I hate to say it, but I can.

This latest rash of violence actually hits a little close to home. A good friend was followed and threatened in the same parking lot just this weekend. And, I could have been right there with him.

I’m afraid violence is beginning to become the norm at Dodger Stadium.

The problem is, I don’t think any amount of security is going to put an end to what is becoming an overarching trend in sports. Acts of violence, threats, hate… and this is not only directed at fans. The sports stars get it too.

Just a week ago, Lakers guard, Steve Blake, missed a possible game winning shot.

His family received death threats.

This is not acceptable. We, as a society, have gone too far. We are losing touch with reality, and losing sight of our humanity.

Honestly, why would you want to beat up the fan of an opposing team? What would you gain from that? Does it make you feel better about yourself? Does it help your team? I’m just beside myself trying to make sense of this mindset.

Sports are supposed to be fun entertainment, not war.

Why are we intent on making it war? Don’t we already have enough of that?

Something needs to change.

I think we need to be reminded that these are pastimes, not life. We need to remember that these teams are full of people, not animals. And, most of all, we need to remember how to have fun.

If we could somehow get these messages out there, I think we’d be headed in the right direction. It may not solve all of our problems, but the reality is that there needs to be a change of mindset.

Added security could be a Band-Aid, but it isn’t the answer. Something more needs to be done. What are your thoughts?

Saturday evening, the wife and I adopted Maddie, a 5 year old miniature pinscher. She’s really sweet and wants to be held at all times. I feel guilty leaving her at home today. If only there were a way to bring her to work with me on the train…

How about the Icelandic indie folk/rock group Of Monsters and Men?

That’s at least the best comparison I could come up with. I had been hearing buzz about this group for a little while, but only recently decided to check them out. After one listen, I have to say I’m impressed. My Head is an Animal is a great album. Musically it’s uplifting and moving, flowing from upbeat to somber throughout the well paced, although long, collection of songs.

It’s a perfect album for a cloudy, drizzly day. And, that just happens to be the kind of day we’re having in LA today.

A few weeks later, early on a Friday morning, a box of produce arrived on my doorstep. The box contained apples, oranges, avocados, lettuce, onion, carrots, leeks, chard, head radicchio, and probably something else. It was pretty exciting, but it presented me with a problem. What do I do with all of this produce?

Really, it turned out to not be much of a problem. One of the things I made was a Potato Leak Soup. Here’s my recipe that was adapted from simplyrecipes.com.

Potato Leak Soup with Red Chard

3 large leeks, thinly sliced (Use only the white and pale green parts)
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups water
2 cups chicken broth
red chard sliced into thin strips (not sure how much I used, 16 leaves?)
2 lbs potatoes, peeled, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
Thyme, Rosemary, Salt and Pepper to taste
Aged White Cheddar
Bacon

Method
Cook leeks in butter with salt and pepper in a medium sized sauce pan. Cover pan, cook on low heat for 10 minutes. Check often. Do not brown leeks! Browning will give leeks a burnt taste.

Add water, broth, chard, and potatoes. Bring to a low simmer and cook until the potatoes break down. Add thyme, rosemary, pepper, and salt to taste.

Finish with grated aged white cheddar and bacon crumbles.

I like to dream up ways to remodel my house.

I used to do the same with my parents’ house growing up.

It’s a fun way to stretch the imagination. You have to work around issues and play within certain parameters.

Usually, I try to be somewhat realistic. I like to think that the plans could be feasible some day.

The more I think about it, the more I wonder if I should have chosen another career path. Oh well.

In the floor plan below I moved a bedroom, enlarged the kitchen, added a bathroom, laundry room, and one more bedroom. It could be a expensive remodel, but it would definitely make the house livable for years to come.

Oh, and by the way, this is not to scale.

It’s crazy how time flys.

Anyway, I try to stick to the traditional anniversary gifts, and this year was copper, so I gave the wife this copper wind chime.

I’m not sure how she feels about it, but I am loving sitting in the back yard listening to its gentle twinkle sound.

I’m kind of a romantic.

Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. (John 6:53, 54 NIV)

Blasphemy?

Hold on.

It’s interesting to me how the idea of the flesh eating undead parallels what Jesus said above. Eating flesh. Drinking blood. Rising on the last day. Eternal life. These all sound crazy if more of Jesus’ story isn’t taken into consideration.

We have the benefit of knowing about the Jesus’ resurrection. I can’t imagine how difficult this teaching must have been for Jesus’ disciples. It’s no wonder a number of them left after this statement. They had no idea what was yet to come.

Even still, I still think this is a difficult teaching today. We have the benefit of seeing more of the picture but that doesn’t change the fact that we have to eat, drink and live Jesus. I’m not sure what that looks like all of the time but I guess that’s why we need to keep working at it. Jesus wasn’t in the business of making our lives easier. His goal was to help us spend eternity with him. So, if eating and drinking Jesus is what it takes, count me in and call me a zombie.

Here are a few photos I snapped at the event. Enjoy.