"Another" Medical Helicopter Down...

This morning around 0145 a PHI Medical Helicopter Med 33 crashed. According to the pilot, the crew was on their way to pick up a patient when the weather became to bad to fly in due to fog when the pilot chose to abort the mission. Somehow, after that, the helicopter crashed into a house in Chesterfield IN. The pilot, along with the crew, consisting of a flight paramedic and a flight nurse, were taken to a local hospital before being transported by ambulance to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. All three crew members are reported to be currently in serious but stable condition.
For anyone who knows my family and its history, you will know that this hits very close to home. Although this will make the third helicopter crash in which I have, at the very least, known the crew members involved, this is the first time that I have been able to take part in the direct care of the injured. By no means am I attempting to pat myself on the back, but, it did feel good to have the oppritunity to meet these crew members as they arrived in the trauma rooms, with the rest of the trauma team, and use some of the skills I have spent the past several years learning in order to help these friends.
Please keep these medical helicopter crew members in your prayers as you go through your next few days.
Further info can be found at Eyewitness News 13 Indianapolis.

here's a question for you...

here's a question for you...
as stated in one of my recent posts, i have been really taken and moved by the story behind the movie End of the Spear. Jamie Saint, the grandson of Nate Saint, came and spoke at our church last Sunday and really drove home the message of this story, Forgivness! we as Christians live in a fallen world, a world that in order to reach, we must first forgive, then make attempt to "Make Contact", no matter the cost.
so without interjecting to much of my own thoughts, here is a twist on the story, and the making of the movie.
the lead actor, Chad Allen, chosen to play Nate Saint and grown up Steve Saint (Nate's son) in the movie, is a current, active, gay, homosexual activist.
where does your mind go with that? What does that say? How does that affect your support of the movie? WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) Please give me your thoughts.
-C. Allen

eBay!!! Where have I been?

eBay!!! Where have I been?
eBay has been around for several years now, and I really have not given it a whole lot of thought. It always seemed a little to overwhelming for me. But, recently I have bought a few things off eBay and it was so neat, so easy. Also, I put up a few spare computer parts up for bid and, at present, we are just seeing how things are going. As far as listing my items, easy, easy, easy. But as of now, no bids yet, but we'll see. Anyway, really fun and easy, if you have not yet, give it a try, you might like it.
-C. Allen
by the way, if you are interested, my eBay ID is callen727

End of the Spear

today Steph and i went to see the movie End of the Spear. i will provide further thoughts on the movie soon. if you have not made plans to go see this movie, make them now. there are also a couple of books out on the story including End of the Spear by Steve Saint and Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot. I plan on buying and reading both of these and will follow with my thoughts on those as well.

