Digital Wilderness

Considering our recent engagement, I thought I’d share the story of how we met. Though our first date wasn’t until June 2009, our paths first crossed in 2001…

We didn’t actually meet at the time, but in July 2001, we were both at the wedding of Brian and Emily Harmon, the friends who would eventually set us up. Kristy’s parents not only found a photo, but also a video tape of the wedding, in which we walk right be each other on a couple occasions.

This is one of my favorite parts of our story, a part that truly shows how God was working in our lives to bring us together. In 2006, Emily Harmon invited friends over to her house for a birthday party. I already had plans to attend the WinterJam concert on the same day and was unable to make it. A few days later, I got the following email from my friend Angie:

Wow!

After receiving that email, I made sure I was at every get together the Harmons had, hoping for the chance to meet this “future wife” of mine. Many months went by and that chance never materialized, and the email eventually faded into the recesses of my memory, though it never completely left me.

Then, in 2008, Brian Harmon invited friends, via Facebook, to celebrate his birthday at Buca di Bepo. I RSPV’d and a few days later, noticed a Kristy on the attending guest list. Though I tried not to have any expectations, I couldn’t deny that I was anxious and excited for the chance to meet her. On the drive to the restaurant, I cranked up the volume on my favorite “motivational” song at the time, Say Your Prayers by The Wedding, and pumped myself up to meet Kristy…and potentially ask her out. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I joined my friends and looked around for someone that looked like her Facebook profile picture. I didn’t see her, but a few minutes later, she walked up to the group…with a guy. I instantly deflated, but tried to hold out hope that maybe he was just a friend. As it turned out, I ended up sitting next to this guy during dinner, and after observing their interaction, and hand holding, realized they were more than just friends.

I pushed her out of my mind, and a few months later, began dating someone. That relationship ended in February of 2009 and was a very difficult time for me. Unbeknownst to me, Kristy was going through a similar situation. I decided I wouldn’t date for 6 months, instead putting my focus on other things, such as schooling, fixing up the house, running, Bible study, etc.

However, God would have other plans for me. At the end of May 2009, I had people over for a game night and during that party, Brian approached me and asked how I felt about being set up. My initial thought was no, I didn’t want to be set up, but nevertheless, I said I might be open to it. He went on to describe a girl he had in mind. I just stared at him, and before he finished, I asked him if her name was Kristy. He said it was, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Emily contacted Kristy, told her I was interested, and Kristy asked Emily to pass along her phone number. Two days later, June 3rd, 2009, I called and we had our first conversation – 2 hours long – and the rest, as they say, is history!

On God could pull off a story like this… Praise the Lord for His timing and sovereignty over all things!

August has been quite the busy month. Lots of travel, lots of adventures, lots of firsts…

The fourth weekend of the month didn’t involve much travel, but was no less busy than the previous three. I’ll get right to it…

We’re engaged!

Yes, my friends, I popped the question to Kristy Saturday night and was blessed to receive a “Yes” in response (amongst the sobbing and giggles). Now the adventure really begins!

Here’s how it went down:

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As the phrase goes, “the best laid schemes of mice and men go oft awry” Thankfully, though things didn’t quite go as I had planned, nothing dramatic went awry.

I had hoped to get a reservation for one of her favorite lunch spots, Flag Fork Garden Café, but unfortunately they were booked up, so we instead had lunch at Stella’s Kentucky Deli, a small but good restaurant that uses local meats and produce in its offerings. Neither of us had eaten at the deli before, so it was a first, and we both enjoyed the food. After finishing lunch, we went to visit one of her friends, then stopped off at Sonic for refreshing lime-ades (yay, happy hour!).

At this point, my proposal plans began in earnest. I had made special geocache pages that would share part of the story of our first date at each location. Earlier that day, I had placed an unofficial geocache at O’Charley’s, the site of our first date. I also wanted to put a cache at “God Golf” (nickname for the putt-putt course at Lexington Ice Center) as well as Cold Stone Creamery, both of which were first date destinations, but unfortunately ran out of time.

