building a set of built-in desks into the 10 by 10 office-nook area that is off of our bedroom. I’ve been laying out possible configurations, and still think there is room for improvement. Later we’ll rip out the existing stair rail and add a nice oak hand rail with white spindles… at least that’s the idea today. I’ve also had dreams of building a Murphy-bed from a kit, but that may be such a low priority that it won’t happen in this house.

Needless to say, my mind starts reeling from all of the ideas, and in the middle of it all, we’re supposed to think about moving our stuff out of storage and into the place before too long. Oh yeah. And we have to start thinking about how to furnish the nursery. If we have a girl, I’m sure I’ll want to build a doll house… and if a boy, hmm.. think we could build a tree house in an condo complex? I may have to move before that dream can be realized!

I was working for a company in Santa Monica at the time with a great group of guys who were from Ireland. Actually if I remember right the company was founded in Ireland and opened an office in the USA to enter this market. Either way a good third of the company was Irish including my manager.

My manager invited me to join his family and a few other employees for a traditional Saint Patrick’s Day celebration. My wife and I couldn’t pass up such an invitation, and gladly joined in the fun. We had a great time, though with my American taste buds I must say the food wasn’t the highlight. Our hosts were very gracious and understood that their traditional dishes were a bit edgy for a California boy like me. Anytime you have the word “blood” in the description of the dish is cause for concern if you ask me.

All in all we had a wonderful time, and though I’ve lost touch with most of that group I did enjoy their warm friendship.

Enjoy your Saint Patrick’s Day, but stay away from the Blood Pudding.

Even now I can tell a change is happening in me. I find myself making choices a little more carefully. I catch myself saying or doing things I know I’d regret if I had a little one watching. I imagine this experience will stretch me to the breaking point, but as Hemingway says:

“The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places.”

I know I don’t want to be broken, but if I’m honest with myself, there are some areas of my life that could use some reshaping. If it takes breaking my will or my pride in order for me to be stronger in these areas, I’m willing to do the work. I know this process will force me to become more like the man I want to be, and will require that I turn to God more and more as I come to the end of my wisdom, capabilities, and energy. I’m looking forward to the end result, and expect to enjoy the transforming part as well.

In all that I think I know today about life, faith, work, and even fatherhood, I still realize Emerson had it right:

“The years teach much which days will never know.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’m looking forward to how the years season me. I expect to be better for the journey.

John Wooden is a man I’ve respected from the day I first learned of him from my Grandfather. It turns out my Grandfather coached summer basketball clinics with John Wooden, and they were good friends. My Grandma told me a story this Christmas about a time my uncle broke his arm and John Wooden visited him in the hospital. I’m sure this type of thing happens more often than we realize, but when a man of such character pays attention to those we know, it makes a significant impact.

I’m reading a book Wooden wrote, titled Wooden - A Lifetime of Observations and Reflections On and Off the Court. The list above was attributed to Joshua Wooden, John’s dad. This list is something John Wooden tried to live up to, and the principles behind it seem very worth a lifetime of effort to me.

Simple steps such as these are probably more effective than the personal mission statements or life goals many self-help gurus preach. I hope to one day look back and say I’ve tried hard to live up to these. I’ll start with doing my best today.

–Jeff Pruett

Hunter first challenges the traditional “command” leadership model and asserts that in today’s workplace this model breaks down as is widely ineffective. Rather, he proposes a new paradigm: turn the “command” model upside down. Hunter calls this model “servant leadership.”

The basics work like this: consider those under you as your customer. You want to do the best job you can to empower them to serve their customers the best. So you provide them with what they need to accomplish their tasks. This is very different than giving them what they want. Needs and wants rarely overlap, and are a key role in leadership is discerning when something is needed and when it is just wanted.

