You-Taw!

Here are some shots from our recent vacation to Utah. Utah paid me nothing to tell you this: but y'all need to check this part of the country out for yourselves.

Pioneer Park: St George, Utah, after eating Olive Garden to go while watching the sunset.

Left to right: Lia, wearing a monarch butterfly necklace made by A-Ro; Ned, wearing my new cool green shirt; Paul, sporting one of his fifty triathlon shirts; and Stef, who is simply, purely, all around sporty.

The next morning on the trail. Zion Park: sixteen miles down river. Here we go!

Either the walls got higher, or we got smaller.

Feeling small.

This is one of the many obstacles we had to navigate. Fortunately, this one required some off river scrambling instead of a waterfall plunge! Although we did experience one casualty here: Paul's dry suit (aka Star Trek Costume) disappeared.

Ned and Lia and our poop bags, post coffee and oatmeal...guess who had to carry them...

Miraculously, a hiker found Paul's Star Trek Costume! Have you ever seen a happier Spock?

Taken at Big Springs. Did I say this already? The trail IS the river. I think I may have forgotten to share this minor detail to Paul and Stef as well!

That little ant right there is Lia! By the way, this picture only gets half the wall!

We journeyed east to Page, AZ the next day to explore the Antelope Canyons. Here's Stef. For a second, we thought we lost her!

It's even more spectacular in person.

We only took 1,000 photos.

Paul and Stef jumped in our photo! Just kidding.

I saw this high point and took off. I looked over my shoulder to discover no one following me.

Can anyone say, Christmas Card 2011?

This photo was taken at Houston's Family Restaurant. Hands down, our best meal of the week.

It was raining everywhere in Southern Utah except in Bryce Canyon, where it was snowing. Guess where we decided to go?

Photographers would tell you that the first snow of the year at Bryce is one of the best photo ops there is. From this amateur's point of you, I'd have to say I agree.

We were on the Queens Garden Loop when this man coming from the other directions says: "There's a must stop ahead. You can't not do it."

He was right.

Around the bend there were hundreds of tiny rock piles. Whoever started this, thanks! What fun! Let me say: If it's been awhile since you played with rocks, do so soon. It's more fun than it sounds.

I told the team that the guidebook called this place Kissers Arch. Lia fell for it!

We bought the hats at the lodge.

Cliffside, Paul and Stef didn't trust me with the camera.

Our last day of hiking took us back to Zion where we journeyed up to Observation Point. Quite a view, I must say.

Paul only had to take 10 pictures to get one of me actually in the air! Ha!

Same day, different world: Las Vegas, the Venetian, Tao restaurant, a floating fifty foot Buddha behind us. Our waiter said that last week a couple got in a fight and the lady threw her wedding ring into the fountain underneath the Buddha. The next day she came back looking for it. According to the waiter, the ring was never found. All this to say, even after all the adventure, our marriages (and our friendship) managed to evade a similar fate.

What a trip! Looking forward to the next one...

Grunt

A few weeks ago, A-Ro and I were on our way back from the bagel store when she asked: "Daddy, what's a grunt?"

I had to think a moment on that one, before saying: "Well, it's a noise you make when you exert a lot of energy."

"No," she said, "a grunt, like in Charlotte's Web."

"Oh," I said, understanding. "I think the word is runt."

"Wilbur was a grunt," she said.

"I guess you could say that. Pigs do grunt."

"You know, Daddy, you're like a grunt."

I nodded as I looked back at her through the rearview mirror. "I guess I am." She had a point, after all. Her Daddy is not the largest of men.

"You know what they do to grunt's?" she asked.

"What's that, Sweetie?" I answered.

"They kill them."

Hot Momma

She's so cool.

Congratulations for kicking some serious triathlon tooshie.

Redeemer Middle School Rocks

Recently, I was given the opportunity to hang out with the Redeemer School's middle schoolers for the weekend. In addition to playing in the band (that's JT on the bass and Jennifer Wolfe Steele on the mic) I was asked to speak. I figured what better audience to experiment with some Clay themes.

