The Blue Gator Times

Cape Cod

2011-07-12T10:02:00.003-04:00

The year was 1926. Rising up from the rocky shores of Massachusetts' Vineyard Sound, behind Salt Pond and Oyster Pond, were barren, windswept hills that resembled the Scottish moors. My great-grandfather and some associates developed a summer community on those hills and named it, appropriately, "The Moors." The homes they built on those hills commanded spectacular views of the ocean to the south and Buzzards Bay to the northwest. Lacking central heating, they were intended as summer getaways. Over the years the community developed an active summer social scene consisting of tennis tournaments, cocktail parties, cookouts, picnics on the beach, and the annual 4th of July parade. As decades passed, the bare hills became covered with trees, whose effect on the ocean view remains a perennial concern.

Atop of one of those hills, my great-grandfather built a six-bedroom summer home for his family. His children, grandchildren (my dad and uncles), great-grandchildren (myself, my sister, and cousins) and now, great-great grandchildren (my nephews, who are ages 7 and 3) had the privilege of enjoying many a family summer weekend at "The Cape House" as we call it. The beach (which is a 10 minute walk from the house), the hills, the community club house and the woods are scenes of many treasured childhood memories: playing with my cousins and the neighborhood kids, picnics, "flashlight tag", lighting up firecrackers and sparklers on the 4th of July, and endless hours of swimming, sandcastles and shell-collecting.

Thanks to the generosity and hospitality of Uncle David and Aunt Susie, who currently own the Cape House, Donna and I had the opportunity to spend a long weekend there, along with the rest of my family. It was a much-welcome time to get away, relive old memories and create new ones, and enjoy swimming, squirt-gun fights and running around with my nephews. David even treated us to a trip to Martha's Vineyard on his boat. Cape Cod in summertime is truly magical, as if all of New England rushes to this arm-shaped land of beaches and breezes to squeeze every last precious moment out of its brief, golden summer.

Our Trip to Costa Rica

2011-05-25T14:39:00.010-04:00

We wanted to do something special to celebrate both our 5^th anniversary, and Donna’s 50^th birthday, so…Costa Rica!   It was our first visit to a non-English speaking country, and we loved it.

Our flight was to leave Miami early in the morning on Saturday (May 21), so we decided to drive to Miami Friday night and stay at the airport hotel. The hotel is literally inside the terminal, so it was about a 10 minute walk from our room to our flight. It sure beat driving the 45-minute drive to Miami before the crack of dawn.

At the airport in San Jose (the capital) we took a shuttle bus to our resort, Hotel Martino, which was about 15 minutes away, in the town of Alajuela. The Martino was beautiful, built on a hillside with Mediterranean-style gardens, a pool and lush tropical landscaping.   There was a zoo within walking distance, so after settling in we got to see exotic birds, reptiles and of course, monkeys. Saturday night, we got adventurous…

We didn’t rent a car, so our only way of getting around was by bus. Saturday night we took a local bus (cost: about 40 cents) into Alajuela, a boisterous, busy place where busses, trucks, cars, bicycles, mopeds and pedestrians whizzed by in all directions, barely missing each other. Some of the buildings looked like they’d been thrown together out of concrete blocks, corrugated tin and chicken wire. The craziest thing about Costa Rica is that they have NO street names and NO addresses! I’m not kidding! If you ask a native for their address, they’ll tell you something like, “The blue house five blocks south of the church behind the cemetery where the big oak tree used to be.” Also there are no bus route numbers, maps or schedules, and the busses are different sizes and colors. Needless to say, we had to ask for help finding the right bus to get back to our hotel but….nobody spoke English!   So, I put my high-school-level Spanish into action. A very nice lady and her son gave us directions to the correct bus, then walked with us to make sure we didn’t get lost on the way.   Luckily the natives are very flattered when we Gringos make any attempt to speak their language – no matter how badly we butcher it – and we found everyone to be friendly, patient and helpful.

Sunday we took a “zipline” tour of a rain forest. High up in the trees were a series of platforms, connected by cables. To get from one platform to another, we sat in harnesses attached to the cable by pulley, giving the sensation of flying over the forest. At each platform, tour guides were stationed to help each participant along safely. At one point there was a “Tarzan swing”, a bungie-like experience. The final cable was the “Superman”, with a full body harness that allowed us to “fly” horizontally for a full 60 seconds, over forests and a river.   I have to confess, I got nervous on that one, as it seemed to slow down in the middle of the cable. I wondered if I was going to be stuck, suspended over a rocky stream. Of course, that didn’t happen. Clearly the designers of the zipline knew how the law of gravity works (thankfully).

Monday we took a triple-tour: the Doka coffee plantation, Poas Volcano National Park and finally, La Paz Waterfall Gardens. Our tour guide, Paola, energetically described everything we saw, in both English and Spanish. The coffee plantation was fascinating: we learned the painstaking process of harvesting coffee, which must be hand-picked because different parts of the coffee plant ripen at different times. We learned the difference between the different “roasts” of coffee (French, European, Italian, espresso) are simply differences in the roasting time. Finally, we were told the plantation sells so little decaffeinated coffee (native Costa Ricans disdain it completely, referring to it as “café-no-café”, or “not-coffee”) that they never bothered to buy a costly decaffeinating machine; they just ship some of their coffee to Germany, have it de-caffed there by experts, then shipped back to Costa Rica for export.

We were very fortunate to be able to experience the Poas Volcano on a clear day this time of year, which is the beginning of the Costa Rican rainy season (or the “green season”, as the government’s tourism office likes to call it). It was just “volcano-y” enough to allow photos in front of its huge, vapor-emitting, menacing-looking crater, but without the inconvenience of hot lava flows.

Finally the La Paz Waterfall gardens were just as advertised: three gorgeous waterfalls, and gardens of exotic tropical flowers and equally exotic animals, birds, and…people. We were just finishing up our descent from the falls when it began to rain – just in time for the end of the tour. Both the Saturday and Sunday tours were very easy and convenient, with buses picking us up right in front of our hotel and dropping us off there at the end. Even some meals were included.

Our flight wasn’t scheduled to depart until around 7pm on Monday so we caught the adventure bug again early that day and caught a local bus into San Jose, the capital. We visited the National Museum, a former fort that still has bullet holes from Costa Rica’s Civil War in the 1940s. We saw the ornate lobby of the National Theater, but my casual clothing (shorts and a tank top) was frowned upon by the security guard so we left quickly. We strolled the crowded market district, visited a convenience store, checked out shoe prices (disappointingly just as high as in the U.S.), and found an ATM that dispensed both colones (the local currency) and U.S. dollars.

Before we knew it we had to get back to the hotel and get packed in time for our airport shuttle. As with all vacations it ended before we knew it, but at least we took a ton of photos – and had a day off from work to recover from it all.

"Team Pro" and school vacation give Game Day new life

2010-12-20T17:45:00.002-05:00

As 2010 began to wind down, I realized I hadn't hosted a video game day all that year. While there has never been any such thing as a boring Game Day, it seemed to me that interest was declining. Several of the guys who used to come no longer live in the area, and many of my newer "gamer" friends (a/k/a "Team Pro", the gamer guys of the West Dade Youth and Family Ministry). don't live near me. Donna is blessedly tolerant of the occasional guy invasion of our house, but the noise and sounds of explosions are tough on her. And Saturdays seem to have become exponentially busier, both for us and many families we know.

Somehow, I hit upon an idea: take a vacation day form work schedule a Game Day on a weekday during a school vacation. It seems many kids end up bored with nothing to do on the long breaks such as Christmas and summertime. By the time Donna returned from work all the guys would be gone and I'd make sure the house was so clean it would look like nobody was ever there.

I chose the first Monday of Christmas Break, December 20th, and sent out invitations on Facebook, another first. The day was a smashing, shooting, exploding success! A bunch of the West Dade guys made the 45-minute-plus trek to my house. Gianni brought his Playstation 3 with Gran Turismo. Brian introduced something new to Game Day: Yu-Gi-Oh. We were honored with a visit from Anthony Meschino, one of the earlier Game Day fans. We also had perhaps the widest generational spread to date; our youngest gamer was 11 years old. The day seemed to come alive with the promise of great times ahead.

Looking back on the '90s, and the value of photos

2010-09-06T09:08:00.003-04:00

The decade of the 1990's is not one I tend to look upon with favor.