Serving those under you as a leader builds authority - that is the ability to convince others to accomplish the tasks you desire to be completed… but they want to do it because of the authority they have place in you. Authority is very different than power — again think flipping the command model upside down. Margaret Thatcher said it this way:

Being in power is like being a lady. If you have to remind people that you are, you aren’t.
–Margaret Thatcher

Authority is built on service. So what is service built on? Putting others before yourself. Hunter calls this Love the Verb. Love as an emotion is transitory. Love as a verb is a choice. Hunter defines Love the Verb using the model laid out in the Bible:

Leading out of Love:
- Showing Self-Control
- Giving Attention, Appreciation, and Encouragement
- Being Authentic and Without Pretense or Arrogance
- Treating Others as Important People
- Meeting the Needs of Others
- Giving Up Resentment when Wronged
- Being Free from Deception
- Sticking to Your Choices

The Result: Setting Aside Your Own Wants and Needs; Seeking the Greatest Good for Others

Who wouldn’t want to follow a leader who consistently displayed those traits? I know I would love to follow someone that treated me with such respect. I know that I want to be that kind of leader someday.

Fortunately, Hunter says the process of becoming that leader is just that a process. Each choice we make to build these traits into our lives begins building habits of leadership that eventually shape our character into the type of leader we want to become. In this way, our WILL to make the right choice is the foundation upon which the “servant leadership” pyramid rests.

WILL -> LOVE -> SERVICE/SACRIFICE -> AUTHORITY -> LEADERSHIP

It all begins with my choice. Today I’m choosing to build my leadership ability by working on my ability to truly love those in my care. I like the picture of a shepherd - a true leader is going to care deeply for those who are following him. If I don’t care deeply, my leadership will be less effective.

If you haven’t picked up this book yet… what are you waiting for? It’s a quick read, maybe 180 pages, but you’ll want to read it multiple times to really let the message sink deep.

Cheers!
Jeff.

A good listener is not only popular everywhere, but after a while he knows something.
Wilson Misner

The rain let up enough this afternoon for me to make a couple of trips to our mini-storage unit. We’re throwing everything in storage and crashing with my folks for a few weeks/months as our condo finishes escrow and we complete the subsequent home improvement projects.

We’re very excited to own our own place, and our list of ideas for projects seems to get longer each day. The latest has been looking at desk configurations for our office. I saw a built-in L-shaped desk in a model home a few weeks ago and loved the idea. I think a desk like that could be built rather simply and inexpensively, but still would be a great workspace for us. We have two computers and Kristen loves to scrapbook, so we need to have areas for both of us to do a little working/playing. If I end up tackling this one, I’ll post the plans and keep you in the loop as it progresses.

For now I’m off to bed. Moving wears you out in ways you don’t expect, and I hope to make it to play basketball with the dawn patrol at 5:30 tomorrow so I’d better get some sleep.

Cheers!

Lately I’ve been involved in re-considering the overall direction of a project at work. Our team has thrown around several ideas, and talked through several scenarios, but we’re still on the same general path. It may be a matter of timing - it may not be the right time to implement this new direction. It may be a matter of preparation - we may not be ready for this new direction. Or it may be a matter of momentum - maybe we’re stuck, afraid to plot this new course and strike out into the unknown. Either way, we’re not moving on it. Yet.

For me, over-analysis is just another form of procrastination. I tend to minimize risks, and avoid situations where I may fail. Procrastination is a sure way to avoid failure - accept it is actually a form of failure. Failure to accomplish what I set out to do.

I know this much: if I over-analyze and try too hard to minimize risks, I’ll never implement this new direction. I’ve got to dive in at some point and say, “OK, follow me. I’m not sure exactly what’s ahead, but if we’re not moving we’re falling behind.”

My first step is to gather a bit more expertise, and to talk to an adviser either through SCORE or through UCSB’s Technology Management Program. Once I understand the pieces we need to pull together, I think we can confidently move forward, even if all the angles haven’t been analyzed.

I’m going to make an appointment in my calendar to take the first step. Er. Wait. That sounds too much like procrastinating.

OK. Just fired off an email to the TMP at UCSB. Now I just have to follow through and I’m on my way along the first step!