Goodbye PETRA

Seems a bit wierd to do a review on a band that is no longer. The year 2006 stands out in many people's minds and hearts as the first year in so many that will not be blessed by the music of PETRA, not live or new at least. A concert in Murphy, NC on the 31st of December, 2005 ended the farewell tour for PETRA.
IN 1974, a group of guys came together to play and worship the lord through their music, as well as go on to start one of the first, and best Christian rock bands. From 1974 until the end of 2005, this band, changing in it's members but never it's mission, blessed a mutitude of followers. Although the farewell tour has come to an end, the music of PETRA will, I believe, live for a long time to come.
I can only tell my own story of how the band PETRA touched my life.
At about the age of 11, 12, or maybe even 13, my family went through a bit of change and a bit of a challange. We had always been a church going family, a Christian family, a believing family. But, something happened to effect my parents, something that would prove to be a good thing, but also prove to be a hardship, as most good things are. Something caused my parents to see the world for what it really, really is, a dark and unholy place. As this reality hit them between the eyes. They looked down at there three, under the age 11 or so children, and this, I think, scared them. Like turning a puppy lose in the middle of a highway. Of course their reaction, was one of fear and an attempt to protect their own. For months, we as a family were shut off from the outside world. We were brought home to be homeschooled. The radio was not to be turned on without permission and close supervision. The TV was a very seldom happening and again only with very close supervision. (Note: I do believe that the radio and TV should be listened to and watched by children only with close supervision, this is just to show the contrast of change that took place in my household during those years.) So, for the next several months, things went on like this, very little TV (which I think, looking back, was just fine) and very little music. Let me say here, I LOVE MUSIC, and always have. I need it, even if I go deaf, I think there will always be a song in my mind and heart, at least I hope there will be. Over these months, things went as you might expect, I would sneak away and listen to the local "hip" music stations on the radio, I would get caught, and I would be reminded that that was not allowed in our home. Friends would give me "tapes" of artists that were "not that bad" or maybe even that claim to be "Christian". These "tapes" would be reviewed by my parents and then usually be thrown in the trash. At the time, I was sooooo mad. I could not believe what they we doing "to me". Looking back, I see that they were actually doing something "for me", even if they didn't even know it. Finally, we all were able to understand that all I wanted was music, not bad or worldly music, just music.
So, now was the time that, little did anybody know, we as a family would start to make some of my fondest childhood memories. As a family, we would all climb into the old minivan and make trips to the local Christian bookstores. These really are some of the best memories of being a kid that I have to this day. We would try so many different Christian artists on for size. We tried artists like Amy Grant, Sandy Patty, Carman, 2nd Chapter of Acts, and so many more. All very, very good. But nothing still "as good as" the guitars that I could hear if I could sneak a listen to the local rock stations.
And then it happened. My grandparents took me on a mission trip to Mexico with a group of college students from a bible college where my grandmother was a professior. And, yep you guessed it, one of thoses bible college students had a PETRA album with him and he let me listen to it on his walkman. I don't think I will ever forget, it was the album Beyond Belief. I gave that album one listen and have not had one doubt since, there was a new chapter opened in my Christian life. God was cool! And God knew how to ROCK! These guys had something, something I wanted, something I was not going to let go of. For the rest of that week long trip, every chance I got, I was listening, exploring more of this album, this band, this rocking praising of our Lord.
Needless to say, as soon as I arrived home, Mom and Dad had to hear this album, Mom and Dad had to hear what I heard, Mom and Dad had to hear how pure and right and rockin' this "tape" of Christain rock music was. Sure enough, it was no time until we were riding around in that same old, little yellow minivan, rockin', singing to the top of our lungs as a family "I am on the rock", "this is my creed", and so many more.
Now, almost ten years, I'm an adult myself. I have a wife, a home, a career, and two chihuahuas. And yes, I still drive around in my truck and scream to the top of my lungs "Beyond Belief, Beyond Belief".
The band Petra may not be playing together in live concert again until we all assemble in the ever after, but there music and message will stand strong, and be sung and heard loud and strong until then.

Goodbye PETRA, until next time...

new links and Ceasar salad

first off, if you look over to the right, i have put some new links on this page. hope you enjoy them.

second off, and this one is mostly for my family but anyone is welcome to hop in, i am looking for your BEST Ceasar salad resipe. for my family, if you have the old Ceasar salad recipe, the one written on a pink sheet of paper, i would really, really love to have a copy of that. if not, i would like any readers BEST Ceasar salad resipe. thank you and good night.
chase...

One quick question?

real quick question,
could someone explain to me, in real simple terms, what RSS means? I see it mentioned a lot on blogs and other websites, but don't know what it means. I did a search on it but didn't see much that explained what they are; maybe I didn't look long enough. Anyway, I will do more research soon, but if any of you (out of all two of you) can explain it to me real quick, that would be great.
chase

Check these out!

Check these out, Widgets!
Go to Yahoo and search for Yahoo Widgets. These things might be kinda cool, they might be just another way to allow spyware, adware, and all other types of "ware" into your computer. But until I manage to crash my hard drive with these things, they really are fun. Give them a look and maybe a try and tell me what you think.
Later,
chase

A few new pictures of the girls...

Hope these pictures find you well. Things are going pretty good here.
More to come soon...
Chase, Stephanie, Peyton, and Taylor

my thought for the week...

ok, here is my thought/question/pondering for the week. was there ever a time in the life of Jesus here on earth that Jesus used His "supernatural" power to work good for Himself.
allow me to put that in reference, or at least try. Jesus came to earth as a God and as a human. as He walked the earth, He performed "supernatural" acts in order to prove to those around him that He was more than just a mere man. but, reflect to when Jesus was up on the mountain and satan tempted Him to turn the stone into a piece of bread. well, in our last bible study, the question came up, why would it have been a bad thing for Jesus to turn a stone into bread?
the way i see and understand it, the problem with that would have been that Jesus would have been using His God power for himself. if Jesus was willing to do that, than how many other things would He have been willing to do in order to make His stay here on earth a bit easier for Himself. if He was willing to turn stones into bread using his God power, than could He have used His God power to help Him through other things like the life with no sin, or the crucifixion, etc.
the way i look at the life of Jesus here on this earth is He as a God living here as a human. that was the whole point wasn't it, that He walked where we walked, felt what we felt, hurt like we hurt. if He was down here walking around in a human body just as a cover, yet feeling everything as a God, then wouldn't that make it all pointless?
please give input. i am looking for your opinions, thoughts, references, etc.