In the early 90's I was just out of college and trying to sort out my relationship with God and my career path at the same time. Mid-decade, I was trying to sort out what my leadership role in the church would be. In 1995 I received a scary medical diagnosis, followed by a liver transplant in 1998. I saw good friends come and go. The environment in the church, especially from 1992 – 1998, was frequently not encouraging.

Thank God for photos.

In these last couple of days as I have “filled in” the gaps in my Facebook photo collection, a flood of great memories has surged. I remembered that I had great memories! I believe it is my nature to recall the negatives of the past and de-emphasize the positives. Now my perception has been corrected; the decade was full of great adventures, fun times with friends, laughter and joy – despite the many challenges. This helps me look to the future with greater hope and faith.

On the lighter side, being a “techie” I can't help but reminisce with amusement regarding 1990's technology. In '91 I finally got rid of the TRS-80 computer I'd used since high school, the one that originally used a cassette tape for data storage. For most of the decade my computer was a borrowed Macintosh Plus with a 40 megabyte hard drive. No, that's not a typo: 40 MEGAbytes. We still used audiocassettes and 3.5-inch floppy discs. We still had to go to a store to buy music. And I'll never forget the ever-present screeching and chirping of the dial-up modem, followed by the AOL voice: “You've Got Mail!” The Web was born around 1991, and Web designers got way too excited about it way too early, loading sites with graphics and animations when we were still connecting with 56k modems. Hence the derogatory nickname, “the World Wide Wait.” I remember utility companies and other vendors enthusiastically urging me to “Save time! Pay your bills online!” Too bad that I could have written a check, put it in an envelope, addressed the envelope, put a stamp on it and walked it to the mailbox in less time than it took just for the “payment confirmed” web page to load!

We've come a long way. Thanks again to all those who tagged, commented, encouraged and enjoyed all the pictures. Let's all pause, bow our heads and give thanks to God – for broadband.

The Team PRO Chant

2010-08-28T11:48:00.005-04:00

The "Team Pro Chant" has been moved to my Facebook profile:
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=500609038441

Holding Fast

2010-07-31T08:27:00.006-04:00

The poem "Holding Fast" has been moved to my Facebook profile:
https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=10150210218083442.

An unforgettable decade

2010-05-29T18:15:00.003-04:00

In early 2000 I had a dinner conversation with a friend who was a volunteer in our teen ministry. She said there was a tremendous need for helpers and mentors in that group. Somehow, my brain skipped over the part where I was going to groan, “Oh, no, not…teenagers!”, and I asked her what I could do to help. She gave me the names of a couple of teens who she felt could use some friendship.

All of a sudden, it seemed like God turned on a switch; it could not have felt more so if a massive “CLICK!” had sounded from the heavens. Almost instantly I was introduced to a whole new world; I was “off the chain” (the early 2000's slang equivalent of "cool"), listening to Blink-182 and Breaking Benjamin, playing “Halo” and yes, even tossing a football every now and then. And so what if these guys were born when I was in college? It happened so fast that even now, a decade later, I’m looking back and asking, “Whoa..what just happened?”

For me, being a youth worker is about being someone who is the opposite of how I am by nature, someone I never imagined I could be and never would have attempted on my own or merely at someone else's urging. Even Tanya, the friend I had that dinner with in the spring of 2000, didn’t say, “You need to go help those kids.” She simply shared what was on her heart, and then, I believe, it was God who moved my heart. That, above all, is what has made this last decade so priceless.

I put together the “Decade of Coolness” video in the hopes that it will bring back fond memories for many of the young people I have had the privilege of knowing these past ten years. As I was assembling the photos and video clips, it was extraordinarily difficult to keep the length of the project under 10 minutes; I have literally hundreds of photos spanning the decade. It could easily been an hour long ,and that's a long time to expect people to stare at a YouTube video on their PC monitors or iPhones. I fear even nine minutes may be pushing it.

“Decade of Coolness” is also an expression of my gratitude; first to God for one of the most life-changing adventures I've ever had, and second, to those who allowed me into their lives and hearts. Great friends come in all shapes, sizes, and ages.

Renaissance Festival

2010-03-13T22:14:00.018-05:00

Calling this annual event "Renaissance Festival" is a stretch, as the performers and the attendees were dressed in outfits ranging from knightly armor to Jedi robes to "Lord of the Rings" to pirates to ninjas. There was even a skit featuring Darth Vader. In other words, Donna and I blended right in with our costumes, mine not seeing any use since our last "Ren Fest" in 2005, when Donna and I were still dating. We both enjoyed a huge turkey leg for lunch, washed down with "mead" - a fermented-honey drink that proved a bit more powerful than either of us expected.

Teen Camping Trip 2010

2010-01-17T21:41:00.018-05:00

It seems like only yesterday that I was at Savannas Recreation Area in St. Lucie County, enjoying the annual youth retreat. But that was 2007, and now, three years ago I returned, this time with a whole new group of young men and women. This time was more like a vacation; much less structured than usual with plenty of time for fun and games. I had the opportunity to watch over a group of about 45 teens as they played "Ultimate Frisbee", football, and a new (to me) game called "Ninja", which I still don't quite understand - no more than I understand the game of "Bunny, bunny bunny" Don't ask - you had to be there.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T21:00:00.001-05:00

Richard and Cheryl graciously invited us to join their family for Christmas dinner. James and Andrew were home on leave from the U.S. Marines, so it was a much-welcome family reunion. As usual, Richard cooked up some amazing steaks on the grill, and not even the boys' military-grade appetites could finish off all the food that was lavished on us.

As the year draws to a close we must face the reality that we may not be able to keep our home in 2010, as Donna has been unable to find work despite her medical coding degree. At the same time, we rejoice in the generosity of our families and some great friends, which enabled us to enjoy a Christmas eve brunch at The Cracker Barrel and a night at the movies (we saw "Avatar" in 3D - amazing experience). I remain thankful for my job, which is in its seventeenth year. We are both striving to view our challenges as growing experiences. It is times like this that clarify what is most important in life: not what kind of home we live in, what car we drive or our looks or clothing, but the presence of love in our lives - both the love we give to others, and that which we are the recipients of. We have always known this to be true in our hearts; we just need reminding every now and then.

Thanksgiving in Massachusetts

2009-11-26T23:32:00.019-05:00

The weather may have been chilly, but the food and the company were warm. Can't believe my nephew Henry is walking and talking already, and he's not even two yet. And Ben is five! Wow. I enjoyed playing with his Rokenbok set almost as much as he did. And Amy and Michael pulled off an excellent Thanksgiving feast. Donna, as usual, was fascinated by the New England architecture, i.e., buildings made of red brick. Of course it wouldn't be Thanksgiving without....Mexican food and dinosaur tracks! No, I'm not kidding. We happily enjoyed a Mexican lunch at a restaurant located next to our motel, and while out sightseeing in the western Massachusetts countryside, we stumbled across a shop called "Nash Rock Shop", that actually sold rocks containing fossilized dinosaur footprints.

Edith Kemp 1961-2009

2009-11-07T11:14:00.002-05:00

In October, Edith died in a car accident in central Florida. She was a good friend of mine for almost a decade, and we dated for a couple of years between 2000 and 2002. She was a tremendously loyal and thoughtful friend and companion who always went the extra mile for those she cared about, despite the challenge of numerous health issues. That was the theme of the memorial service held today at our church. I was able to assemble a collection of photos of her and put them in a small album for her parents, whom I met at the service for the first time.

Of course her passing brings a flood of emotions. Most of all, I am thankful she is no longer suffering. Toward the end of her life her health did not permit her to work, but nevertheless she was able to purchase a home in the Orlando area and made many friends there.

Game Day

2009-10-10T18:00:00.001-04:00

It's October already, and October means..Game Day! This time it spanned three consoles (the old-school Xbox, an Xbox 360 and a Playstation 3), three TV sets, two rooms (we spilled over from the game room to the living room), and Ian's laptop on which I tried, unsuccessfully, to get "Rise of Nations" multiplayer working. We had two new faces: Drexel and Chris, who tried to teach me how to play "Little Big Planet." (the controls threw me off but it was cool to watch little bug-like characters ride motorcycles between plants..no I'm not making this up!). And thanks to Brandon's Domino's Pizza discount card (a fundraiser for his football team), we were able to consume six pizzas but only pay for three.