My answer to the question was that I love them - when they are done simply, and done well. When they are done poorly, they sound “old” and are too monotonous. But when led simply, with just a few instruments and a good worship leader, I love the depth and passion that is contained within them.

Hymns add a rich texture to a church worship service that can often draw me into worship more than a praise chorus. The knowledge that I’m singing a song that has been sung for 200 or more years can be an amazing experience - and demonstrates to me the transcendent “otherness” of God. He is worshiped across generations, and across continents, but sometimes with the same songs!

As I was thinking on this subject, I thought I’d try to write down a few of my favorite hymns. As I started writing, I was amazed at how many I truly cherish. Here’s the list I’ve come up with so far.

What are your favorites?

Crown Him with Many Crowns
I Will Sing of My Redeemer
Come Thou Fount
Be Thou My Vision
God, All Nature Sings Your Glory
How Firm a Foundation
How Great Thou Art
Complete In Thee
When I Survey The Wondrous Cross
Blessed Assurance
Amazing Grace
Great is Thy Faithfulness
A Might Fortress Is Our God
Holy, Holy, Holy
Ancient of Days
Praise to the Lord, The Almighty
Here Is Love
All Creatures of Our God and King
Fairest Lord Jesus
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

I’ve been encouraged in some areas lately, especially in the responses I’ve heard to some of the lessons I’ve been teaching at church. I think much of the praise is really due the author of the text I’m teaching from, but it is exciting to see people beginning to grasp the concepts and apply it to their lives.

In other aspects, I’ve been challenged to remain positive and patient when everything in me wants to either sprint or quit… not to persist along at this pace that sometimes seems to crawl. I realize that some projects take time, whether building a business or building a ministry - my role today is to be faithful in the little steps I control, and allow God to be God - allow him to control what I cannot. Letting go seems to me the hardest part.

I came across a song today that was a favorite of my buddy Chris in Santa Barbara - The Valley Song by Jars of Clay. It isn’t like me to do this, but I have been letting it loop over and over on my stereo, amazed at how it lifts my spirits, and encourages me. The song talks about how God carries us through seasons of hard times in life, but then lifts us to seasons of great joy.

Today in church we prayed for a family that has been in the middle of one of these seasons of hard times for the better part of the past two years. I know I have not experienced a rough patch of life on the scale they are facing, so it is hard to relate to the struggles they face.

However, I am incredibly impressed at their joy in small parts of their faith - the smile that spreads on their faces when they are in church - the delight they overflow with when our small group meets in their home each week.

When I see their joy, it makes me realize that even when the endeavors I pursue do not yield the results I dream of in the timing I’ve defined, I can rest knowing that God will carry me where He wants me to go. And I’ll be content when I arrive - even if the destination is not what I had fashioned in my heart.

If rivers of joy are what await me, I’ll gladly pay the price of entry - even if it means letting go of the control I so innately crave.

The lyrics are as follows:

The Valley Song
Jars of Clay

You have led me to the sadness
I have carried this pain
On a back bruised, nearly broken
I’m crying out to you

Chorus
I will sing of Your mercy
That leads me through valleys of sorrow
To rivers of joy

When death like a gypsy
Comes to steal what I love
I will still look to the heavens
I will still seek your face

But I fear you aren’t listening
Because there are no words
Just the stillness and the hunger
For a faith that assures

Chorus

Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia

While we wait for rescue
With our eyes tightly shut
Face to the ground using our hands
To cover the fatal cut

And though the pain is an ocean
Tossing us around, around, around
You have calmed greater waters
Higher mountains have come down

Chorus

Alleluia, alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia

It took a couple of seconds to realize that the billboard said what I thought it did, and by that time we had driven past it. Later I made point to drive back and take this picture. It was too classic to pass up.

We didn’t discover anything earth-shattering, but they did install a non-firedoor leading into the garage that will have to be remedied. The owner also seemed a bit on edge as we were walking through. I think she could sense that we were going to find a few things that needed work, and she wasn’t keen on the idea of having to pay for them.

