It's a hot Summer day in Las Vegas. I realize that I haven't written a stockpile post for some time. This seems like a good reason to stay inside the air-conditioned office for a few more minutes. Discounted Flights If you too are feeling this heat
The other day, I saw a screenshot of a product I hadn't thought about since the 1980s: Just seeing that photo brought back the taste of the popsicle, the sound it made when you bit into it, and even the smell and feel of the basement from which
Over the years, I’ve written about my missionary service a number of times. Last year I celebrated my 25th anniversary of entering the mission field in San Francisco. Five years ago I wrote sixteen items of gratitude that I feel toward the opportunity to serve. Among other things, I
We made a quick trip to New York City to check off a bucket list item.Here is a brief overview in photos: First, a moment to appreciate Terminal 3. If every terminal could be like Terminal 3, airport travel would be so much better. We made a stop at
In our house, we've been learning a lot about Aphantasia. This is the inability to visualize images in your mind. On the opposite end of the spectrum is Hyperphantasia. This condition includes the ability "of having extremely vivid mental imagery." A common gauge is the apple
When you order a dozen donuts at our local shop, they provide your dozen and then they throw a stack of donut holes on top. I think it's their version of the baker's dozen. In that vein, here is a Thinker's Dozen with 13
It was 61 years ago this month that "Fun in Acapulco" was released. This was the last Elvis movie before Beatlemania really started to take over. It was peak Elvis and is my favorite movie with him. Join me for a recap (with spoilers because the movie is
When we travelled to Japan earlier this year, I learned about a type of story telling called Kishōtenketsu. It is a story told in four parts that doesn’t have to include conflict for interest. This structure is commonly used in short stories, movies, and anime from Japan. It can
When our boys were young, they enjoyed a movie called “Robots.” It was fun, uplifting, and didn’t have any annoying high-pitched voices so we didn’t mind that they watched it over and over in the car. One of the characters, voiced by Mel Brooks, is named Bigweld. He
The other day I learned some math that really made me think: The earth is rotating at 1,040 miles per hour. This means that even if you are standing still, you are still moving that fast. But also the earth itself is orbiting the sun at 66,600 mph.
It's that time of year again. The sun is shining, the pool water is glistening, and those stinking pigeons are coming back to bathe in the pool. They bring the sounds, the feathers, and the other things that they leave behind. In the past I've tried
In 1985, James Taylor released an album called "That's Why I'm Here." It's full of good songs and the title song is one of the best. James recalls that the song was inspired by the death of his friend John Belushi, a
I've been learning a lot about wisdom, knowledge, and ignorance. It's been fascinating to connect the three. Here is a small collection of thoughts on ignorance: Ignorance can be bliss I've always enjoyed creme brûlée. The crack of the crispy top. The chill of
A.A. Milne wrote that Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh?” he whispered. “Yes, Piglet?” “Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s hand. “I just wanted to be sure of you.” In an always changing world, how nice to have someone you can be “sure of” forever. Someone who
The Notes app comes on every iOS and macOS device by default. In the early days, it wasn't very reliable or feature filled and that turned some people away from it. The current app is great though. You can easily scan text or full documents to a note.
It was 25 years ago today that I entered the mission field to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I arrived with two suits, a heart, and a willing mind. I barely fit the suits. Luckily only the latter two are required. I am thankful for the friends, the mentors,
Tech
On a recent trip to Bolivia, our family enjoyed much of what this overlooked gem of South America had to offer. One thing we did not enjoy was the slow access to internet. The cellular was slow because of the terrain. This made it hard to get around. Even worse
Tech
In order for HomeKit to work properly, you need a home hub in your house. This can be any HomePod or Apple TV on your network. (iPad no longer operates as a home hub...thank goodness.) Ideally, all of this operates flawlessly and "just works." In reality though,
Tech
After 21 years of blogging on Wordpress, I decided to move to Ghost. It's strange to be using another platform. I installed my first wordpress blog in 2003 soon after the initial release. But things have changed a lot on the Wordpress front. I decided it was time
Tech
In a few days, Google is going to drop support for Dropcam and Dropcam Pro cameras. It’s understandable considering the age and history of these products. They also gave plenty of notice and offered a couple free current cameras so at least they did things the right way. But
Faith
The tomb is empty. I knew it in my heart before I saw it with my eyes. “they will crucify him; and after he is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days he shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who
Travel
In his classic 1872 book, author Jules Verne wrote: It’s really useful to travel, if you want to see new things. That’s true. And it’s not just seeing new things. It’s also learning, feeling, smelling, and trying new things. As we flew out of Las Vegas,
Travel
It’s been more than a decade since I was last in Peru. Some things have changed but much is the same. As with all our stops though, it’s fun to see it again for the first time as Candace and the kids explore The Land of the Incas.
Travel
La Paz is the beautiful city in the clouds. It seems overlooked among the great South American cities but it can take your breath away in multiple ways. I was so happy to be back. Catching your breath You can’t talk about La Paz without mentioning the altitude. It’
Travel
Another week, another ocean, another continent. We flew across the Atlantic and landed in Brazil. Welcome back to the Americas! City Life We began this stop in the South America’s biggest city, São Paulo. It was nice to be back in a metropolis where people drive on the right
Travel
After exploring Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, for no particular reason, we decided to walk to the edge of the park. When we got there, we thought we’d go on the bridge to see the view of the waterfall. And when we got there, we figured since we walked that
Travel
Our next adventure took us North to Zimbabwe. Candace’s love language is waterfalls so surely we had to visit one of the Seven Natural wonders of the world: Victoria Falls. We’ll break this into four parts: The Town Victoria Falls is also the name of a small town
Faith
As we continue our trip around the world, we received news from home that my Grandpa Don C. Tingey passed away. It was expected but no less piercing. He was my last living grandparent. Life is definitely darker without any living grandparents. It’s impossible to sum up all that
Travel
In our family, the year that a child turns twelve they can choose anywhere in the world for a trip with just me and them. Cole chose Bolivia. Will chose Japan. Samm chose South Africa. Well, here we are 10,319 miles away from home. (A new record if you’
Travel
Singapore was our final destination on the Asian continent. I’m still still wrapping my brain around this interesting city-state. It’s different but familiar. In many ways, it feels like “The Las Vegas of Southeast Asia.” The Name The history of this Singapore island is long and short. Having
Travel
It’s not that I had never heard of Malaysia but I didn’t know much about it. That seems to be the situation for most people I know. When they heard Kuala Lumpur was on the list they always asked, “Where is that?” It is the home of the
Travel
Thailand is known as the land of smiles. It could also be known as the land of malls, traffic, food, and energy. I was happy to be back in this country and show the family around. A Place to Call Home Our house was very comfortable and sat atop a