Flamingo Gardens

2009-09-05T16:26:00.004-04:00

Donna and I have both lived in South Florida for over 20 years, yet today was the first time we've been to Flamingo Gardens, a wildlife exhibit and sanctuary in southwest Broward County. They had a Labor Day two-for-one special so we played tourists for a day. There were trails leading through exotic tropical gardens, an aviary where the birds were not afraid to get in our face, alligators, otters and of course, flamingos. Towards the end of our visit dark clouds and thunder threatened, but we made in home without getting soaked. It was just like being on vacation for a couple of hours.

Reflections on 25 years in Florida

2009-08-12T13:15:00.009-04:00

In February 1970 my family took a trip to visit my grandparents in Largo, near St. Petersburg, Florida. When we boarded the plane in Boston, the weather was freezing, the grass brown, the sky gray, and most of the trees leafless and dead-looking; winter in New England. At the Tampa airport we emerged from the terminal to warm air, green grass, palm trees and flowers in bloom. Later in our one-week stay we did the unthinkable: we went to the beach, in the middle of February. To a Yankee kid this was like seeing a pig fly. I was not fond of winter at that age, and once I was old enough to shovel snow, I liked it even less. Another reason to hate winter: school. I was not well-adjusted socially, and things got progressively worse after third grade. Summer was not only a time of sunny weather, but freedom and fun. We took three more family vacations to Florida in the 1970s; by decade's end I was dreaming of moving to that place where it was summer all the time. College seemed like a natural time to start something new, so I did. With my parents' support and encouragement, I chose the University of Florida. On the trip down from Massachusetts my parents & sister rode in our family car, trailing me in my 1974 Pinto. We kept in touch by two-way radio (called "CB" back in those days). My CB "handle" became "Blue Gator" because of the color of my car. At times during the three-day trip I wondered if coming to Florida would only mean I'd be lonely in the sunshine instead of in the snow. We arrived in Gainesville on August 12, 1984. After getting me settled in Graham Hall, we said our goodbyes and my parents and sister headed back to Massachusetts. I will never forget that walk back to the dorm after seeing them off. My four years at UF were a kaleidoscope of adventures: some good, some bad, and some decidedly ugly, but every one was educational. Much of the foundation of who I am today was laid during those years. The origins of the "Blue Gator Times" began in my freshman year. Today I look back at the last quarter-century with a flood of emotion I can't describe in words. Above all I am grateful for the many people, both family and friends, who have shared in various stages of my sometimes bumpy but never boring journey.

Peggy's Farewell Party

2009-07-17T10:28:00.004-04:00

After 11 years in South Florida, our friend Peggy is packing up this week to move to Daytona Beach, where we are starting a new church in September. Peggy plans to work in the future congregation's singles ministry. Friday we sent her off in style with a party where we shared great food and great memories.

Hope's Ultimate Party

2009-07-11T21:27:00.005-04:00

Once again, Mark and Maureen opened their canal-side home, this time for Hope's 15th. The kids played "Ultimate Frisbee", their dog Shadow cavorted in the pool, and not even swarms of summer bugs could take a bite out of the fun. And of course there were burgers, dogs and cake.

Independence Day at Tamarac Park

2009-07-04T23:03:00.006-04:00

Earlier this week I ran across an article online that gave some tips on taking photos of fireworks (http://www.pcworld.com/printable/article/id,165973/printable.html). Tonight we went with friends to a neighborhood park to enjoy fireworks, so I had a chance to try these and got some great results. Enjoy.

Portia & Michael's Wedding

2009-06-06T20:51:00.008-04:00

Another picture-perfect wedding. Michael moved from the Virgin Islands to South Florida last year to date Portia, whom he'd met at a retreat. They were soon engaged, and the rest, as they say, is history. Shooting indoor photos at a distance, with a non-professional digital camera, is a hit-or-miss process, as I have learned from many a wedding at our church building. I have to take several shots, with much fiddling with the manual controls, to get anything decent. However, capturing candid wedding moments - as you will see here - is fun and priceless and well worth it.

Here's a video of Portia & Michael's big moment:

Our "can't wait for summer" BBQ

2009-05-30T20:00:00.004-04:00

Luckily the predicted rain today didn't show up until after I'd finished grilling. Donna encouraged me to start the grilling even before people started to arrive, so I'd have some time later to relax and spend time with our guests. I did, and it was wonderful. I love hosting BBQs, but often I end up spending the whole time running all over the place cooking and cleaning and before I know it everyone is gone. Today it was totally different. A big "thanks" to all who brought food.

Tiffany & Tyler: childhood sweethearts tie the knot

2009-05-25T20:22:00.007-04:00

It was the final stage in an epic that began when they were thirteen. Though many ups and downs, including being separated by 3000 miles, Tiffany and Tyler, now college students, were married today at the church building. Their parents, Joe and Pam, have been members of our church for over thirty years. (A classmate of Joe's from the University of Florida first introduced me to the church in Gainesville in 1988). Today's ceremony was actually performed by Jeff, the father of the groom, who is a minister in Tampa. Both Tiffany and Tyler wrote their own wedding vows; Tyler's brought most of the audience to tears. I had the opportunity to see a few friends from out of town that I rarely have the chance to speak to. A memorable day.

Donna completes class in medical coding

2009-05-15T20:10:00.005-04:00

Last fall, Donna enrolled in a medical coding class at Sheridan Technical Center here in Broward County. ("Medical coding" is the preparation of patient records for billing using a standardized system). This week she finished the class with flying colors - straight A's. After a long and difficult journey of many years, Donna has finally found a career path she feels confident about. Now we are praying that, armed with her new certificate, she will be able to land a job in the health care field. She is now sending out resumes and hitting the internet and the phones. We have been very blessed to have been able, thanks to the sale of her townhouse last January, to have her go to school and focus on excelling in her class as she has done. Most of her course work was done online; she only had to attend class in person once a week. Now it's on the the next challenge: finding a job in today's economy. Stay tuned.

Volunteering at Daily Bread

2009-05-09T16:35:00.003-04:00

The Daily Bread Food Bank is a non-profit South Florida organization that collects and stores donated food and distributes it to other non-profits (such as soup kitchens and churches) for use in their various programs to provide for those in need. With the economy in the condition it's in, there are many needs. Today Donna and I had the opportunity to volunteer for a couple of hours at Daily Bread's Ft. Lauderdale warehouse, sorting cans, bottles and packages of non-perishables that arrived by the truckload from the Post Office's "Stamp Out Hunger" food drive. It was an amazing experience for a number of reasons: 1) The warehouse was packed with so many volunteers that we were able to unload and sort the food with time to spare between truckloads. Sometimes as in the stress and busyness of daily life it's easy to believe that people don't care, but today showed us that's not the case. 2) The volunteers were polite. The hot warehouse was sweaty, crowded and at times chaotic, but whenever someone accidently stepped on a foot or elbowed another, there was a quick "Excuse me" or "I'm sorry." 3) Harmony. People of all ages, skin colors and walks of life were there, pitching in to help, and getting along with positive attitudes. 4) Organization. Nobody was getting paid to be there, there were no rewards for efficiency, yet people found innovative ways to sort the items, and nobody had to carry any heavy object very far before someone else came to help.

Overall it was a fantastic, eye-opening experience that we hope to be able to do again sometime.

Youth service in Palm Beach

2009-04-26T16:14:00.010-04:00

Well over a hundred teens gathered for the South Florida Church's youth-oriented worship service. Young men & women, and their parents, came from as far away as Naples and Port St. Lucie to attend. The service was organized by our Palm Beach County youth group, led by its minister, Sam Cameron, who gave the sermon. Many of the kids got to show off their musical talents as well. It was a busy day for me, as the youth service was at 10:30am in Lantana (about a forty minute drive north of us), and the service Donna and I normally attend with our friends is at 5:00pm in Davie (about a half hour drive south of us). However it was more than worth it as I took three of the teen guys with me and we had a blast in my car on the way, sharing music on our iPods and enjoying a Wendy's lunch afterwards. Meanwhile, Donna and a friend got to go shopping a a newly-opened Sunday morning fresh vegetable market here in town.

"First Draft" Fairy Tales

2009-04-23T17:55:00.004-04:00

This past Thursday night, the truth came out: all those bedtime stories we heard as little kids didn't give us the whole story about Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and Little Miss Muffet and many other of our favorite fairy tale heroes. Little did we know that Humpty Dumpty actually sued all the kings horses and all the kings men for lack of due diligence in putting him together again. Little Red Riding Hood's grandma was not the innocent old lady the stories make her out to be. And the Three Bears, after their encounter with the home-invading Goldilocks, gave her an exclusive photojournalistic opportunity.