could there be any more poop?

that's right, i asked if there could be more poop?
Taylor the chihuahua came to live with us last monday. she is the coolest little thing. her personality is so different than Peyton's. Peyton is so prim and popper, Taylor is sooo clumsy. they are fun to watch play. and i don't think that their mommy could love them anymore than she does.
so, here is the problem. when Taylor came home to live with us, she had quite a bit of diarrhea. this can be normal for a pup when they move to a new place. i already had a vet visit scheduled for her the next day. everything came back normal and healthy from that visit. like normal, they took a poop sample. the next day, the bad news came. diagnosis- giardia. giardia is a parasite that makes it's way into the intestinal system of the animal and causes problems, including diarrhea. Also, this giardia is very contagious to other animals and humans. and that’s where the bad news starts. today, this morning, when i got home from work, i took Peyton "potty" and, yes you guessed it, diarrhea. of course this happens on a holiday, so i will have to wait until tuesday to get Peyton started on a treatment plan.
we are so glad to have pups that are free from diseases that could take their lives. they are the most fun to have around, they watch, and keep us company. unfortunately, they both now have this intestinal parasite, giardia. since this causes diarrhea, it is really, really hard on our carpet, our sleep schedule, and on the pups themselves. we are going to work as hard as we can to treat and fix this and also to use this as an opportunity to grow closer as husband and wife as well as a family of people and pups.
we remember that things could be so much worse. however, this is not easy so all prayers are welcome.
i will try to keep this site updated. thanks to everyone who has read this. i hope to provide more pictures and more interesting reading soon.
-C. Allen

Preparing for Puppy

so it's been a while since i last posted. things have been crazy around here and i have been feeling pretty under the weather for the past few weeks. anyway, the good news is, last monday, Steph and i went to meet our new chihuahua pup. we decided that we wanted to get Peyton a buddy some time ago and have been looking ever since. finally we found a little lady that we think is going to make a good fit into our family. last monday when we went to meet her she was about 6 and a half weeks old and weighed just 2 pounds. we are scheduled to go pick her up on the coming monday morning. we would have liked to have been able to have her with us for Christmas but she is just a little to young and small to be taken away from her breeder.
we hope everyone is having a great holiday season. Merry Christmas!!!

i still want The Wonder Years

paramedic school is over, Christmas is upon us, and all i really have to say is this:
I AM STILL LOOKING FOR A DVD SET OF THE WONDER YEARS!!! so, if anyone is looking for any last minute Christmas gift ideas for me, eBay has a lot of options for buying The Wonder Years on DVD collection. it usually is a 8 disc, DVD set that can be purchased for between $50.00 - $100.00. i would pay closer to the $50.00 range. if someone out there would like to make my Christmas season, and send me The Wonder Years on DVD collection, you can ask for my home address on the comments section of this post and i will email it to you. thanks for all of your looking!!!
(by the way, i will survive if i don't recieve The Wonder Years on DVD collection this Christmas, this is just a long shot, "hint, hint")

its been a long time coming...

thats right, the National Registry Paramedic Certification that i have been waiting, so patiently, for came in the mail today!!! i am now an official paramedic! next step to actually being allowed to work as a paramedic in the state of Indiana, state certification. but, that SHOULD be easy. i have paperwork in my hands the i will take to the Indiana Emergency Medical Services Commission, after i get some specific signatures, and they will give me a temporary certification card, the real one will follow in the mail. BUT, i will be finally able to start working in the Emergency Department at Methodist Hospital as a paramedic. also, i am going to apply for a job with Wishard Hospital Ambulance as a paramedic. Wishard Hospital Ambulance is the 911 service for the downtown Indianapolis area. don't know if they will want me right away, but i'll keep applying until they take me. i'll keep you posted.
working for Wishard is a bit scary, but i think it will be fun, and also very rewarding, and good for my future career. anyway, its nice that things are back in my own hands. i got the paperwork i needed, and soon, i will be working as a Paramedic. its been a long time coming...
(by the way, the above picture is of Wishard Ambulance Medic 5 sitting in the ambulance bay at Methodist Hospital, very cool!)