Is there any time more formative than the early teens?

I spent the first night talking about the things that shaped me when I was a teenager. You can probably guess how that turned out.

The next day we talked about what happens when we let the one who made us shape us.

The first time I looked at this picture, I was like, 'Shoot, I've got zero attention going on,' until I realized that this picture was taken after I had given them clay and told them to pay attention to it. Ha!

It turned out to be a very transformational experience. At least for the speaker. Thank you Redeemer for asking me!

Blue Ridge Relay

I want to shake the hand of the man or woman who came up with this. A 208 mile relay race through the mountains, through day and night, from Grayson Highlands to Asheville.

My friend Jorge (running below) only had to ask me once. That's Emily above enjoying a pristine segment along the North Fork of the New River.

Emily and I were the only non-BB&T members of the team. Below, that's Oscar, Hernan (with four arms), Matt, and Jorge as we cheered on the Van #1 runners.

Each team member ran three legs. I totaled 21 miles for my part. We had just enough time to recover, so in Van 2 we ran each segment to the point of vomit. Now, that's team spirit.

After finishing my 7.5 mile middle of the night run. I chugged two waters, ate a bagel and Snickers bar, changed into my pajamas, brushed my teeth, and then Jorge asked me to run his 3.2 mile segment with him. I said, No. Then, the excitement of the event overtook me and I tore off my pajamas, threw on my shoes, and ran after him without a vest or reflectors. I went 1.5 miles before the bagel, Snickers, and water coagulated into a giant mass in my stomach and gave me the worst stomach cramp in the history of cramps. I had to send Jorge on, but I couldn't stop or I'd be left behind. So I gutted (literally) out the last 1.7. It was awesome.

This Van is an example of the Team Spirit we were competing against. Representing a bank, we kept our van clean. (But inside, we all wanted to do something to it.)

In Asheville, we finished the last leg together, drank a beer and ate a burger to celebrate. We ended up 37th of 100something teams. Pretty good. Our Van walked down 59 runners over the course of the race (not that we were counting.)

I want to personally thank the Best Bank in Town for the opportunity to tag along. Thank you also to Lia, who let me go on the adventure. Maybe she can join the team next year!

Gangstas in the House

Yesterday, the fam went on a walk to find puddles. On the way, A-Ro and Dave Dave decided to make things more interesting by making guns out of sticks so they could shoot stuff.

...this was just about the time the cop car drove by...

...which inspired these words to come forth out of my daughter's mouth:

"BAM! BAM! I just shooted the police!"

Dave Dave smiled, pointing his stick-gun at me: "Bam! Bam! Daddy."

It was then I officially tossed that dream of my children one day winning the Nobel Peace Prize out the window.

Fifth Graders Rock

Karen, also known as El Presidente of New Growth Press, had this great idea of getting kids to read Clay. So over the last couple weeks, I've had some families take on the task. Thanks Trollingers, Gayles, and Kaufmann's.

After some encouraging reviews, I decided to contact Summit School. I called Bekah Sidden in the Guidance Office to see what interest she might muster up. I was hoping for a few courageous fifth graders. An hour later, Teresa Tsipis, one of the fifth grade teachers, gets in touch with me.

Next thing I know the entire fifth grade is going to not only read Clay, but illustrate it, give me written feedback, and even work with some clay of their own! They're practically building an entire unit around the book!

Last Thursday, I had the chance to speak to them. I had the zoom lens with me, so I only was able to fit half the room.

It was awesome. Bekah told me before the assembly that Teresa (top right) was a little worried that I was too humble and soft spoken for fifth graders. I had to laugh. Never have I been given such flattery.

Humble, soft spoken. I wish. If you can't be excited around fifth graders, who can you be excited around?

If anyone is in Ned's wheelhouse, it's fifth graders. Fifth graders and old ladies. They love me. Everyone else, not so much.

I just hope these fifth graders love Clay. If anything, I know I'll at least get honest feedback!

Here's to you Summit! Thanks! You rock!

First Day of Kindergarten

Look out world. Here comes A-Ro.