Lucky, our youth group was there to reveal all these in a very funny and entertaining performance, along with a sit-down dinner. The idea was to give couples a "night out" while raising funds for the youth ministry's contribution to support our outreach & missionary efforts in Central and South America.

Easter 2009: Bunnies, baskets, a birthday, and...chickens

2009-04-12T09:12:00.004-04:00

This Easter we celebrated Donna's mom Cynthia's 70th birthday with a family seafood dinner at a local restaurant. Gail's kids were treated to Easter baskets, and Michael & Cynthia have new "pets": the next door neighbor's chickens, who have suddenly started hanging around the Levy's yard. It might have something to do with the meals - ranging from trail mix to rice - that they have enjoyed at Michael & Cynthia's lately. Unfortunately, they did not lay any eggs in time for Easter.

On our way back to South Florida from Sarasota, we were able to stop in Naples to visit a couple, Don and Dorothy, who were my family's next door neighbors when I was growing up in the Boston area. I had not seen them for many years so it was a wonderful reunion. Since Dorothy was my mom's best friend, Donna felt like she'd actually met my mother.

SFCC Youth Retreat

2009-01-20T21:43:00.004-05:00

It was with some trepidation that I volunteered as a camp counselor for our annual church Youth Retreat. It would mean not only being in charge of a cabin of nine teenagers (seven of whom were complete strangers), but organizing them into a team for Bible discussion groups, games and a skit. This was to be more than just sharing a tent with some buddies. Our destination: Camp Sparta, in Sebring. Our weekend theme: "Heroes." The camp site, fortunately, has cabins, each with their own bathroom and (hot, thank God!) showers. The staff fed us breakfast, lunch and dinner. By the end of the weekend, my cabin-mates and I were laughing and joking around, brought together by two days of near-constant activity including: 1) Our keynote speaker, Christian Amestoy, a missionary from Santiago, Chile who gave his first-ever sermon in English; 2) A bonfire, complete with singing and "Smores" (toasted marshmellow and Hershey's chocolate squished between two pieces of graham cracker...yummy); 3) Team games, including dodge ball and "race charades"; 4) Humorous skits portraying parables in the Bible set in modern times. Nights were chilly (for Florida): high 40's, low 50's, but thankfully, too cold for bugs. And how could the theme "Heroes" be complete without some flying? (see the photos).

Enjoying winter in South Florida

2009-01-01T21:19:00.004-05:00

With back-to-back four-day weekends off from work (for Christmas and New Years Day), I took Donna out to enjoy the fact that we live in the only part of the country where we can enjoy outdoor dining in the middle of winter:

First, it was the Bahia Cabana, my personal favorite, a dockside restaurant and bar on the Intracoastal Waterway near Ft. Lauderdale Beach....

..then, it was off to the News Cafe, on South Beach, Miami Beach's famed "Art Deco" district..

..home of unusual architecture...

..and unusual people.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T14:56:00.002-05:00

For Christmas we were joined by Beverly, Vanise, Joseph and Honora. I did my traditional re-heating extravaganza (that is, a Publix pre-made turkey meal, including stuffing, potatoes and pumpkin pie). Donna went all-out decorating the house and organizing the food once I got it out of the oven. Believe it or not, even pre-cooked meals need work; I had to read several sets of cooking instructions and coordinate what items went in and out of the oven at what times. Best of all, I got to throw away the dishes! Donna picked out a non-traditional but very moving film, "Silent Night" , about American and German soldiers who shared a Christmas meal during World War II. After our guests departed, we stopped by Dana and April's home once more, to visit with his mother Elaine who is in town from Tampa Bay for a couple of days.

All this is in keeping with our gradual "de-stressifying" of our holidays over the past few years. No more wild spending and exhausting shopping; we've cut down to simple, modest gifts such as cookies and photos. We have discovered the best gift of alls: freedom from a sense of duty, and relaxing time spent with good friends.

Ricky's 16th Birthday

2008-12-21T14:47:00.005-05:00

We continued our holiday party rounds with a visit to Dave and Chantal's house for their son Ricky's 16th birthday party. I deeply appreciated Chantal's two-course meal (pork and curry chicken), and Donna appreciated her advice and expertise on gardening. And all of us kids (old and young) enjoyed the "Smores", otherwise known as a sandwich of toasted marshmallow and Hershey bar between two graham crackers.

Dana & April's Christmas party

2008-12-19T14:42:00.007-05:00

Dana and April opened their beautifully decorated home to friends and neighbors for a pre-Christmas party and "white elephant" gift exchange. Their dog Molly and neighborhood cat Shadow got into the Christmas spirit, putting aside the usual inter-species hostility.

SFCC Outdoor Teen Service

2008-12-07T20:43:00.006-05:00

When I got up this morning, the sky was gray and the wind was chilly. By 10:20 when I arrived at the building it was nearly perfect and sunny, enough to give me a light toasting. Around 10:30, teenagers and their families from all over the tri-county area and even as far away as Fort Myers enjoyed an outdoor worship service, picnic lunch and games of Frisbee and football that lasted well into the afternoon. Marcus, our youth ministry leader, gave a short but hard-hitting message from Matthew 7. A memorable day.

Thanksgiving in Sarasota

2008-11-27T12:49:00.006-05:00

We enjoyed a huge Thanksgiving feast at Gail's house, with the whole family contributing to the spread of edible goodies. The weather was sunny, clear and brisk - cool enough for sweatshirts, although not cool enough to stop us from enjoying Friday night dinner at O'Leary's, a bar & grill on Sarasota's bay front. As you can see we also got to enjoy a spectacular sunset and a walk at nearby Bayfront Park.

Farewell to Gerry & Laurie

2008-11-16T16:43:00.006-05:00

For the past thirty years, Gerry has inspired the South Florida Church with his perseverance and determination. Despite being blind, epileptic and hearing impaired, he held a job for many years at the Florida Department of Transportation, retiring from his dispatcher position there a few years ago. In July 2000 he married his sweetheart Laurie and they bought a condominium in Coral Springs. This year, they had an opportunity to move to Nashville to be near Laurie's daughter and grandchildren, so we threw them a going away party the day before Halloween. They will be missed.

Game Day: Five Years and Counting

2008-10-18T22:56:00.004-04:00

Fun, friends, football and fragmentation grenades - what else could one ask for in life? Our fifth-year anniversary Game Day featured two Xbox 360's in the family room, a "classic" Xbox in the living room (three TVs at the same time, a new first), and of course, street football. We had the unexpected and welcome presence of Andrew, who was to depart for U.S. Marine Corps boot camp on Monday. He was originally scheduled to ship out on the 15th so we did not realize he'd be able to drop in. But we did, and had a chance to say our goodbyes. We also had Steve, the only other participant in the first Game Day (September 2003) who was able to be with us today (besides me of course). He even brought two friends with him. As usual, the nachos, pizza and hours went by quickly.

It’s hard to believe five years have gone by since I networked two 1990s-era iMacs to my Power Mac G5 and unleashed “Medieval Madness,” a computer video game party featuring my favorite strategy game (at that time), “Age of Empires II.” I invited four young men (Chris H., Chris M., James and Steve) whom I thought approached my level of nerdiness enough to enjoy such an event. Little did I know a tradition had been born. We enjoyed ourselves for the better part of a Saturday afternoon on September 27, 2003, building up little digital armies of swordsmen and knights, archers and warships, to hurl at one another across the somewhat flaky network. The Macs tended to crash during networked games, but we still managed to have fun. I was inspired to hold more “AOE II” tournaments, which I did, but it was Chris H.’s idea to expand into other game offerings as well, such as Risk. My roommate Steve contributed an Xbox to the growing phenomenon, and soon it became “Game Day” and included a good portion of the male population of the South Florida Church teen ministry. At its height, Game Day involved up to four guys spending Friday and Saturday nights, sleeping on air mattresses on my cramped living room floor. This allowed 20 to 28 hours of continuous gaming, nearly unbroken by such trivial concerns as eating nourishing meals or sleeping. Others brought their Xbox consoles as well: one Game Day we had three Xboxes networked together with eight players going at in with “Halo” and “Halo 2.” My new bride Donna and I moved into a home with a family room in 2006, which eased the crowding. As of this past March, Game Day has moved on to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, to “Guitar Hero” and even real guitars, too.