Once our thirst was quenched from the lime-ades, I gave her the printed out cache page, handed her the GPS and she navigated me to the restaurant. After a minute of looking, she found it. When she originally saw the cache page and realized where it was hidden, she started suspecting something was up. However, as she told me later, after she found the cache, saw the container was empty except for a blank log and realized this was the only cache I had placed, she dismissed her thoughts that a proposal was coming. Though I had wanted to place the other caches, it was good that it didn’t work out – I would be able to surprise her after all!

With the geocache found, we headed back to her house and worked on our scrapbook for a while. It was about a year ago that I first prepared her a candlelight dinner and presented her with a scrapbook, materials and mementos I had been collecting. Over the course of the last year, we’ve saved items from our various activities and adventures to include in the scrapbook and occasionally created pages along the way (we’re a little behind on that, though). We worked on a page for a while, then as dinner time approached, I started fixing her favorite meal (as close as I could, at least) and setting up for another romantic candlelight dinner. I wanted to step it up this time, so I disappeared into the bathroom and emerged dressed in a suit, then asked her to change into her favorite dress while I put out some flowers, balloons and the meal.

What else goes along with dinner? A show of course. I had written a poem, titled The Tale of Princess Pepper, about a princess abducted by a dragon and saved by a knight. I brought props, such as a tiara, a sword and a stuffed dragon, and “acted” it out as I read. I know, cheesy, but she’s a princess and I wanted to give her a fairy tale experience! At this point, she started crying but still didn’t think a proposal was coming.

After the show, I presented her with three scrapbook pages I had put together. One was a listing of all the things we have done together since our first meeting; the second page was an email a friend sent me in 2006, three years before we met, in which my friend said she met my future wife (more on this later); and the third page consisted of images of the ring and a proposal message in word magnets (which I had used before to write different messages on her fridge). As I handed the last page to her with very shaky hands, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. Somewhere in between the sobs and the giggles, she said Yes!

Knowing how important her family and friends are to her, over the preceding week I had contacted some that live in the area and asked them to meet us at her house for a reception, with cake and ice cream, after the proposal so she could share the moment with those close to her. Though it was last minute, several were able to make it out and share in Kristy’s special day!

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Here are pictures of the ring (which is fully paid for!):

It still feels so surreal! The adventures are just beginning, and I look forward to all that God has in store for us in the future!

So ends this chapter of our story. The next chapter is to be written, but first, time to write a prequel. The story of our meeting is a great one. I love to tell it and will…in another blog post.

August has been quite the busy month. Lots of travel, lots of adventures, lots of firsts…

Our travels continued the third weekend of August. Kristy and I, along with the rest of my family, headed to my grandparents’ farm in western KY, about 40 minutes southwest of Owensboro. This is one of those events to which I look forward each year. It’s a great way to end summer, relaxing on the farm where the pace of life is slower and getting to spend time with family that I don’t get to see often enough. The whole paternal side of the family converges on the farm this time of year – my parents, brother and his wife, aunt and uncle, and cousin and his girlfriend.

This was Kristy’s second trip, and as with the first one, she left with quite the memories. Last year, after we had been dating for a just a couple months, she bravely agreed to accompany me to the farm. We arrived not long after the men had succeeded in putting a brink through the front windshield of my uncle’s SUV while trying to pull a branch off a tree. This year, we think that same tree wanted revenge for stripping it of a limb. Saturday morning we woke up to a toilet and tub that was backing up, leaving an unpleasant smell and sight. We think a tree root had grown into a pipe, thus causing the problem. Not the most convenient thing with 12 of us crammed into the house. Thankfully, they had a shower in another part of the house that was on a different sewer line, so at least we could get clean. That still left a toilet as an issue, though. With a barn and no neighbors close by, and nice weather, a trench was dug and the great outdoors used, as was done in days long gone by. Chalk up another first for certain members of the group. Everyone adapted great to this unforeseen obstacle and thankfully the weekend wasn’t ruined.

