harrison-barnes-returning-to-unc.html

http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/04/18/1137965/harrison-barnes-returning-to-unc.html.

It’s Wrong!

I want my first post in a while to be about something important. Thank God, Red Oak Brewery has given me just the fodder I need. Apparently, North Carolina breweries that produce 25K barrels a year have to turn over distribution to the NC Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association. How ironic. A state that’s usually hell-bent on stamping out big government wants to keep brewing corporations from becoming too big and give over control to state government!!? By their own admission, this legislation stems back to the prohibitionists’ efforts to control alcohol consumption in the states (good job the first time). Thank God, Guilford County Representative, Gladys A. Robinson, has sponsored a bill to increase small brewery limits that would let Red Oak Brewery maintain control over the distribution of their beer. This is important, people! Send Rep. Robinson an email letting her know that Guilford County residents mean business when it comes to small government and beer. (Well actually, just focus on the beer.)

Where, with whom, and why?

Atlanta. More specifically, Panera Bread across the street from Emory University. No one but myself, so a very particular one. Work.

Up to now, I’ve despised the ATL and dreaded every visit. But this time down has been nice. I found a really cool area called Little Five Points with some well-stocked record stores, chic, retro clothing and t-shirt boutiques, a hodgepodge of ethnicity, and a wealth of young, funky, artsy-types hanging out on every corner. All that, and Fat Tire is now distributed on the East Coast, but apparently hasn’t made it to an area near me, so I partook of two pints over a delicious BBQ dinner.

Traveling alone is a funny thing. It makes me think that I’d probably have a drinking problem if I was single. I get so lonely when I’m in these cool places by myself, and all I really want is to share these experiences with people I’m close to. However, I’m becoming more and more shy as I age, and it takes more and more alcohol to bring me out of my shell. If I was single, I think I’d be drinking all the time just to get up the nerve to make friends with whom I could share my life. THANK GOD, I’ve got a wonderful wife, beautiful son, great friends, and no drinking problem.

I’m headed back to North Jersey today with increased resolve to enjoy life where ever I am, with whom ever life presents, and for no other reason than the fact that life is so precious. I tend to be a “grass is greener” kind of person, but it seldom is. The second half of that phrase ought to be something like, “The grass is always greener on the other side… except where it’s scorched and dead.” Perhaps if I invest myself in this lawn, for however long I’m meant to tend it, I’ll find that it grows greener and I appreciate it more. But there will always be a brown, scorched patch where Red Oak is meant to be.

I’m alive!

It’s much harder to post these days. Maybe it’s the birth of Noah, working full-time, going back to school, being married to a PhD student, running, trying to be a musician, or too much TV. It’s probably that last one.

I’m in ATL tonight, so I’ve got a brief respite from a few of those things listed above. I’m traveling for work. It’s sad to be away from my family, and I know it means that Kat has to do the work of two people, but it does mean that I get to do things like post to my blog, walk around Emory University, and have delicious BBQ at Fox Brothers. Those things are good. Missing my wife and my son is bad.

I don’t know what to say on my blog anymore. Perhaps I should give the blog a theme like restaurant reviews, or parenting advice, or theological musings. The problem with me is: as soon as I decided to box myself in with a theme, I’d want to post about something unrelated to the theme, and then I’d feel bitter about having a theme and decide to stop blogging altogether. What a WIERDO I am!!

Well, this post has not theme. But my purpose was to say “hello” to all my friends who still check out the blog, and that has been accomplished. I hope you’re well!!

Daddyhood

Well, this is what being a new dad will do to you. I haven’t posted since July 2008 and I’ve let derekelkins.com lapse for months (even though I’m still paying for it). I promise I’ll try to be better.

Perhaps a good way to get back into this is to synposize the last 6 months of my life:

August: I turned 28!! How did that happen? I got a new job at the Theological School at Drew University. I’m working as the Theological Admissions Officer and I have business cards. Kat and I celebrated 5 years being married! She’s still sexy.

September: I didn’t go to church the whole month. After 28 years of weekly attendance, I needed a break (the break’s not over). This is the first time in YEARS that I haven’t been in school. I decided to take a hiatus from the Master of Divinity program to work full-time and prepare for the baby.

October: Birthing classes. Sweet lord, those were boring. I enjoyed the hospital tour and we met a really nice German couple who had a little girl. Our baby was due on October 26. He was a no-show.

November: Noah is born! Holy moly, labor is intense!! Noah is beautiful and such a blessing. Parenthood is scary and hard as hell.

December: Kat and I committed to go to church during the whole of Advent. We almost made it. Noah’s first Christmas we spent in NC with my family. It was a great holiday bookended by hella-long drives.

January: Kat started back to classes. Noah started daycare. I started going insane from lack-of-sleep. Happy 2009.

February: I bought a banjo! I’m trying to connect Noah with his hillbilly roots. Still no church. Starting to miss parts of it.

March: TBD

My Baby Daddy

Don’t ask me how I went without noticing that I never announced our pregnancy on my blog. I spent most of the spring trying to keep the baby a secret for various reasons, so when the time came to announce it to the world, I was tentative. Nevertheless, I’m here now and WE’RE HAVING A BABY!!

I’m going to put up lots of pictures of ultrasounds and other stuff like that. You can see even more info about the baby over at our baby blog.

We are receiving gifts. Rather, the baby is receiving gifts. So, if you feel like purchasing something educational or poop-related, the baby will be very appreciative.

Politics of the Plate

Wow! It’s been a long time since I posted anything on my blog, and I’ve got a lot to catch you up on. However, I first want to post my most recent sermon. Actually, I’m going to post my (2) most recent sermons. First, “Politics of the Plate,” which I preached at Christ Church in Summit, NJ on July 6, 2008. It’s about the the politically corrupt origins of tithing and the global food crisis

Check it out!

Community Building Offline

George Oates from Flickr has an outstanding article about online community building over at A List Apart. What resonates with me most is the  relevance of Oates’ thoughts for those of us building communities in the offline world. In particular, I wonder what the church might look like if we considered the fact that 95% of what people interact with online is generated by other users, not site administrators. We could hardly say the same thing of religious worship services, Bible studies, etc. Here’s a quick taste of what Oates has to say, I hope it wets your appetite:

People don’t like being told what to do. We like to explore, change things around, and make a place our own. Hefty design challenges await the makers of websites where people feel free to engage; both with the system itself and with each other. Embrace the idea that people will warp and stretch your site in ways you can’t predict—they’ll surprise you with their creativity and make something wonderful with what you provide.
–George Oates