Thunderstorms, injuries, fever fail to dampen spirits

2008-10-13T10:00:00.004-04:00

On Saturday about 15 of our middle school students gathered at the church building to play Ultimate Frisbee. Just before the event, dark clouds gathered, the worst of them seeming to hover directly over the building. Before long, the clouds burst open with rain, thunder and lightening. One of the dads, Robert, sprained his leg and had to go to the hospital. One youngster became feverish and had to lie down in the car to rest.

The kids, however, did not miss a beat. They carried on and had a great time playing Frisbee in the rain. One of their moms, Helen, was out there running around with the best of them. Afterwards, the kids got to whack open a pinata full of candy AND money in celebration of Helen's daughter Becky's birthday.

Fun at Boomers

2008-09-30T22:37:00.007-04:00

What do high school students enjoy more than a day off from school? A day pff from school at BOOMERS. About 25 of us kids and kids-at-heart enjoyed a day of unlimited play at the arcade, with video games, laser tag, bumper boats, mini golf, mini bowling, and as someone pointed out, a mini lunch (the slice of pizza and bag of chips that came with our group deal). And of course there was the Dania Beach Hurricane, South Florida's only rollercoaster. It's wooden, therefore it's creaky and noisy. There's also a couple of places during the ride where the train jumps a little off the track. Erik and I bought all-day passes and rode it seven times in a row, and didn't even have to taste our mini-lunch a second time.

HOPE Concert Video Medley

2008-09-13T16:47:00.004-04:00

Some friends from church just started a new band - C.O.R.E. (Christ Offers Redemption for Everyone). This was their first public performance, along with several others who joined them in a concert to raise funds for hurricane relief in Haiti. The goal was to raise at least $300. By the end of the evening, over $2500 was collected for victims of Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna.

Youth Workers BBQ

2008-09-06T20:41:00.003-04:00

This afternoon I unleashed my marinated chicken on more unsuspecting victims, er, I mean, guests. Now that the church is split into separate groups for north and south Broward county, my hope is to see those of us who work in the youth ministry in north Broward become a family, and in turn, pass our unity along to our young men and women.

Back to the future?

2008-08-26T06:49:00.004-04:00

As I move posts from the old "Blue Gator Online" web site to this blog over the next few weeks, it will look like the posts were here all along. I'd like to eventually get most of the content from the old site moved here so it will all be available in one place.

The Conroys' Housewarming

2008-08-16T21:00:00.009-04:00

Mark, Maureen and their five kids celebrated their move to their new home by doing what they do best: throwing a party. And what a place for a party: the home's back yard has a pool and sits at the intersection of two canals, complete with dock and paddle boat. Mark put his grill expertise to good use, cranking out piles of burgers and dogs, the kids enjoyed the pool, and I even got in the act by tossing a football with the boys. Donna and I didn't get to use the boat, but I was careful to inform Mark that we are now his new best friends and therefore will be back. Soon.

Lucia Meschino 1930-2008

2008-08-14T22:00:00.003-04:00

Tonight at church we held a memorial service for Lucia, who passed away last week. Despite her age and failing health, Lucia never failed to encourage and inspire us with her smiles, laughter and offers to cook large meals for her friends. Though she did not drive, she was known throughout the tri-county area to somehow manage to show up at just about every wedding, baby shower and party anywhere, anytime. Gio (her son) and others took turns sharing with the audience about Lucia's unquenchable spirit. Above is a photo, from several years ago, of Lucia with two of her favorite people, granddaughter Rachel and grandson Anthony.

Teens enjoy a classic movie

2008-08-13T07:58:00.005-04:00

Last night we had several of the young men and women from our youth ministry over for a movie night. We gave them several movies to choose from, including such young peoples' favorites as "Star Wars" (all 6 of them), "Batman", "The Mummy" and others. Guess what? By a wide margin, they choose "The Princess Bride", a 1980's classic fairy-tail satire. I remember enjoying this movie on video when I was struggling to find a job after graduating college and moving to South Florida, and it was a light-hearted pick-me-up during a tough time. My roommate John would exclaim, "Inconceivable!" whenever he disagreed with something. Last night, "The Princess Bride" provided one more summer fun moment for the teens, who have to face the resumption of school next week.

Mike and Lorry's Wedding

2008-08-02T14:23:00.012-04:00

Our friends Mike and Lorry were married today on the church grounds. As you can see, the wedding had a Hawaiian theme, which means one very important thing: we got to dress casual. As in, tropical print shirts and shorts. This, combined with the ample water and fruit served at the reception, gave us the heart to forgive them for scheduling the wedding at 8:00 in the morning on a Saturday. Then again, had it not been early, we would have not only been even sweatier, but wetter. By 1:00 this afternoon it was pouring rain at our house - just a typical drenching in this, our South Florida rainy season. As of now, the happy couple is well on their way to their honeymoon in the mountains of Tennessee.

Why I moved to Blogspot

2008-08-01T14:50:00.003-04:00

Here are the reasons I decided to move "The Blue Gator Times" to Blogspot:

IT'S FREE. Since 2003, when I first published "The Blue Gator Times" online, the number and quality of free blogging and media sharing sites on the internet has expanded exponentially. I especially appreciate Google's Blogspot (which you are looking at right now) and Picasa Web albums because even though they are ad-supported, the ads are not screamingly obnoxious as in some places. Using the "MobileMe" (formerly "dotMac") service through Apple Computer cost $100 per year. For a few years, I was even paying another $85 per year to own the domain name "bluegatoronline.com" and have it forwarded to my site. After a while, it all seemed like overkill. Since all I'm doing is sharing a blog, photos and an occasional video, this has ceased to be a good value for me.

IT'S ABOUT THE CONTENT, NOT LOOKING GOOD. Thanks to the input from many of you who opted in to the Blue Gator Mailing List, I realized what my viewers care about is seeing the photos and hearing news of the latest happenings in mine and Donna's lives - not experiencing a corporate-quality, perfect looking web site. The Apple service, combined with the iWeb software on my Mac at home, certainly made it simple to look like a pro, but for me that's not worth the price anymore.

I CAN UPDATE FROM ANYWHERE. Unlike the previous site, which I could only update from my Mac, at home, using iWeb, this site can be edited and updated from any location where I have Web access. I am no longer dependent on a specific type of computer or software.

MORE OPTIONS FOR YOU. If you follow the links from here to my photo albums on Picasa, the site allows you to easily download the photos to your computer or order prints. In other words, it enhances a major goal of this site: sharing. If you see a photo you think a friend or loved one would like, or see pictures of an event you wanted to attend but were unable to, this is for you. Also, you can post comments (please be nice!) and subscribe to this blog if you want.

First post on Blogspot

2008-07-16T15:02:00.009-04:00

Today begins an experiment: can I find a way to share my photos, videos and thoughts online WITHOUT using Apple's iWeb and "MobileMe" service (formerly known as "Dot Mac or ".mac"), that will be easy for friends and family to navigate? Since April 2006, "Blue Gator Online" has been hosted, courtesy of Apple Computer and a cost of over $100 per year. However, since last week, when Apple "upgraded" their e-mail/web hosting service to "MobileMe", my iWeb software gives me error messages whenever I try to publish to my site, and now the photos on my site won't enlarge and the slideshows no longer function. This experience has caused me to take a second look at my dependency on Apple, and a first look at Google's many free options: Google Sites for my Web pages, Blogspot for my blog, and Picasa for my photos. I have lots of questions, not the least of which is whether all these options, or others I have yet to discover, can be somehow tied together into a coherent online presence. Stay tuned.

Independence Day in Sarasota

2008-07-06T06:58:00.003-04:00

My in-laws opened their Sarasota homes to us for three days, including a dinner at Donna’s sister Gail’s house and a family lunch at her parents’ house. My brother-in-law Wayne joined us from Georgia, as well as Donna's nephew Farooq, recently returned from Pakistan where his family lives. Most of the clan went on a fishing trip Saturday, which Donna and I politely declined due to the high probability of fatal embarrassment of our (lack of) fishing skills, and in my case, seasickness. We saw fireworks in downtown Sarasota, along with a few other people who had the same idea (translation: traffic on the way home came to a standstill). The highlight: an afternoon in Gail’s pool, complete with a water fight. Luckily there were no casualties, other than the cleanliness of the pool deck.