I’m not sure how things will go, but we’ll submit our inspection report and ask our Realtor to see to the items being completed or allowances made to the purchase price to reflect the changes. It certainly has been a learning process for me.

As it stands now, the plan is to do some improvement projects while Kristen and I bunk with my folks, and hopefully we’ll move into the place late March or early April. If you are bored and in the area, drop me a line and we’ll have you over once we’re settled!

Cheers!
Jeff Pruett

I’d forgotten what a joy it was to talk with him. He’s truly a gem of a man, and always inspires me to do great things. His gentle confidence is infectious, and his insights invaluable.

Age has crept up on my friend, and I’m sad to see him wrestling with challenges that aren’t fair for anyone to face. He’s got a smile still, though, and seems to be enjoying other aspects of life just the same. I doubt he’ll ever give up fighting, and know he’ll always be putting that great mind to use.

I promised to stop by the office where he works, and to see how my old co-workers are doing. He’d love to contract with me to redesign their web site. If the timing is right, I think I’d be willing to tackle the project. We’ll have to see what happens.

Friendships like that should be cherished, not forgotten. I’m sad to say I have not maintained this friendship well enough. I plan to renew it, and to be more diligent going forward to keep my end of the friendship going.

To Cherished Friendships,
JP

Don’t get me wrong. Each year gets better and better, but twenty-four was a year that catapulted my growth as a person, as a Christian, as a friend, and as a husband into new heights. I love growth, even though sometimes it hurts. Twenty-four was a year of unequaled growth in so many aspects of my life.

To be honest, I anticipate twenty-eight to be a year of similar growth. Kristen and I will close escrow on our first home. We’ll watch new ministry efforts grow in maturity through our church. We’ll strengthen friendships that have been in the making for several years, and forge new ones that may last even longer. Many changes await us, but I’m excited for the opportunities.

Maybe in a year I’ll say I pick twenty-eight as my permanent age. The forecast is looking good.

I thoroughly enjoyed the series, and would highly recommend it to those of you who enjoy a good fantasy read. The story follows Thomas Hunter as he tries to make sense of two worlds he somehow lives in — whenever he falls asleep in one world, he wakes up in the other.

I loved the premise for the two worlds colliding, and Dekker’s execution of the story is masterful and packed with suspense. Each book was a great page turner — I stayed up late into the night (well, OK early morning) to finish Red and White.

I have another of Ted Dekker’s books on my bookshelf, Thr3e, which I plan to read this year as well.

Some kid named Qyntel Woods goes and uses his pit bull in dog fights. If only he was high at the time… then he’d really trump Rasheed.

Maybe Paul Allen will finally get the hint and pursue some quality guys to play on his team. Or maybe not.

I’m thinking of writing an XMLRPC Blog client that takes advantage of Blogging platforms which support the MovableType and Blogger APIs.

In either case, good programming fonts are a must when using a code editor. There’s nothing worse than confusing a 0 with an O. Or an l with a 1.

I’ve been partial to Andale Mono for some time now, but I’m going to try Bitstream Vera Sans Mono to see what all the fuss is about.

Why this principle never stuck before is a mystery to me… but last night solidified it for me. In a meeting where I was trying to cast the vision for a new direction I’m trying to take our leadership team, I realized that a little over two-thirds of the team was tracking really well with me. A few were slow coming around, but got the vision in the end. But there were a couple of teammates who just seemed to struggle to see where we wanted to go.

While it is tough to not have consensus, I realize that in any group of significant size, consensus is rarely a reality we enjoy. However, now the challenge before me is to come along side those who are not grasping the vision and help them to see why we want to pursue this new direction. This is where the Law of Buy-In plays its part.

The teammates who grasped the vision the quickest are the ones who have known me the longest. I can remember this being the case in school projects as well. My teammates have to know me before they are really willing to follow me. That is a principle I recognized in the past, but failed to apply last night.