Besides, and in spite of, this issue, it was an enjoyable time. We grilled out, roasted hot dogs and marshmallows around the fire, the “kids” played a couple games of Settlers of Catan and just enjoyed relaxing and spending time with each other. Oh, and can’t forget to mention the great country cooking! Nothing like some good Moonlight BBQ mutton and creamed corn!

One weekend left in August…wonder what it will bring!

August has been quite the busy month. Lots of travel, lots of adventures, lots of firsts…

The second weekend of August found Kristy and I heading to Ft. Worth, Texas for my friend Jennifer’s wedding.

It took some discussion, but Kristy and I decided to fly to Texas for the event. We would have preferred to take our time and drive, but I didn’t have any extra time I could take off work to make the 16 hour one way drive, so we ended up with a quick two day trip involving flying instead. Another factor in the fly vs. drive decision tipping the scales to staying on the ground was that Kristy had never flown and I had only flown 3 times in my life, the last being in 2003 and the second time didn’t really count since I jumped out of the plane. We didn’t have much of a choice, though. The airport beckoned.

After checking out several travel and airline sites, I resorted to my favored site to get deals and booked through Priceline. We ended up with a package deal on the flight, hotel (two rooms) and rental car for about $350 per person. The flight was from Louisville to Dallas/Ft. Worth. Probably could have done a little better if I had more time and could have explored flights to and from other airports, but still seemed like a decent deal.

We packed only carry on bags, hoping to speed up the process and not chance losing luggage. Any time we gained by not checking bags was lost as we passed through security. We both made sure to read up on the rules and were prepared at the checkpoint, but we both kept beeping when passing through the metal detector, though pockets were emptied and belt was off. The TSA agent pulled us both aside and patted us down, asking us to sit down as they examined our bare feet. I think the belt clip on my insulin pump was what set off the detector for me; we’re not sure what set it off for Kristy. After being pulled aside for the pat down, they “randomly” searched our carry on bags. Finally, after they were convinced we weren’t up to no good, they let us go. We arrived at the gate in just enough time to grab a quick bite to eat before they started boarding the plane.

The Louisville to Dallas route is one with frequent flights, so we were on a smaller plan, a Embraer RJ145 Amazon. Having booked through Priceline, we didn’t have the best seats. We were toward the back, by the engines. We didn’t have any problems, just the few normal, minor bumps due to turbulence, and landed safely in Dallas an hour and a half later.

Initial impressions of Texas – flat and hot! It was easily over 100 degrees both days we were there, without factoring in the humidity. (Yes, there was humidity, not just the “dry heat” as people frequently say. Thankfully, it wasn’t as bad as the humidity in the northern Kentucky area.)

We were able to choose our own rental car from those available in the Economy/mid-size class. Looking for something different than the standard Corolla or Taurus, we choose a Dodge Caliber. It did the job, getting us around town, but I didn’t find anything remarkable about it.

After picking up our rental car and leaving the airport, we found our hotel then had some time to kill before the wedding the evening. One goal I have when traveling out of town is to eat a local, non-chain restaurant. After consulting the hotel clerk, who listed Joe’s Crab Shack and Chili’s as local eateries, we settled on Salt Grass. I got the shrimp and steak combo. Food was okay, but not fantastic.

The wedding was at the historic YWCA in Ft. Worth. Jennifer is a friend of mine from years ago. We met during the Governor’s Scholars Program summer of 1995 and have kept in touch since, though she’s moved across the country. I was extremely grateful that I was able to attend her wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and reception.

After a night’s sleep, we decided to get up and attend services at the Flower Mound campus of The Village Church, the church of one of my favorite preachers – Matt Chandler. We arrived at the church (which was in a shopping center; think of a converted Old Navy/Home Goods/Target) for the 11am service fifteen minutes early only to find a full parking lot and volunteers blocking entrances and turning people away. Nevertheless, we persisted and wormed our way into a tight space at a nearby Chic-Fil-A (they are closed on Sunday and the church uses their lot for parking) and made our way into the church…to be greeted by a line of people waiting to get in. Apparently, over the last several weeks, the church had been packed resulting in many people being turned away. Tough problem to have, but I guess a good one. Or is it? They should encourage regular attenders to attend a different service since the 11am is most popular, especially for visitors. Anyway, the volunteers were doing their best to cram people into every free seat possible, thus the line to get in. They eventually announced only single seats were left, so after a quick discussion, Kristy and I decided we’d stay in line. The line slowly moved forward, and when we got within 6 or so people of getting in, they announced there were only a few seats left, no more than 6. Kristy and I decided to step out of line rather than chance one of us getting in while the other didn’t. I was a little bummed, but I’ve seen Chandler speak a couple times and listen to his sermon podcast, so it wasn’t a huge loss.