Big, strange lizard

2008-06-25T22:13:00.002-04:00

This lizard began paying us visits recently. He likes to show off that eerie-looking flap on his head. And, one day, his tail turned a reddish color. Perhaps that’s his way of signaling his home planet, to begin the invasion..

Our "Grand Tour": 8 days, 3 states, one dream.

2008-06-20T22:12:00.006-04:00

Ever since our wedding, I have longed to show Donna my home state, Massachusetts, especially Needham, the town near Boston where I grew up. Once upon a time, that area was my entire universe. It was a land of many great memories of good times with my family, especially summers spent at our old family summer home on Cape Cod. It was also a land of sad, lonely times as my teenage years were turbulent. Finally, it was the place I dreamed up the crazy idea of leaving the land of the Ivy League to go to college in Florida - and stay there, escaping the frigid winter for good.

Donna had never seen the Northeast, so I was eager to take her on a grand, sweeping tour of my past - sort of like a Walt Disney version of my life. With our townhouse finally sold and debts paid, and my family planning to gather in New Hampshire on June 7 for a memorial service for my uncle Robert (who passed away earlier this year), I leapt at the chance to make a vacation out of it. My immediate family is scattered across three corners of the country (me in Florida, my sister’s family in western Massachusetts, and Dad in Arizona). It’s rare to have us all together in the same part of the country at the same time, so it was a priceless week.

Click on the links to view the pictures...

Part I - Western Massachusetts
On the 6th we flew into Hartford, Connecticut, the closest airport to my sister Amy. We spent two nights in Northampton, Massachusetts where we had a raucous time with my 4-year old nephew Ben, who loves to race cars on his Wii gaming console. I also met my new nephew Henry who was born in February. Amy and Michael took us to nearby Look Park which features a petting zoo and kiddie train ride.

Part 2 - New Hampshire
The memorial service for Uncle Robert (affectionately known as “Unc” to all of us) was held on Saturday in Northwood, New Hampshire, the ancestral home of several of my father’s forbears. Myself, my dad and cousin Sue shared stories of Unc’s affection for all of us over the years and good times with him during family gatherings.

Part 3 - Needham and Boston
On the 8th I took Donna to my hometown, Needham, showing her the town hall, my high school, the two homes my family lived in during the 1970s and 1980s, the supermarket where I worked as a bagger and deli clerk while in high school, and the picturesque downtown. We visited the grave of my mom, who died in 1986 when I was a junior at U.F. We topped it off with dinner with my old high school friend Danny and his family. The following day we took a commuter train into Boston and toured the city on a “Duck”, a converted World War II military transport that is able to travel on land and water. After taking us through the old historic area of Boston, the “Duck” plunged into the Charles River and we saw the city from a whole different perspective. We then enjoyed lunch at Quincy Market, a renovated and updated food and shopping area that has been around since the 19th century.

Part 4 - Cape Cod
We then spent two days at my family’s Cape Cod house in Falmouth, now owned by my uncle David and aunt Susie. They were spectacularly gracious hosts at this house where I spent many summer weekends growing up. We had most of the 5-bedroom place to ourselves. David cooked up a wonderful grilled swordfish dinner for us and some neighbors who have been friends of our family for something like 30 years.

Part 5 - Martha’s Vineyard
From Falmouth we took a ferry boat to the quaint island of Martha’s Vineyard, known for its marinas, homemade ice cream and “gingerbread” houses.

Part 6 - Virginia
On June 12 we drove our rental car to Hampton, Virginia to spend two days with my Aunt Linda (my mom’s sister) and Uncle Bob. The took us on a whirlwind tour of Virginia’s “historic triangle”: Jamestown, the first English settlement in North America, Williamsburg, the colonial capital of Virginia, and Yorktown, where the American Revolution ended with the surrender of the British to George Washington. On the 14th we flew back to Ft. Lauderdale from nearby Newport News.

Memorial Day 2008

2008-05-26T22:10:00.001-04:00

Nearly fifty friends of all ages showed up for our Memorial Day BBQ, which had six activities going on at the same time: food, cards, video games, movies, kids’ movies and football tossing. Jim and I worked two shifts on the grill, burning through an entire, huge bag of charcoal in seven hours. I had to send someone else to get more hot dogs. Katherine, Phyllis and others brought pasta dishes, potato salad, cookies and other goodies. I again tried my meager skills at “Guitar Hero III.” Best of all, everyone seemed to find something they enjoyed doing.

Return

2008-04-26T22:08:00.002-04:00

As many of you know, I was heavily involved with the South Florida Church youth ministry until 2006, when Donna and I got married. Working with teenagers was life-changing. They opened up new worlds to me: text messaging, video games, different(!) types of music, etc. that I never would have experienced otherwise. Those experiences in turn changed the way I look at life: now I’m much more eager to learn and experience new things and points of view. And wow, those teens are just a ton of fun to be around!

Since our wedding, I’ve been focusing on navigating another new and wonderful miracle of God in my life: my marriage. I have gotten to know and love Donna better, sharing in her needs, wants and dreams. Though my level of activity with the youth ministry diminished, I never let go of the priceless friendships I was blessed to have with so many young friends and their families. After months of prayer, counsel from trusted friends and ministers, I have returned to the youth ministry, gratefully, with Donna’s support and encouragement. We are planning to have the average age of our dinner guests plummet very soon.

How God Saved My Life, by Richard Boll

2008-03-09T22:04:00.003-04:00

At our church service this morning, my friend Richard Boll shared this account of a near-fatal accident he had last week. In attendance were Mary, Ron and Al who all played a vital role in saving Richard’s life. He wrote this while recovering at home after nearly drowning and has given me permission to share it here:

I am writing you this from home, while recovering, and not from heaven because God saved my life through three of His amazing animals, horses. Here are:

The events as I know it:
On Thursday, February 28,2008, I asked my boss to get off work early so I could help mow the church lawn as I was not going to be available for the work party on Saturday due to my daughter's volleyball tournament in Orlando. I just wanted to do my part. I arrived about 4:00 PM and after some minor maintenance on the John Deere Zero Turn EZ Track machine I buckled myself in with the seatbelt and was off cutting the grass. It was about 5:30 PM when I started cutting the grass around the lake. This is always a nervous part of the cut because the grass is on an incline and you do not want to go into the lake. At a steeper part of the bank (about a two foot drop off) I felt the ground give way and the big rear tires of the mower slide down into the edge of the lake. The mower was still running so I was trying in every way to get it to climb back on to the grass. I yelled “God help!”, then the mower flipped straight over 180 degrees and I landed upside down completely submerged in about waist deep of water strapped to the commercial riding lawn mower. Thank God for the roll bar! It saved my life, as I would have been crushed without its protection. When I realized what had happened, I urgently tried to unhook the seat belt. The problem was I could not find the seatbelt release button that was behind my seat on the left side. After I calmed myself down I tried to find the release button again but still no release button could be found. This may have been in part due to the location of the release button, the murky water combined with the carpal tunnel in my hands that have lost feeling in their first three fingers. Regardless, I decided at that point my efforts might be best directed elsewhere if I want to breathe. I could feel the bottom of the lake with my feet so I tried to kick off the bottom to turn the tractor over on it's side so at least I could get my head out of the water. I pushed with all my might but this also proved to be a poor use of air and energy as it was just too heavy. With air running out I decided to stretch myself out and up as far as I could toward the surface. With my arms extended I was able to make a splash. I started splashing and splashed enough air down to my mouth to get out with my last breath my last two cries for "HELP…HELP!" Then I just relaxed back under the mower and thought, "there is nobody around here to hear me... nobody saw me go into the lake. This is going to look really bad; someone is going to find me dead in this lake and strapped to this lawn mower. Wow, so this is how it’s going to happen.... I am going to die...I going to find out what is on the other..." and I blacked out. Some people report seeing a white light when they die. Well, I did not see any light. I think because, really I did not die, although I was sure in the HOV lane and on well my way with not breathing and all. The next thing I remember is hearing the sirens fading up in volume. Then I head a voice calling me to open my eyes, "Sir open your eyes, look at me, open your eyes sir, look at me, sir...". I slowly opened my eyes, "Look at me sir", and I focused on the eyes of the person looking at me and saw a smile come over his face and heard him say, "Oh, you're going to be OK". I had no idea what had happened. My mind was a blur and I was feeling very dizzy. When I realized there was a lot of commotion going on around me with the EMS, police and fire rescue, I asked, "What happened?" and when I heard, "You had an accident on the lawn mower and fell into the lake", it all came back to me and I yelled "You mean I'm still alive?" The whole way to the hospital in the ambulance I was exclaiming how I should be dead. There was nothing I could do or say that was enough to express how grateful I was to be alive (nor is there still to this day). In the ambulance as they were putting the IV in my arm, the paramedic said, "sir, you're going to feel a stick now", and I think I said, "thank you, I welcome feeling a stick because I should be dead! Man, I should be dead". But God had something else in the works.