Moving forward, I’ll be certain to build relationships as a key step in the process of casting vision. Without the proper relational groundwork, I can see that my efforts will be less effective in the long run.

The upside? We’re still moving forward with the vision, and the team is excited to see new things develop as a result. I have a lot more work in front of me, but to be perfectly honest, I’m looking forward to the challenge.

We never keep our minds on the present moment. We remember the past, as if we wanted to slow down the passage of time. And we look forward to the future, as if we wanted time to accelerate. We wander about in times that do not belong to us, and do not think about the only time that does.

We dream of times past and future, and flee from the present. The reason is that the present is usually painful. We push it out of sight because it distresses us - only on those few occasions which are truly enjoyable are we sorry to see time slip away.

We try to reduce present pain with joyful hopes of the future, planning how we are going to arrange things in a period over which we have no control and which we cannot be sure of reaching…The past and present are our means, and the future alone is our end.

Thus we never actually live, but hope to live. We are never actually happy, but constantly planning how to become happy.

— Blaise Pascal, Spiritual Classics: Selected Readings from Blaise Pascal

Do your duty in all things. You can not do more. You should not wish to do less.
— Robert E. Lee

He performed at an event at Magic Mountain several years ago — just him and his guitar, no band, no backup singers, no lip syncing. He rocked the stage, even though he was opening for another favorite band: Five Iron Frenzy. After the show, as I was walking out of the amphitheater, I caught him out of the corner of my eye, and went up and said hey. He was completely normal… and struck me as a guy I’d just enjoy hanging out with. Not a lot of those types around the music scene these days.

It was quite a night, and I’ve followed his career ever since. He’s in Santa Barbara tonight at Reality, the college group that meets at Calvary Chapel.

I’m not sure I’ll make it, but I’m going to try to be there if I can:
Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara
1 North Calle Ceasar Chavez
Phone: 805-455-7680
Web: www.realitysb.org
Time: 7:30pm

Are you ready to begin thinking beyond your lifetime?

The truth is, I’m not. I continue to soak up leadership material, and to learn as much as I can from leaders who have been in the trenches of various organizations. But in the end, it is very difficult for me to begin thinking about my legacy when I’m so young.

Perhaps as I get older, or perhaps when I’m not in a startup organization, it will be easier to see that I have a legacy that is being created. For now, it is really hard. I’m surrounded by people older, more experienced, and in many cases wiser than I. How am I to mentor them? I really don’t have an answer yet.

In the Bible, there is a verse that says something like: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”

I think that’s my goal right now. People may look down on me because of my age, but if I live a life that is excellent in what I say, what I do, how I care for others, how I am consistent in what I believe and how I behave, and how strongly I hold to my convictions, I’ll eventually earn the respect of those who know me well.

For now, I feel like I’m still at the trail head, and have yet to travel very far down the trail. Eventually, others will follow, but today I’m hoping to just lead myself effectively.

Keys to Successful Time Management
Keep a log of actual time-use and review it regularly.

Ask yourself the following questions as you review activities you’ve completed, and as you consider new tasks:

1. What would happen if this were not done at all?
2. Can this be done by someone else just as well, if not better?
3. Am I wasting the time of others?
4. Which time-wasters result from a lack of system and which from a lack of foresight?
5. Am I attending too many meetings?

Adapted from “Secrets for Managing Your Time Wisely” by Peter F. Drucker

Sigh.

The upside is I’ll have more time to develop my lesson for Sunday. I’m beginning a series on discovering your spiritual tempermant based on Gary Thomas’ book Sacred Pathways. I’m quite excited to see how the series turns out, and hope it is well received.

JP

But I dragged my butt out of bed and made it down to play MWF of this week. The exercise is good, and the level of play is decent, so I’m pretty happy once I get there.

We’ll see how long I keep this up =)

JP

The lesson I walked away with was that I need to be a true friend, and let my friends see how God has change me… not force my faith on them and demand that they acknowledge my beliefs before I’ll be their friend. It was truly an excellent book, and I’d highly recommend it.

