I’m Back

So my brother writes me an email the other day with no subject and just 2 words in the message:

R.I.P. Patewatch

Well, I am back…at least for a little while. Here’s what’s been cracking in the life of the Pate’s.

Chris: I have been crazy busy. I don’t mind being busy. I actually enjoy it most of the time. Lately, I have been writing our Christmas production ( I hate that word by the way. I only call it a production because I will spend about 100 hours on it just in getting the stage prepared in the last 2 weeks). We are doing our Christmas production on, believe it or not, the song “Where are you Christmas?” from the Grinch with Jim Carrey. Anyhow…my mind is constantly preoccupied by it. The wheels are always turning and I am honestly wondering if I bit off a little more than I can chew on this one. The good news is that it will be over in 3 months from today actually.

Mandy: Mandy is the best wife I could have ever hoped for. She is currently staying at home chilling with the baby. When I say chilling…I don’t mean she’s relaxing. I have learned that it is no small task to take care of a baby.

Raegan Marie: Well…she is busy being cute.

The Big Picture

If you like viewing crazy cool high-quality photos, then I have found the perfect site for you.  It’s called “The Big Picture” and it’s a part of The Boston Globe’s website.  Great pictures that definitely say more than a thousand words.  
Check it out here:  http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/

Cool Way To Save Money

Ever out on the road and you need a number to a business?  I have and it usually costs me $1.50 each time (thanks AT&T).  Anyhow, Google has come through with a new and free service to help me save money.  It is GOOG-411 and it is brilliant.

Website Features

If you haven’t checked it out before, here’s your chance.  I try to keep everyone up to date on what we’re Currently Listening To and what we’re Currently Reading.  Check it out!  You actually might find something useful.

The links category is nice too.  Those our links to our friends and family who have joined the blogosphere.  That’s an actual word here at PateWatch.  One link to take note of is Albemarle First Music because I also blog there about our services and other Christian topics.  I recently started this weekly subject called the “Worship Confessional”.  Yeah…I ripped the idea from a worship leader blogger.

And if you scroll down even further, you can peek into our collection of pictures and favorite videos.  Enjoy!

My Life Is Ruined

For those of you who don’t know, I play/coach for our church softball team in an Industrial League (note: not a church league).  We have fun for the most part….and that’s about it.  We haven’t won a game…yet, and we are over half way through our 16 game season.  We have had some close games and we have also been blown out….way out.  Last night, we played our 11th game of the season and we were destroyed despite what was a good effort by our team in the most part.  But even more disappointing, was the end of my 1.000 (that’s perfect) batting average.  That’s right, yours truly has batted 1.000 until I…wait for it…..struck out looking last night. Ready…1,2,3…aawwwwwww. I was rather upset at what was, in my honest opinion, a bad call.  I had already fouled one ball off in right field, then the next pitch came and it was flat, a definite ball, so I let it go to hear the Ump behind me go SSSTTTRRRIIIKKKKEEEE!  I almost kicked dust on him.  Then, to top the night off, I was playing right field (like a cat, mind you) and a ball got by me resulting in…wait for it…an INSIDE the park home run.  Ready…1,2,3…aawwwwww.  I know…my life is ruined.

I Admit It…I Live In Hickville

I have tried my hardest not to admit to myself that I really do live in Hickville, but yesterday I awoke from that dream.  I finally went and had our cars inspected…yeah,yeah…I know I have been here a year now and I am just getting it done (for you out-of-staters….I should have it done within the first 30 days I moved here).  So on to the story…I pulled up to this service station, which believe it or not is a full-service station.  I pulled my car into the garage and a guy playing the banjo asked me for my registration.  I got out of the car and noticed a Red Fox that had been stuffed sitting on the shelf in the garage (I think it was a pet of theirs).  I got a closer look and noticed that they also had a stuffed turtle with the Red Fox on the shelf (who knew you could stuff Turtles?).  And what topped it off for me, was that I got the pleasure of listening to Bluegrass music for the entire stay (which I think I am starting to like).  Anyhow…as they say in AA Meetings, My name is Chris and I live in Hickville.

Did you know…?

More than half the world’s 100 uncontacted tribes live in Brazil or Peru.  The government of Brazil reported that they have images of one of the isolated indigenous tribes along the Brazil/Peru border to prove their existence.  To think about what these people must be thinking is well…crazy.  They may have never seen this plane or helicopter before and as some of the other images show in this article (linked below), they are shooting at the aircraft (with bows and arrows, of course).  You must wonder if they think they have a lot of food in front of them or if they are simply protecting their land. 
You can check out the article by BBC News here.

The Trinity of Hell – Did he just say that?

First, there was Rev. Jeremiah Wright and now we have (cue the majestic music)…the Honorable James David Manning. I find this video to be both hilarious and disturbing. Non-Christians must think that Christians are hypocrites and idiots. Thanks Honorable Pastor Bishop James David Manning.

 

A Positive Reality Show

Lately, I have been shocked by some of the things happening on reality TV shows. An example would be 2 weeks ago when ABC aired The Bachelor (not my choice of shows to watch) and it showed (or rather implied) that one of the girls slept with the Bachelor that night in the fantasy sweet.  I couldn’t believe it, but then Mandy quickly told me that was the 3rd girl that had been in the fantasy sweet with him (the Bachelor).  What kind of example does that set for our kids?  Maybe it’s the dad in me that is starting to come forth with Raegan on the way, but in any case I found that material to be inappropriate.

Now Fox may have a great idea on their hands.  They are launching a new show called “Secret Millionaires”  They take millionaires and put them in an impoverished neighborhood for 10 days to experience the struggle of living on a limited budget. At the end of 10 days, the millionaires give a minimum of $100,000 of their own money to at least one deserving person.  This seems like a great idea for a reality TV show.  Hopefully, the concept will turn out to be as great as it seems.  You can read more about it here.

You Thought I Quit Blogging Didn’t You?

Hah…I have just been crazy busy the last 2 weeks.  I will be updating the blog over the next 2 days.  Stay tuned for some useful information on the Pates.  Don’t lose faith in the Pates