The events as others have told me so far:
There was no person around who saw me flip over into the lake. But God did. For there were three horses whose stalls are just across the other side of the short end of the lake. Apparently they were eating when the mower flipped over into the lake. Maybe one of them saw me. I am not sure if all three were eating yet. Mary Nevling, one of the horse owners who happened to stop by at that time to care for them (she does not live there), had just fed her horse, who, she says “eats like the cereal kid 'Mikey' and is never distracted from food.” Suddenly, all three horses pulled away from their food and started running, bucking and whinnying in their paddocks, making enough commotion to cause Mary to come around from the stall where she was working and see why these normally calm horses were so upset. Mary then HEARD MY TWO CRIES FOR HELP and looked toward the lake and saw the mower upside down with me drowning. She then screamed to Ron LaFlamme, a neighbor to the horses, who also has horses in Tennessee and is in Florida only short times of the year. Also, he said, “It was a miracle that I was home at that time of the day and on that day (~5:30PM). I never come home early. It must be at least two years since I’ve been home at that time.” Hearing the panic in Mary’s voice, Ron ran to the fence where Mary told him what had just happened. He then jumped the fence and quickly ran around, meeting Mary at the edge of the lake scene. There was the mower in the now quiet water with my John Deere hat floating next to it. “He must have gotten out,” Mary said. “No he is under the mower!” exclaimed Ron, and he quickly ran into the lake toward the mower. When he reached the mower he tried to pull me out but I would not budge. He then pushed the heavy mower over on its side and while holding my head out of the water he then discovered the seatbelt. He followed the belt and found the red button and released me from my prison. “Thank God they make the button red, because the water was really murky,” Ron told me. Meanwhile, Mary ran out into the nearby street yelling with all her strength and waving her hands. In the white van that had just passed by was an off-duty Miami-Dade D.A.R.E. police officer, Al Romero and his eleven-year-old daughter Jackie. Jackie saw Mary screaming and shouted for her dad to stop. Al stopped the van as Mary ran up, shouting, “You have to help Ron, someone is drowning in the lake!” Al jumped out and ran to the lake. Ron by that time had pulled my unconscious body up to the shore but needed some help. At that time Al appeared and ran down into the lake, where with both Ron and Al they were able to roll my now blue-faced body up onto the grass. As they both were rolling me I started spitting out water and began breathing on my own. “That’s a good sign, he’s going to make it,” Al said. Al helped pump some more water out of my system then he got me to open my eyes. Al's smile was the first thing I saw when I came to and I will never forget it. I now believe God’s smile will be the first thing I’ll see in heaven.

There is no way I can explain my rescue except orchestrated by God. He loves us so much and works in ways we do not understand, even through His animals and circumstances way beyond our control. I hope this feeble attempt of communicating all that God has done for me reminds you that He would have done the same thing for you and that you will allow that fact to encourage your heart. “No way, not me,” you say? Please let me remind you God already has proved He would do the same thing for you: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). I look so forward to seeing all of you and speaking to you all in heaven, but not just yet. Until then I will appreciate even the quickest phone voice message and relationship in a whole new way.
Thank You.
Love, Richard Boll

Game Day, March 2008

2008-03-08T22:04:00.003-05:00

It was an all-time high turnout in five years of Game Days: Fourteen warriors, guitar heros and monster-slayers. We began with six players on two Xboxes, then had a Playstation 3 on one TV and an Xbox 360 on the other. There was guitar practice in the living room and football and wrestling in the front yard. We laughed at YouTube videos on my new computer, and myself and Chris played “Rise of Nations” on two of my old Macs. We tore through gallons of root beer, Coke and Sprite, two bags of nachos, seven large pizzas and a jug of salsa. We also had the privilege of welcoming Joe and Daniel, two Game Day newcomers who attend high school with friends Richard and Zach. While I was overseeing this eight-hour extravaganza, Donna had the opportunity to spend a much-welcome afternoon out with two of her newest and best friends, Judee and Phyllis. A great time was had by all.

Marion Levy 1914-2008

2008-03-01T22:51:00.003-05:00

On February 20, Donna’s 94 year old grandmother, Marion Levy, passed away. This weekend her parents and brother stayed with us and we all attended the funeral together in Pembroke Pines on Saturday. Unfortunately I did not have the privilege of knowing Marion in the prime of her life, but throughout the funeral service and reception after, I was treated to stories of her decades of devotion to her six children and uncountable grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Once upon a time she and her husband Lionel lived in a giant house in Jamaica with several generations of family, and they were always popular with the kids who’d stop by for treats. Years later in South Florida, Marion and Lionel remained active in our church. After his death she moved in with her daughter in Sarasota, who was one of many family members there who cared for her in her later years.

Our second anniversary

2008-02-23T22:02:00.005-05:00

Donna and I celebrated our second wedding anniversary at the Mai-Kai Restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale. The Mai-Kai has been known for years for its lush tropical gardens, waterfalls and Polynesian food and floor show, including dancers twirling flaming batons. Even more special the Mai-Kai is where I proposed to Donna on June 25, 2005. That seems like a long, long time ago, and yet, it seems like the years have flown by.

My first custom computer

2008-01-12T22:01:00.002-05:00

For the past year or so I have wanted to try my hand at building a computer. For many years I’ve replaced hard drives and memory for the computers at my job, but recently I decided I wanted to know how to build one from the ground up. I was inspired by a magazine article I read last year that gave step-by-step instructions and recommended parts. I researched the various components exhaustively for several months and made some modifications to the configuration suggested in the article. Then, when our townhouse finally sold I had some money to put my plan into action. I spent a Saturday putting the machine together, and surprise! It worked the first time I turned it on. I will use it mostly for games and programs that are not compatible with my Apple Macintosh G5. And by the way, all those blue lights, which were included with the case I chose, don’t actually do anything - they’re just there to look cool.

SOLD

2008-01-03T22:01:00.003-05:00

At 1:00pm on Thursday, January 3, we finally sold our townhouse in Tamarac. We received the offer in November, but for various reasons the buyers’ bank kept delaying the closing of the sale. Our primary emotion isn’t even joy, it’s relief. Now that we can look forward to a New Year without a second mortgage, we are beginning the process of rebuilding, financially as well as emotionally.

Farewell to 2007

2008-01-01T09:07:00.006-05:00

My father-in-law Michael's 70th birthday was this New Years’ Day, so to celebrate we spent three days with my in-laws in Sarasota. We had the opportunity to visit Donna’s grandmother Marion, who recently moved to a nursing home. We took Michael out to dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse, with Donna’s brother Wayne joining us from Savannah. Donna’s sister Gail hosted a New Year’s Eve party complete with fireworks in the back yard at midnight. On the trip back to Margate on New Years’ Day we took back roads across Florida, enjoying the small-town atmosphere that is so different from the interstates. I found a park on US 27 where I was able to pull off the road and show Donna a small part of Lake Okeechobee, which unfortunately has a very low water level this year due to an ongoing drought.

A reunion

2007-12-29T22:00:00.006-05:00

Many of my friends from the South Florida Church teen ministry of 2000 - 2004 have gone away to college. Today I took advantage of their return to their South Florida families for winter break to host a pizza and video game night for Joey, Anthony, Tony, Chris and Jimmy. Looking at this picture it’s hard to believe there was once a time when I was the tallest person in this group.

Christmas 2007

2007-12-25T09:21:00.003-05:00

Donna and I and six friends enjoyed a Christmas dinner of turkey, ham, Donna’s yummy green bean casserole, two pies, and much cheer. Donna and Phyllis did a phenomenal job decorating the house and the table. And - surprise! Steve and Tanya gave us a coffee maker as a gift only days after our previous one broke down. That will make getting up for work tomorrow just a bit more bearable.

Counting our blessings

2007-12-22T09:27:00.003-05:00

While much of the country was shivering, shoveling, slipping and sliding, this was the scene on Fort Lauderdale Beach on December 22 when Donna and I sneaked away for a holiday lunch at the Sheraton Yankee Trader. Even after living in Florida for over 20 years I never cease to be grateful and amazed at a place where winter can actually be a blessing.