Because She is that Awesome

Last week was Lia's birthday week. She gets a week now because she is that awesome. And just now as I downloaded the pictures, I realized, not to my credit, that we actually pulled off doing all five of Lia's five favorite things, which are (in no particular order):

(1) Vineyard Visiting (and all that goes with it)

(2) Hiking

(3) Anything that has to do with horses

(4) Anything that has to do with water

(5a) And Gardening

(5b) Also known as enjoying the fruit of ones labor.

Happy Birthday, Leela. Looking forward to next August. Who knows? Maybe we'll give you the whole month!

Chapter 1

I just sent my first novel, Clay, to the publisher! The experience of finishing it has been somewhat of a mixture of these two pictures:

Like climbing a mountain...and like scratching your head, wondering where your horse ran off to.

I can't wait for you and your children and your parents and and their parents and your friends and your friend's children and your (you get the idea) to read it. In fact, I'm pasting Chapter 1 below! Check it out. (It's short)

As the months go by, I'll share more about both the story and the story behind the story. I'll also keep you updated on the editing/design/marketing phases as they come. Right now, it is in the reading phase. So please join the pros and let me know what you think!

CLAY

Sitting by the Fire

Will you help me, please? You see, you have something I lost. At least I hope you have it because it is a terrible thing to lose. I have tried to get mine back for years with little success. What is it? you ask. Well, belief, of course. I can’t seem to find mine. It’s why this story has been so difficult for me to write – because, as you will see, the story is unbelievable.

It’s a story that my grandpa told me when I was perhaps the age you are now. We were sitting by the fire in the room he called the den. I remember it vividly: the embers in the fireplace beating like a heart, their sleepy hiss, the orange glow dim in Grandpa’s cloudy eyes as he finished the story about the night he should have died but didn’t.

It was clear he believed every word. He said that when you experience something of that magnitude you find yourself capable of many things. Perhaps that is why I didn’t believe it right away. Not that my experience changes the story any. It’s just that at some point you may begin to wonder if this is all made up. I did. When I heard it, I wondered. I still find it hard to believe even with the proof right here in my hand. That’s why I need your help. I want to believe again.

But now that I’m finally writing the story down, I realize how foolish it has been to let my doubts get in the way. After all, though the outcome affects me, the story is not really mine.

It’s not really Grandpa’s for that matter. It’s Clay’s – the story of what happened when he became made. He’s the hero in Grandpa’s story. That is the unbelievable part. You see, Clay was clay, and to some extent he was made already. He was made of clay, which is really just a nice way of saying mud, which isn’t really a nice thing to call anybody (even when it’s accurate). Anyhow, Clay was the name Grandpa chose to call him. Grandpa always did give the benefit of the doubt. Not that a name matters that much. The important thing to know about Clay is that he was real. He was as alive as you or me. He could twist, jump, stretch, roll, walk, talk and even whistle!

Now, I can see that some of you already are thinking to yourself, how can a piece of clay be alive? That’s impossible! Well, that’s exactly what I thought, too. And that’s exactly why I need your help. Because Clay was real to Grandpa, and if you are going to appreciate this story, Clay is going to have to be real to you, too. I’m saying this to myself as much as to anyone. So what do you say? Will you believe with me?

Nemo

It was the day before Anna Rose's birthday, and I was minding my own business - really, I was on my way to work with work on my mind - when I saw a rock moving across Robinhood Rd. I swerved out of the way, quickly realizing that it wasn't a moving rock but a turtle.

And before I had time to process a thought, I found that I had turned around, driven back, pulled over, and was now walking toward it. (Had I processed I probably would not have done it.)

But it wasn't the time to think. It was the eve to Anna Rose's birthday. And, of course, we had plenty of presents for her: a game for her Leapster, some Barbie dolls, a make-your-own jewelry set. I knew hermit crabs were on the way...you see, what Anna Rose really wanted were pets.

Her list included a hamster, a guinea pig, a puppy, a fish family, and a hermit crab family. We had said no to them all...all except the hermit crab family. Dear Lucy, our beloved babysitter, insisted on getting them.