in search of something else, this time the Truth!!!

ok, i was recently in search of a DVD collection of the Wonder Years. and just incase anyone is still in need of something to get me for Christmas, i still am looking for the Wonder Years on DVD.
but today, i am looking for something else. many of you may have no idea what i'm talking about, but i am looking for a few Truth albums.
Truth is the band that 4Him played for before making it big on thier own. Truth had a GREAT sound, they had great brass, great vocals, great key boards, great everything. and to top it off, they were one of the first Chistian bands that i ever heard. i was able to see them a few times in concert and even able to meet a few of thier members. in fact, i was able to meet Marty Magehee, a member of Truth that went on to be a member of 4Him. he was really nice to me, as i was a kid that was impressed to meet a band member of Truth in the bathroom of a show.
ok, all that to say, if any of you have any idea where i could find a Truth album, i would love to hear some of those old songs! to be honest, i can't even remember what the tunes to their songs are, i just remember how they blessed me. i mean, i can't hum to myself the song, i can just remember the feeling that God gave me each and evey time i heard them sing and play.
i wrote the 4Him website to tell them that i was looking for some old Truth albums and they said that they were all out of print. the nice lady there told me to post on Mark or Andy's websites. i will try that. and like i told her, i am not in a big hurry, i would just love to hear that music once again!!!
if anybody can be of any help, i would really be thankful!
my wife has never even heard of the band Truth. i feel like this is part of my faith, something that my wife should know.
thanks everybody,
later,
chase...

a good thought...

the following is a post i found on another blog i read. i was inspired. please read and leave your thoughts. I will pass them along to the writter.


Plenty To Be Thankful For

A few weeks ago, I wrote here how excited I was about the new direction I was taking in my career. That new direction came to an abrupt end last week. I wasn't given an explanation. I was just told things aren't working out. So, at the age of 37, I get to start all over again - from scratch. Pretty cool, huh? It doesn't help that I have to look for permanent work just as the holidays are getting started. Job counselors have all said the same things "it would have been nice if you were let go after the holidays. This isn't a good time to be looking for a job." Just what I needed to hear.

But before I go too far and make it sound like I may be bitter about what has happened, I pause to say I'm a very thankful man. A wise man once told me "real problems are the kind that money can't solve." Considering the kind of year we've experienced as a family, we've got plenty of financial problems. But, we've been blessed that we haven't been visited by any real problems. Jobs, money, houses, etc., come and go. People are what matter, or so I'm finding out. Thankfully, my entire immediate family is healthy. My father-in-law had a scare recently, but it appears his condition was discovered in time and can be treated.

Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday. You don't have to exchange gifts. You really don't have to spend a lot of money - unless you plan to eat a lot. All you have to do is get together with people you love and celebrate each other. I like that. No expectations - unless you plan to eat a lot. Our family usually plans on eating a lot. We also pause to tell each other what we're thankful for. I've had time over the weekend to reflect on what I'm thankful for. Here's just a few things...

I'm thankful for my family. My wife is an incredible encouragement to me. She is the master of giving me more of what I need instead of what I want. If I'm feeling bad about how things are going and would like sympathy, she doesn't give it to me. Instead, I get that swift kick (it's not too hard, though) in the pants that lands me back on my feet. I'd be a mess without her.

I've learned so much from my children. I know it's supposed to be the other way around. Some of my most enjoyable entertainment of my life is to watch them when they don't think I'm looking.

God has given me incredible parents. I enjoy asking my dad for advice. He often says "I don't think I can offer any advice for that." I still ask anyway. I figure I can learn something from someone who survived the Battle of Bastogne. I think I get my grit from my mother. She doesn't know the meaning of the word "quit." Maybe it's because she's German. Dad is Scotch/Irish descent. No wonder I'm stubborn. (Which is why I often need the aforementioned kick.)

I'm thankful for my in-laws (they'll likely see this blog, so I'd better mention them). I've heard horror stories about people and their interaction with their in-laws. I don't have nearly that many. Just kidding! My in-laws (which includes both my brother-in-law and sister-in-law as well) have always been supportive of both me and my family. It means so much.