With our new found free time before the flight home, we made a trip to Sonic for cold drinks then went on the hunt for geocaches. We looked for and found three, one of them being a virtual cache at the city’s namesake – Flower Mound. Along the way, we also passed the Dental Depot, a train themed dentist office. Kristy loved it!

The flight home was uneventful, with a bigger plane (McDonnell Douglas MD80) and a humorous pilot. Though flying saves time, we both still prefer driving. There’s nothing like a good road trip!

All in all, a nice trip. It was great to see a friend married, good to see Texas and mark it off the states-to-visit list and to share the experience of flying with Kristy.

See more pictures from the trip in the gallery.

August has been quite the busy month. Lots of travel, lots of adventures, lots of firsts…

The first week of August, fourteen friends from church and I piled into three vehicles and hit the road for West Virginia to raft down the New River.

We headed east to WV on Thursday afternoon, arriving at our destination – River Expeditions – at dinner time and set up camp. Our plan was to camp Thursday night, raft the river Friday morning, camp Friday night and head back to northern KY on Saturday.

Thankfully, there weren’t many people around when we arrived, so we were able to find a quiet, open spot toward the back of the campground with plenty of room to set up our “tent city.” We were very fortunate it wasn’t crowded – we needed a lot of room for our 8 tents.

After getting the tents set up, we focused on a building a fire, which took a while to get going since the wood was wet from a storm earlier in the day, but we prevailed, roasted hot dogs and s’mores and relaxed for the evening.

Around nine o’clock Friday morning, we hit the river. The weather was great – sunny and a little on the warm side, which would feel great once we were on the water. This was my third time rafting the New River, fourth time rafting overall (the other time was on the Arkansas River in Colorado). Though I had been on this river before, I’ve never had the same experience twice. The water level was on the low side, but that didn’t affect our experience at all.

The trip was about four and a half hours long, with a break for lunch along the river bank about half way through. A majority of the group had never been rafting before, but they all did great and enjoyed the experience. Only one person fell out of the raft I was in, and that was only after our guide “surfed” for the fourth time. We could tell he was trying to knock someone out.

One experience I had this time that I hadn’t in the past was the Halls of Karma. It was basically a whirlpool that when you jumped into it, would keep you down for a few seconds then pop you up down river.

After the rafting trip, we took a trip to the New River Gorge Bridge overlook. The bridge is the third largest arch bridge in the world, the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

Camping on Friday night was a completely different experience from Thursday night. It was packed! Tents were pitched in any space big enough to fit one. Lots of people stayed up late talking and making all kinds of racket, which didn’t bode well for our 6am wake-up call the next morning.

Kudos go out to Kristy, who not only survived and enjoyed her first rafting experience, but also her first camping experience! She’s a trooper!

All in all, another fun rafting adventure. Next year, it’s time to step it up a notch – Gauley River or bust!

See more pictures from the trip in the gallery.

Take a trip down memory lane. TVSquad looks into where the TGIF stars from such shows as Full House, Boy Meets World and Family Matters are now:
TGIF Stars: Where Are They Now

Seinfeld fans will appreciate this one: Serenity Now

Saw this one on PaulAndEmily.com: Dad’s Life

And a related one from the same church: Mommy Rhapsody

Not all will enjoy this one, but I find it funny. It’s humor for math nerds, a parody of the education films of the late 70s and early 80s: Look Around You – Maths

And finally, in case you missed it end of last week (I don’t know how you could have!), be sure to check out the plethora (love that word!) of Old Spice videos in response to tweets. Brilliant marketing campaign! Here’s just one, a marriage proposal. You can see all at the Old Spice YouTube Channel.