Now here I was carrying a turtle back to the car. I didn't have anything to put it in, so I emptied a box of wet wipes and put it in there. You should have heard the poor turtle scraping for dear life. Getting home, I made a little pen for the little guy in the back yard, texted Lia to "call me", and went to work.

When Lia and I talked, she was all about the turtle.

So we gave it to Anna Rose the next day. She was a little afraid at first (so was the turtle). As it turned out, the turtle was not the Box Turtle I had thought it was. It was an Eastern Painted Turtle, which meant that we were off to the pet store.

We learned while we were there that owning a wild turtle is illegal in North Carolina. "All right, I'll put it back," I said, "but, I'm just interested, what do wild turtles eat?" Turns out, turtle food, which you can conveniently buy at the pet store!

So one aquarium later we were off to build our illegal turtle a new home.

We named him/her/it Nemo because he/she/it has a gimpy front foot. (I saved it, really...oh, how I have prayed these last three weeks that God would continue to save it now that it is in an aquarium in Anna Rose's room.)

I'm happy to report that Nemo is doing well. I teared up the morning A-Ro and I watched him/her/it eat for the first time. He/she/it doesn't even swim away when I enter the room. Not any more.

In the end, I am very pleased with breaking the law. I have actually been planning my next misdemeanor. In the meantime, may this post serve as the official announcement of our newest member of the family: Nemo.

As for the hermit crabs, they and I have not really bonded. Climbee and Hide-ee (can you guess which does which?) are cool and all, but they're food smells like foot fungus and discarded fish heads.

Fat Skeleton Suit

Here is a talk I gave last week called "Fat Skeleton Suit." For all of you who remember Slim Goodbody from Saturday morning cartoons - this one is for you.

Let me know what you think.

http://hopepresws.com/components/com_sermonspeaker/media/sermons/2011/20110717.mp3

Happy Birthday Anna Rose

Anna Rose, you are now 5 years old. I am 36 years old. So I had 31 years of living before you were born. But you should know, of all the years that I have lived, I have loved the ones with you the most. I love you, Rosie Girl. Happy Birthday.

Here you are on the day you were born!

This is how I looked at you when you were three days old.

You had the wildest hair when you were one.

That was the summer I learned that the best way to watch fireworks was through your eyes.

We learned by the time you were two that you liked to dress up!

I wonder who you learned that from?

You have had five pool parties! This picture is from your third.

You ate a piece of cake and then ate some of mine.

When you were about to turn four, I started to worry that you were beginning to grow up a little too fast.

But you were kind enough to set my mind at ease.

You dazzle me with your beauty, little girl.

I do not have to wonder who you got that from.

I love you, Anna Rose. We all do. Happy Birthday. May this year be the best one yet.

Biggest Laugh This Summer

In general, I do not believe it is good to laugh at the expense of someone else. Particularly, I believe it is inappropriate to laugh at a person who is suffering. However, I did both a few weeks ago. And now I would like to share the laugh with you. Thank you Aunt Melanie for the permission ; )

She was the person I laughed at. Aunt Mel is one of the most wonderful people on the planet. She has also needed knee surgery for years. Well, finally, in June, she did it. (She is recovering well, I'm happy to report.)

I wrote her to see how she was getting along and ask her if there might be anything I could do to help. Here is the conversation via facebook.

Ned Ericksonposted toMelanie Koewing

Thinking about you Mel. Let me know if you need anything.

June 21 at 8:22pm · ·

• Dawne Sarchetlikes this.
• • 

    Melanie Koewing i will id you nwws mw ro fA

    June 23 at 2:44pm ·
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    Ned Ericksonha! sounds like you need me this instant! please reread what you sent me! it will make you laugh.

    June 23 at 3:07pm ·
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    Melanie Koewing this is nutty...I have no idea what I was saying!! Did i write this this week after the surgery...I have been pretty nutty on these pain pills!

    June 24 at 10:23pm ·

Thnxs Mel I hp yohd flle btter snnoon