I'm also thankful for friends. My family has been blessed to be part of the Vineyard Church of Conroe for the past 5 years. We've known many of the same people for much longer. They've been there for us through some of the most challenging events of our lives - and they continue being there for us, even now. Proverbs says it best - "better to have a friend close by than a brother far away." I'm glad I have a lot of friends close by. Some of them are just down the street.

I could continue, but it would make for some pretty boring reading - for anyone that actually reads my blog (according to my page count, somebody must be reading something).

I close by asking this question: what are you thankful for? You might say "not much." Really? Try writing a few things down. Before long, you'll have quite a list - if you're honest.

I know I don't have much in the way of money. Hopefully, something will come along to change my job prospects. Still, I have what counts, which means I've got plenty to be thankful for.

The above post can be found at http://muscodinewine.blogspot.com/
if you enjoy the above post, or like baseball, please visit the above mentioned blogsite, i think you will enjoy it. it is written by a good friend of mine, someone i think of as family!!!
later,
chase...

lets hear it for the Christian music scene!

maybe its because i have let myself drift out of the scene of Christian music for a while or maybe its is because of a lack of interest on my part that somehow has changed in the past week or so but can i just say, lets give it up for the Christian music scene! i mean for a number of years now i have all but given up on hearing GOOD music from a Christian artist.
of course i still have several albums from years ago, albums by Petra, Plankeye, Steven Curtis Chapman, Dallas Holm, Third Day, Jars of Clay, and many, many more. albums that i still very much enjoy! but over the past five or six years, i have not heard anything that made me jump out of my seat and say to myself, WOW, i have to go out and buy that album right now. i haven't heard anything in a long while that stuck in my head, and i didn't mind it being there.

now i will admit, again, that it is "possible" that it "could" have "some" to do with me and what i was willing to hear and enjoy. but whatever the cause may be, thank God there has been a change.
and has there ever been a change? there is so much good stuff out there in Christian music that i don't even have time to catch up. there does not seem to be time in each day to listen, enjoy, and praise along with all of it. i even found an album by Petra that is a whole album of there old songs redone in a more modern version. Third Day's new album, Wherever You Are, i can't seem to get out of my player, and i have not even gotten past the first four songs on the album. then there is Casting Crowns, Stephanie and i have the latest two albums by them. i have only gotten into a few of their songs, and that is only because i can't get past a few of their songs because they are so great. i know that i have heard mention of the band Mercy Me for a little while now, but really, what planet have i been living on? how cool are these guys? awesome stuff! and if you dare, try on some of Swithfoot's new stuff, it will knock you socks off.
tons and tons of awesome stuff out there right now. i have found myself several times over the past week wishing that i could just spend several hours, sitting, and listening to music (kinda like we used to do, Aaron).
so, if you are out of the loop, like i have been for awhile, get back into it. there is some really awesome stuff out there right now. if you are in the loop and have something that means a lot to you, let me know about it. i know there is some cool stuff out there that i have no idea about and would love to hear. i want to hear some personal feelings from others of you.

Cry Out to Jesus

i like to put song lyrics on here. the following is the song mentioned in the last post.

Third Day - Cry Out To Jesus
From the album Wherever You Are

To everyone who's lost someone they love
Long before it was their time
You feel like the days you had were not enough
when you said goodbye

And to all of the people with burdens and pains
Keeping you back from your life
You believe that there's nothing and there is no one
Who can make it right

Chorus:
There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
Love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He'll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

For the marriage that's struggling just to hang on
They’ve lost all of their faith in love
They've done all they can to make it right again
Still it's not enough

For the ones who can't break the addictions and chains
You try to give up but you come back again
Just remember that you're not alone in your shame
And your suffering

Chorus:

When your lonely
And it feels like the whole world is falling on you
You just reach out, you just cry out to Jesus
Cry to Jesus

To the widow who suffers from being alone
Wiping the tears from her eyes
For the children around the world without a home
Say a prayer tonight

Chorus

Label: Essential Records

Lyrics may not be reproduced without permission from the publisher.