Check out http://www.loveyourcity.com for some practical ideas for how to reach out to those in your community in practical, real ways that show God’s love without forcing religion onto people.

When I’m honest, however, I’ve found admitting I don’t know something assumed to be obvious to all can actually work to my advantage.

Allow me to illustrate with a simple example. I was working on a software project with a good friend, and at one point he was explaining part of the project that required my cooperation so that our two pieces would connect properly. I didn’t completely follow his description of the interface we were supposed to build to allow our two parts to communicate properly, so I stopped him and asked him to back up and describe it a bit more simply.

I could have pretended to understand, and made my best attempt to create my part as I understood the project, but I’m certain we would have had some serious problems if I had chosen that route. Being willing to ask the “dumb question” actually helped us significantly, because we were able to better accomplish our task, and it actually saved us both time and effort in the long run.

So, while I readily admit when I don’t know something these days, I can’t say it makes me feel any less intelligent in the process. The truth is, I learn more when I’m willing to be dumb, and walk away smarter for it.

 

Be glad when people ask you dumb questions. Say, ‘Thank you for asking.’ This will keep them from doing something dumb.
— Allan Cox

 

During the past couple of years I’ve begun to see that my youthfulness is not as much of a liability as it used to be. Maybe I’m just getting older. Maybe I’ve learned a couple things along the way and it is starting to change me. I’d go with the latter, but might be too self serving.

I really want to see others rise up around me to become better leaders. I think that God has been equipping me with the tools to raise up leaders, and has been developing my leadership skills in a variety of environments over the past few years.

It will be exciting to see how everything comes together.

Genius is nothing but a great aptitude for patience.
— George-Louis de Buffon

Nine Critical Behaviors for Effective Mentoring
from The Transparency Edge

1. Keeping Your Promises
2. Staying Composed Under Pressure
3. Being Willing to Say “I’m Sorry”
4. Being Overwhelmingly Honest
5. Gathering Feedback About Yourself
6. Letting Your Guard Down
7. Delivering Bad News Well
8. Watching Your Mouth
9. Being Quick to Praise Others

Pretty simple, huh. Well, easier said than done, if you ask me. I think I struggle most with the last four.

I don’t like letting my guard down — except with a very select few friends who have known me for years.

I don’t like delivering bad news, and hate to disappoint, but I realize I need to get better at this, and learn to “fail forward” as the saying goes.

I tend to say things I definitely should keep to myself - especially when I am unhappy or bitter about something. I can be pretty cruel or foolish sometimes. Definitely an area to work on.

I like to praise others, especially in front of them to their peers/co-workers. I just need to be more intentional in finding opportunities to do so. Hopefully I’ll be able to be more observant in the coming months to improve in this area.

I’m sure I need work in more areas, but those ones really jumped out at me.

How about you? I think the comments section is working… if not, email me… where? Well… put my first name in front of “@pruetts.com” and it will get to me

JP

The screen is very bright, and easy to read, even in low-light situations. My main concern was that it would not be as bright as my CRT, but it actually seems brighter.

Windows XP’s ClearType rendering, and so far like it pretty well. The text is super crisp, so that has been very, very nice.

Once I’ve used it for a while I’ll have a better idea of how well I like it. So far, color me impressed!

JP

19″ Sony Monitor (SDM-HS93/B) [ product details ]
at Circuit City for $349.99 after rebates.
Adjusted for tax, shipping, and rebates, the total out of pocket for me would be about $395.

19″ Princeton Monitor (VL1916) [ product details ]
at Costco for $379.99 after rebates.
Adjusted for tax, shipping, and rebates, the total out of pocket for me would be about $415.

They have almost identical specs:
700:1 contrast ratio
250 cd/m2 brightness
1280x1024 resolution
0.294 Dot Pitch
25 ms response time
170/170 viewing angle

The question is… do I go for Sony’s brand name or Costco’s return policy?