In case you haven’t heard, Kentucky’s law banning texting while driving (more generally, distracted driving) went into effect on July 1st. Of course, you weren’t texting/Facebooking/Twittering while driving anyway, so this shouldn’t affect you in anyway, right?

The official press release from Gov. Beshear’s office is below. Here’s a link to the law itself:
Texting While Driving Law – House Bill 415

Ban on texting while driving takes effect Thursday
Ban extends to cell phone use for 16- and 17-year-old drivers

FRANKFORT, Ky. (July 14, 2010) – Governor Steve Beshear’s ongoing effort to make Kentucky roads safer takes a big step on Thursday, July 15, when a new law takes effect to ban texting for all drivers and cell phone use for drivers under 18.

Kentucky recorded more than 57,000 crashes last year – and more than 200 fatalities – attributed to driver distraction and inattention.

“I was proud to support and sign this law into effect, and strongly believe this will further our efforts to reduce fatalities on Kentucky roadways,” Gov. Beshear said. “Safety is a top priority of my administration, and this law will help increase awareness of the dangers of texting while driving and encourage drivers to stay focused on the road.”

The law bans texting for drivers of all ages while the vehicle is in motion. For drivers over 18, it allows the use of global positioning devices and reading, selecting or entering a telephone number or name for the purpose of making a phone call. Texting is allowed only to report illegal activity or to request medical or emergency aid.

“We are convinced that this new law will save lives,” said Acting Transportation Secretary Mike Hancock. “The message to drivers is to eliminate distractions and stay focused on the road. Driving a motor vehicle requires your undivided attention.”

For drivers under 18, use of all personal communication devices such as cell phones and pagers is not allowed while the vehicle is in motion. The use of a global positioning system is allowed, but manually entering information must be completed while the vehicle is stopped. Emergency and public safety vehicles are exempt when the use of a personal communication device is essential to the operator’s official duties.

In December 2009, Gov. Beshear launched his Eyes on the Road effort –an executive order prohibiting text messaging by state employees who are driving government-owned vehicles. In April 2010, Gov. Steve Beshear signed the law banning texting for all drivers and cell phone use for drivers under 18.

Law enforcement officers will issue warnings until Jan. 1, 2011. On or after Jan. 1, violators will be liable for fines of $25 on a first offense and $50 on each subsequent offense.

“Even though our total number of fatalities for 2009 was less than 2008, those killed in crashes resulting in distraction, inattention and cell phone use increased,” said Chuck Geveden, executive director of the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety. “This legislation is sure to save lives, prevent injuries and cut down on crashes across Kentucky.”

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 6,000 people died in 2008 in crashes involving distracted drivers, and more than a half million were injured. Inexperienced drivers under 20 years old have the highest proportion of distraction-related fatal crashes.

Information on distracted driving is at http://highwaysafety.ky.gov/.

You may have seen, or maybe heard about, the contestant who bid the exact correct value on the Showcase Showdown on The Price is Right. If you haven’t, watch below.

Never in the 38 years of the show had any contestant gotten the price exactly right – until Terry came along. There have been many conspiracy theories about how this happened. Many people think it was fixed due to Drew Carey’s lack of reaction when he announces the actual price of the showcase.

Chris Jones over at Esquire looks into how the perfect bid came to be. It’s a very interesting write up, well worth the read.

The article not only gives a glimpse behind the scenes of the show and explains how Terry studied and prepared for the moment, but also how luck came into play…and the changes that were made to the show so the chances of this happening again are incredibly slim.

The producers no longer rely on Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup; now they have different soups. They have different everything. They’ve built more luck into the games, dumb luck, and they’ve started doing sneaky things like changing the options on the cars — adding floor mats, taking away the stereo system — to mess with the prices. And they’ve started adding more luxury items, like Burberry coats, the sorts of things for which ordinary people who have lived their ordinary lives would never have clipped a coupon.