i had a good day today

i had an unexpected good day today. today, Sunday, November 20th, 2005, i had a really good day today.
this morning i went to a church service that i did not want to go to. after the church service, i went to the store, which i did not feel like doing today. this afternoon, i watched a football game that i could care less about. and yes, i had a really, really good day today.
the church i attend with my wife is a rather large church, around three thousand members. they usually have four different services each week. one on saturday night and three on sunday morning. but this week, however, we had one huge church gathering at one of the local highschool gyms. only one service this week. i went, i didn't want to, but i went. i am not the biggest fan of large crowds.
allow me to back up a bit. for the last six weeks, my wife Stephanie and i have been a part of a small group of young married couples. we met on wenesday nights. to tell the truth, it was not high on my list of priorities. i think i went to three out of the four weeks. but i said i would try it, so i did my best to stick it out. this past wednesday was the last week of the six weeks and Stephanie and i went to our group meeting. it was about the same, not so bad once we got there, but not the most fun thing i have ever done. but this week we did something a little bit different, Stephanie and i. we stayed and chatted with the other couples for a little while after the meeting. turns out, their kinda cool. in fact, they seemed really cool, they were other young couples about our age, in the same areas of life as we are walking through. anyway, there was mention of continuing the group, continuing to meet every wednesday night. my wife and i jumped for the chance. although we had an excuse all planned out and everything, we felt ourselves excited at the chance to continue to meet with these people, to continue to grow in relationships with these couples. we left that meeting with an unexpected excitment.
back to today. went to the church service that i didn't really want to attend. before the service started, out of all the people in that gym, across the room, i spotted one of the couples from our group. out of no where, i wanted to take my wife and make our way to them just to say hello. they were our friends. once the service started, on the stage, there was one of the guys from our group playing the guitar and singing. i only met this guy a few weeks ago, but he was one of the guys in our group, i felt proud. as the preacher taught, i'm pretty sure he was just talking to me. somehow, in that service, i left feeling more blessed than i had ever dreamed of.
on the way home, we had to stop by the store, i really didn't feel like it, but we needed to, so we went to the store. as we pulled into the parking lot, we heard the song on the radio by Third Day, "Cry Out to Jesus". as soon as we got home, i downloaded that whole album by Third Day. i'm sure i have listened to the song "Cry Out to Jesus" 20 times today. Somewhere, out of nowhere, my wife and i had a really great, close time just walking through the store. it was the best time i have ever had in a store.
and yes, today i watched the colts win. i watched the whole game with my wife. it was a great game. if you know me, you know this is big, it's big because i don't care a thing about sports. but today, i really enjoyed the whole game. this makes us 10-0. yes, i'm proud of our colts.
today, it was a good day. Praise God today, it was a Good Day!
A Good Day is not possible without Him who created Days.

Pixie Maté, so far, its ok.

so my shipment of Pixie Maté came in about 8:00pm tonight. i left it in the box, to wait until tomorrow for my first sip, and that lasted about 10 minutes. the one i chose to try tonight was the chocolate concentrate. i had one glass, and apart from spilling a good amount of it on the floor, careful with the boxed container, it was not bad. i can't say that it was the best thing i have ever put into my mouth, its kinda rich for my taste. but it was not the worst thing ever either. i am looking forward to starting my day off with a cup of the java lovers tea. tonight, after i drank a coffee cup full of the concentrate mixed with milk, i guess i feel more relaxed. however, its about 2:15 am and im sitting here typing instead of sleeping. but who knows if that is the caffine in the drink, or the fact that i never sleep well at night. anyway, if all they say about the health benifits is true, than i will continue to drink maté just for that reason alone. but, i still have the tea bags to try and we'll see if that really tickles my taste buds. but, the drink was not bad, it was good, just not the best thing i have ever put in my mouth. i'll give up the rest of the juice soon on what i think about the taste of the tea and the way maté makes me feel. i think the best thing i can say at this point is, keeping the health benifits in mind, i'm glad it does not taste like the dirt found under a pig pin.

Pixie Maté, the next big thing?