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” — Saint Augustine

Tonight I’m trying to resolve the XML-RPC difficulties I’ve been fighting when posting to WordPress via an offline blogging client. I think that I’ve finally got it figured out.

JP

This is only significant because he played high school ball, and I got cut in Jr. High. Now I’m older, heavier, shorter, but still took him to school. We’re not the least bit competitive though… can you tell?

Of course the day before he destroyed me in tennis… so I had to even the score. We’re playin tennis again tomorrow, so we’ll see if I can beat him at his sport for once.

Merry Christmas!
Jeff.

I thought it would do me some good to list the programs I really like here, and perhaps you’d find them useful too.

* Mozilla Firefox - This is a must-have application in my book. Others have reviewed it better than I could hope to ever do, but in short, I don’t even need Internet Explorer anymore — Firefox is that good.

* Startup Control Panel - High on the list of the applications I cannot live without. Startup CPL simply shows you what programs are trying to start when you startup Windows. You can uncheck any of them to disable them. So sweet.

* Whisper32 - I discovered this little password keeping program several years ago, and still find it incredibly useful. It is simple, lightweight, and just does what it is supposed to do — keep my passwords for me.

* AntiVir - I got tired of Norton AntiVirus taking more and more memory to run — I think the executable I was running was taking around 8 Mb in TaskManager. AntiVir meets my requirements — autoupdates, catches the viruses, and has a footprint of only 4.4 Mb when running.

* Notepad2 - I love this little replacement for the Windows Notepad. It is a small program, but adds just enough - code coloring and brace/parenthesis matching. I don’t need a lot from a notepad replacement, but this one offers just enough. I’ve also used Metapad with great results.

* Microsoft Office XP - I have a hard time living without the Office suite, and though I’ve tried the OpenOffice alternative, it just isn’t as crisp. I use Office XP, however, because Office 2003 seems way too bloated. If I had to choose between Office 2003 and OpenOffice, the decision would have been much harder.

* Visio 2000 - My favorite diagraming software. I use this when writing software design documents primarily, but also to create illustrations for various presentations. I’ve been using Visio since before it was bought by Microsoft. Microsoft made it better through Visio 2000. Then they made it worse. Again, the bloat is crippling in the later versions.

* Quicken 2003 - I have used Quicken to manage my personal finances since version 5. I think that means I’ve been using it for about seven or eight years. You know how everyone got version happy and changed things to years when Windows 95 came out, so I’m guessing Quicken 1996 came out after version 5. Anyway. I’m on the upgrade every two years cycle. So Quicken 2005 will be my next upgrade.

* PDF Creator - I used to use Adobe Acrobat, and in fact still have the license for it, but have found this free alternative to render some more complex documents more accurately. Surprisingly, Acrobat chokes on some of my Visio diagrams, while PDF Creator whips them out with ease.

* Spybot Search & Destroy - Spybot is a great little tool to clean up the various spyware that may hitch a ride as I surf the net. With Firefox as my default browser, I’m curious to see how much spyware I attract in the coming months.

* SpywareBlaster - This app blocks known bad ActiveX spyware, which is important if you insist on using Internet Explorer. I don’t, but from time to time I still need IE — like when updating Windows — so I protect IE with this bad boy.

* CloneCD - Just about the fastest way to duplicate a CD. I’m a big fan of their simple, task oriented interface, without adding endless features I’ll never use.

* Nero - When I need to create a more complex CD, whether bootable, or a compilation, I use Nero. Hands down my favorite CD burning software.

* Dreamweaver MX - I’ve always enjoyed tinkering with web pages — Dreamweaver is the tool for experienced tinkerers. I can code in Notepad, but when Dreamweaver does just as good of a job, and reduces my workload, why would I?

* VisualStudio.NET 2003 - My development environment of choice. I went to school where they tried to teach me to be a Unix programmer — and found that I enjoyed programming so much more when I used VS. Right now, programming is just a hobby for me. Perhaps some day I’ll become a real programmer and get paid for it.

