Kodak Moment

As I engaged in some needed cleaning of the basement I came across an old but still functioning digital camera. My daughter has been a little bit envious of a camera my son received for Christmas, so I gave this old camera I found to her. She was delighted.

She took her first picture with it tonight. Immediately she turned the camera to me to see the image of my teeth she had taken (I need to work with her on stepping back more than 10 inches from her intended target, especially when using flash). I thought it was funny how she instinctively turned the camera so she could show me the picture. She will never know of a time when one had to wait until film was developed to see how the shot cam out.

Ironically I had just finished reading a good article from The Economist about Kodak's seemingly inevitable bankruptcy. I'll probably have to explain what a "Kodak Moment" is to my kids someday. Good thing I'm a history teacher.

Entering the 21st century . . . leaving the 20th

So my wife and I made the jump to smart phones for 2012. Just to be difficult I went with a Droid rather than an iPhone (and my wife went with the iPhone). I've already developed a condescending air about the iPhone, taking a false sense of pride in my hard-earned proficiency (note I didn't claim mastery) of the not-so-intuitive Droid. It's certainly fun to tinker with the device, customizing it to fit my quirks and interests.

My better half has been having fun doing the same with hers and has even started posting web photos of her cooking.

So we've entered the modern age.

Is it just a coincidence that the TV has hardly been on all week?

Favorite Sports Moments

I want to record my favorite moments in sports I witnessed on TV. Sunday night's theatrics inspired me:

• Utley's fake throw to 1B in 2008 World Series, Game 5
• Tebow 3:16
• Music City Miracle
• Kirk Gibson's HR
• McNabb's 14-second deep throw to FredEx against the Cowboys on MNF

Looking Forward to 2012

Now that I've taken the first week of 2012 to just bask in its newness, it looks like the goals for 2012 are coming into focus. We'll see how many I/we accomplish:

• My wife and I are already investigating where our vacation should be this summer and it looks like we're thinking of California - San Francisco and Yosemite.
• Jump into the 21st century with use of smart phones.
• Try to blog more purposefully, both for personal reasons (here) and professional (here).
• Read one new book each month (problem is Maphead and Elmer Gantry are competing for January)
• Make improvements to home - kitchen, doors, and, dare I say, windows
  
• Learn to roller blade (made third attempt at it today - three falls but significantly more momentum)
  
• Welcome two nephews (though I'm more than happy to welcome nieces instead . . . I just have a hunch it will be nephews)
• Purposefully advance the career in the direction of specializing in teacher training / enhancing Social Studies instruction
  

Even more firsts for 2012

First good teaching day of 2012: today

First lunch with a colleague of 2012: today

First day I cursed the cold of 2012: yesterday

First visit to church of 2012: today

First book read in 2012: Maphead by Ken Jennings . . . it is a blast to read

So might we finally prove Dr. King wrong

Pastor from church sent a link to an interesting blog about the future of church. You can read it here. If that author is right about number one, it'll finally disprove one of Dr. King's most interesting sayings, that Sunday morning is still the most segregated moment in America.

More importantly, if that author is right (and I think he is) we might be seeing a fundamental shift in the U.S. that really makes folly some Republican strategy of the last decade or so. I know that author didn't mean to get political, but, well, I'm a Social Studies teacher. Some time ago I posted that the Republican Party really needed to abandon social issues, especially same-sex marriage, if it wanted to remain viable in the long-run. The vigilance against illegal immigration also seems foolhardy in the long term. Younger Americans are simply more inclusive than any previous generation. Churches need to pick up on this. Politicians do, too.

More Firsts of 2012

First unique car driven: my brother's brand new Mazda 3 (seems to be quite a nice ride).

First cut of beef cooked from the 1/8 of a steer I bought in October: rump roast

First appliance fixed: vacuum cleaner

Firsts of 2012

Our church's new pastor encourages a one-week pause before establishing resolutions for 2012. Interesting idea. In that spirit, I wish to celebrate the following firsts for 2012:

First breakfast: bagel and cream cheese

First morning spent in: Alexandria, VA

First night in own bed, Jan. 1

First trash pick-up: on time (surprisingly, I should rethink that whole omission of the New Year tip)

First phone call: to mom

First meal out: at McDonald's in North East, MD

First of my children to get in trouble: Caroline (for unnecessarily pushing brother's buttons)

First of my children to get me to laugh: Caroline

First of my children to get up: Sam (but that wasn't really going to be close)