so, i'm really not a health nut, but i like feeling good, feeling healthy. i can't see myself becoming an all organic, no meat, granola bar eating freak any time soon. but every once in a while i do come across something that i can do for myself that helps me feel a little bit better throughout my day. i try to drink more water in the day than i really want to. i don't smoke. i stay active. i watch what i eat, for the most part. i have even tried exercise, of course it hurt so i stopped. but more to my point, just a couple of years ago, i came across Red Bull which i enjoy very much. although it is packed with caffine, it is also loaded with several vitamins and such that i really believe make me feel better, have more energy, think more clear. but there is a down side to Red Bull, first of all it is around $2 to $2.5 a can. it is a very small can. also, due to the massive amount of caffine, there are some health risks.
but here could be the good news. Pixie Maté. i say could be the good news because i have never actually had a sip. yes, i am attempting to advertise for a product that i have never tried. i have done a bit of research though and if all i've read it true, and providing it does not taste like dirt, than i think it really could be the next WOW!
maté is a drink that comes from leaves like tea. it differs in that it is commenly mixed with milk or soy. it is suppossed to be big down in South America. it has made it's way here into the states by way of a company called Pixie Maté. According to the Pixie Maté website:
"What puts the zip in Maté? It's mysterious. It's nothing like fully loaded coffee. It's a kinder, gentler zip. While coffee makes you want to hurt the cat, maté's energy is pleasant, controlled and non-addictive. Maté has been shown to enhance sleep and calm nerves while gently arousing a depressed nervous system. Plus, there's evidence It burns calories, boosts metabolism, and can keep blood pressure in a more blissful state. Most people feel more alert, more at ease and more capable of conquering the world. (So when you win a Genius Grant, all we ask is that your remember us in your acceptance speech.)"
for more info on Pixie Maté visit the website, but get ready, theres something about this drink, or at least the sales pitch, that has really taken ahold of me. i will comment further when my shipment arrives. should be on thursday of this week.

socks & sandals, to be or not to be?

ok, so lets hear it, what's your stand on the subject? is it ok to wear socks with sandals? for some strange reason, it seems everyone in the world strongly believes one way or the other.

of course, i want your opinion, but we all know deep down, whether admitted or not, that all sandals SHOULD be worn with a nice, thick, comfortable pair of socks!

for additional proof on how cool it is to wear socks with your sandles, visit this website for a great collection of photos.

Firefox

i have been using the new web explorer Firefox for about a month now. i wanted to see what i thought of it before i said anything here. all i can say about Firefox is "GO FOR IT!" it is so much better than Microsoft Internet Explorer. it is a tad bit harder to learn how to use, but once you spend the extra 10 minutes, you can do so much more, so much easier. i also really do believe it is much safer than Internet Expolorer, as well. i thought that pop ups where a thing of the past with the Google Toolbar, but with Firefox, it is like once or twice every couple of months that i even remember what a pop up is. all i can say is, really, i am impressed with Firefox!
if you have not yet ventured out to something different in internet browsers, i encourage you to give Firefox a try. if you have and you have found something you like that is not Firefox, let me know what it is, and i would like to look into it. "good luck getting me to switch from Firefox though."

Real Audio

ok, so i have been round and round for years with myself about whether or not it was ok to use Peer-To-Peer programs on my computer. these are the programs like Napster, or at least the way it used to be, where you can download just about anything you can think of from other people's computers without paying a thing. so here is where i see it from my point of view. IT'S VERY TEMPTING. whether or not i have actually takin part in this or not shall remain to be disclosed. anyway, for the last few days i have been using the Real Audio Music Store to download some music. as for Real Audio, it is a pretty neat set-up. you can download just about any CD for $7.99. no, you don't get the pretty package, but you get the whole album for $7.99. or you can download a song off the album for $0.99, which i think is also a very good deal.
so here is the question i pose for anyone who wants to jump in. do you think it is the "right thing to do" or "ok" to download music from Peer-To-Peer sites for free, since the music industry has been cheating us for years, or is it the "right thing to do" to download from sites like Real Audio?
depending on your anwser, give me the site you use to download. if you use a paysite or a P2P, Real Audio or Limewire.
ok, thats my thought for the day.
and by the way, i got the new Our Lady Peace album for $7.99. I can't find it in the stores for less than $13.99. of course, mine has no case, lable, or pretty pictures. i am very interested in what you guys have to say.
hope all is well,
later,
chase...
as far as the picture goes, i just like it.

my new truck

so, i got myself a graduation present. i have said ever since i got my Honda Civic that if Honda ever came out with a truck that i would be first in line. well the other day i took my Civic in for it's 30,000 mile service and while i was their i decided to take a look at the new Honda Ridgeline. WOW was all i could say. what a vehicle. i crawled into the drivers seat and felt right at home. this truck has it all. from the inside it feels like you are sitting in a SUV, lots of room. on the outside it appears to be a full size pickup, although it is a classified as a midsize. needless to say i went and picked one up the next day.

here are some pictures of the 2006 Honda Ridgeline. These are not pictures of my truck, but my truck is the same make, model, and color.