* AIM/Gaim - I’m trying out Gaim, but have used AIM for years. The verdict is still out on this one.

* TreeSize - I found this little application a few years ago. It is wonderful for seeing how much data you’ve managed to pack-rat away in various folders. Also great for seeing if a folder could be backed up to CD. It adds a “Treesize” option to the right-click menu of folders, and shows you the file tree with calculated file sizes.

So, about once a year, I re-install Windows and everything else to clean things up. I never had this problem with my Linux boxes, but then they weren’t my desktop computers either. If my Windows box was only a server, I doubt I’d have to baseline it annually — but with the installing/uninstalling of games, apps I want to test out, and more, things just get cluttered eventually.

All that to say. My Internet access may be spotty the next couple days — if I don’t post, you won’t see anything new =)

Honestly, there are many aspects of my leadership ability that I would be happy to see reproduced in others. I think my genuine concern for others, my ability to analyze a situation, my commitment to follow-through, and my passion for learning are all traits I’d want to see reproduced in a protege.

However, there are still several areas of weakness in my abilities that would likely also be reproduced. I still have a tendency to avoid conflict, though I’m improving in that area — rather, now conflict comes to me . I also struggle keeping a real disciplined schedule day to day. Part of that is a result of my working environment, but part is just a lack of discipline.

Overall, I think I’d be moderately happy to see a protege reproduce the leadership traits that I possess. I obviously have much to work on, and plan to make a concerted effort in that direction.

How about you?

Kristen and I went out to dinner at Portabella’s, an Italian restaurant in a local hotel here in Santa Maria. The atmosphere is nice for the area, and the food is certainly reasonable. Two of us ate for under $30, including my martini.

OOOh. That reminds me. Leftovers for lunch, baby! Wow… now I’m watching the clock til lunch time. Sheesh.

Javier, Lupita, Kristen, and Jeff

Jeff and Kristen

The wine was good, but hanging out with good friends would make any wine great.

We’ve just recently moved back into the area, so now we know a lot more people that will be attending. Also, the party is at my parents’ house this year. We’ve spent the past few days helping them here and there to get the house ready — quite a chore I must say. It has been great to be around to help out, and I think my folks have really appreciated the extra help.

One of the highlights of the event is the annual Ornament Exchange. Each year we play a game where everyone brings a wrapped ornament to share. The ornaments go into a pile, and everyone takes turns opening an ornament — or, if they feel brave, stealing an ornament from someone who has already opened one. The dynamics of a bunch of church-goers stealing from each other brings out some hilarious stuff. Some are too timid to take something from someone else, and others… well, they could stand to be a little more timid.

It’s all in good fun, and at the end of the evening, just about everyone ends up having a great time.

Except for the one who chooses THE Special Ornament.

The Special Ornament a modified chandelier with multi-colored Christmas lights instead of bulbs —- and is disguised each year in different ways. Someone gets stuck with it and has to bring it back next year for revenge. I’ll try to take a picture and let you see how hideous this thing really is.

It’s called NASLite, and I’d highly recommend you check it out if you have an old computer sitting around and need a file server.

Cheers!

We were going to play at a local gym, but apparently something came up and it won’t be available tomorrow. Sigh.

On the upside, my tennis lesson no longer conflicts with anything, so I’ll be able to make it. I do enjoy tennis, but next to basketball, it just falls short.

I’ve been using Notepad2 for about a year now, and I like it. Why? It’s quick. It’s lightweight. It color-codes most of the languages I deal with. And it’s free. How do you beat that?

Gotta love it when you have that competitive spirit. I’m a bit competitive myself, and while I’ve learned to enjoy playing basketball for the fun of it — I still love to win.

In fact, just last week I was shooting hoops at a local park and got in a pick up game. One kid started talking trash to me, said I was out of shape. He was right. But he wasn’t good enough to back it up. So my team routed his team. The first game wasn’t close, 11-7, and the second game we shut them out 6-0 before they scored.

Someday I’ll have to just take that kind of abuse. But not today!