A challenging year

2007-12-21T09:31:00.001-05:00

We planned for Donna’s townhouse to sell in five months, at most, eight months. Instead it has been over a year and a half of paying two mortgages, using up our savings, and going deeper into debt. We had to lower our price by 40% as the real estate market plummeted during the year. We found we were not able to compete with other sellers in the neighborhood without replacing the carpet and painting the interior. Finally in mid November we received an offer, for substantially lower than our asking price but we accepted it because we are rapidly running out of options. The closing on the sale was set for December 15. Then, the air conditioner in the unit broke down and had to be replaced - another huge expense. Meanwhile the closing has been delayed twice due to last-minute documentation required by the buyers’ bank, and just last week the new air conditioning system failed the city inspection, so I had to have the technicians return to fix the problem. We had breathed a sigh of relief earlier this month when it appeared our ordeal with this property would end before Christmas. At this point we are hoping to close by the new year but even that’s not a sure thing. Right now we are trying to focus on being grateful the situation is not a lot worse, and we have been strengthened and encouraged by the prayers and well-wishes of many loved ones and great friends.

Operation Trailblaze

2007-12-08T09:33:00.003-05:00

Fire ants. Conversation and regurgitation. Backflips over camping gear. Water wars fought with canoe oars. Shy alligators and aggressive cacti. Scaling a tower atop an imposing 86-foot mountain. “Unofficial” hiking trails that we kind of made up. Burned-out tree stumps. And of course, lunch at Wendy’s. Such is the result of mixing James, Ian, Andrew, Rob, the outdoors and about thirty hours of free time.

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-11-22T09:39:00.003-05:00

We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving meal prepared by Jim & Phyllis. Unlike the past several years, we neither hosted a dinner at our house nor travelled. This time, we let our friends feed us for a change! Not that we don’t love hosting and traveling, but it was great to just relax this year.

Donna's game day

2007-11-17T09:42:00.003-05:00

At last - Donna asked herself the question, “Why should the BOYS have all the fun?” So she and her friends Judee and Phyllis had their fun, their way - Scrabble. And just like on the days when me and the guys do video games, time flew and they had fun. Way to go, ladies.

Our papaya tree

2007-11-10T09:44:00.002-05:00

What a difference a year makes. Last Thanksgiving Donna’s father brought us a tiny papaya seedling, which we planted in our back yard. Now it’s taller than the house and covered with papayas. We were pleasantly surprised at how quickly the fruit came. Donna’s definitely the papaya fan of our household though. I’m still waiting for the mangos to show up which unfortunately will take much longer.

Easter 2006

2006-04-16T10:12:00.003-04:00

After a very moving church service this morning, including audio/visuals, music and skits focused on the Resurrection, Donna and I enjoyed a wonderful grilled roast at the home of our friends Richard and Cheryl and their family. It felt just like a holiday should: friends, food and movies.

King Tut's treasures in Ft. Lauderdale

2006-04-15T10:09:00.001-04:00

Donna and I saw the King Tut exhibit in Ft. Lauderdale with our friends Luis and Renee. It was very crowded, but fascinating. They even put the “boy king’s” board games in his tomb with him. Yes, they had board games thousands of years before Christ. Amazing. One exhibit showed how the three chambers of the tomb looked when they were discovered in 1922: furniture, boxes, sculptures, golden artifacts all stacked in piles and stuffed behind each other. Kind of like how our living room looked when we first moved in together after the wedding. I was disappointed to learn from a museum guide that King Tut's actual sarcophagus wasn't part of the exhibit; apparently the Egyptian government doesn't want to let His Majesty out of their sight.

Moving to iWeb

2006-04-13T10:07:00.001-04:00

I have nearly completed the new, improved “Blue Gator Online” site, courtesy of my iWeb 2006 software which makes creating Web pages as easy as dragging and dropping. It’s been a lot of work but I’m excited because sharing my stuff will be even easier and cooler.

Getting organized

2006-03-31T10:05:00.002-05:00

Now that we are back from our honeymoon, it’s time to face “real life.” First challenge: combining clothes, towels, books, boxes, computer equipment, furniture, memorabilia, two cats and a dog from two households into one. Stuff is stacked in piles everywhere and it’s so overwhelming to contemplate, we’re focusing on tidying up and organizing one room at a time.

For the time being we are living in Donna’s villa in Tamarac, which has two bathrooms (great for a married couple). First we are putting my home in Oakland Park on the market, then once it’s sold we’re going to look for a 3-bedroom house, with a garage, fenced yard (for our animals) and NO homeowner’s association. Last year Donna had to pay $1000 special assessment to fix the roofing in the complex - even though the roof on her unit is fine. Never again.

Our honeymoon

2006-03-06T10:03:00.002-05:00

We had a wonderful honeymoon at a beach cottage on Captiva Island, which is just off the Florida west coast near Ft. Myers. Nothing to do except lie on the beach, go for boat rides and eat out. We also took a short cruise to a neighboring island called Boca Grande, went for a tour by golf cart of a historic village and lighthouse. But most importantly we relaxed for the first time in eight months.

Rob & Donna's Wedding

2006-02-25T09:49:00.002-05:00

Words cannot express our heartfelt gratitude for all those who helped, supported and encouraged us in every way on our wedding day and throughout the preparations. Thanks to numerous friends and loved ones our wedding was even better than we imagined it would be.

The Blue Gator Times 2005

2005-12-31T09:47:00.001-05:00

Somehow, I missed publishing a "Blue Gator Times" for 2004. It was a busy and memorable year; perhaps I'll revisit it in the future. Here's what I had to say about 2005 at bluegatoronline.com:

2005 may be gone, but it’s not forgotten, for reasons both good and bad. Here’s the official Blue Gator review, month by month:

December 2005
My friend Laura's parents threw a Sweet 16 party for her at a Mexican restaurant, complete with mariachis. We had our final Sunday service at Cooper City High School before moving to our "new old" church building. Thankfully my ribs and collarbone healed enough to enable me to go through with my plans to visit friends and family in Massachusetts and New Hampshire for Christmas. All went well with my flights and visits. I even got to see some snow in New Hampshire - just in time for my return to Florida.

November 2005
My friend Chris and I went to Gainesville for a weekend to visit friends. A windy rainstorm damaged my temporary roof-fix so my bedroom got soaked again. While myself and a friend were trying to cover the roof with a new tarp the next day, I slipped off the roof, fell 11 feet, cracked 8 ribs and broke my collarbone. I got out of the hospital the day before Thanksgiving and was able to accompany Donna in a visit to her aunt for Turkey Day but my ribs and back ached for weeks.

October 2005
Our friends Heath and Julie were married. Hurricane Wilma's arrival wrecked my roof, causing several leaks. Also it knocked out my electricity for two weeks and gave me a week off from work, which I celebrated by waiting in lines for gas, a generator and ice.

September 2005
The annual Labor Day BBQ for our high school students. Click here to see what happens when a video camera is pointed at these guys!

August 2005
I hosted a "Game Day" for my younger friends - what more could any teen want than a weekend away from the folks, with a steady diet of Xbox and pizza?

July 2005
Our annual Southeast Family Bible Conference in Orlando. I took a quick weekend trip to Massachusetts for my nephew Ben's first birthday party at my sister's house. I like this "Uncle Rob" thing!

June 2005
I proposed to Donna at the Mai-Kai restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale. She said "yes," which makes me fear for her sanity.

May 2005
Donna and I attended the church's annual Teen Prom. The church also hosted a singles retreat in North Florida during which we went innertubing on the Ichetucknee River and I had the opportunity to give Donna and some friends a tour of my old stomping ground, the UF campus in Gainesville.

April 2005
A group of us went camping in the Florida Keys. Our friends Gio and Karen made room for me in their Ft. Lauderdale beachside hotel room to enjoy the annual Air and Sea Show.

March 2005
Myself, Donna and Phoenix participated in a "Walk for the Animals" dog walk in downtown Ft. Lauderdale to raise money for the local Humane Society.

February 2005
Richard, one of the young men from our teen ministry had his birthday party at my house, with several of his friends and plenty of video gaming. Donna persuaded me to attend the "Renaissance Festival", an annual event in South Florida featuring medieval costumes, food and jousting, and I enjoyed it (especially the food, but she enjoyed me dressed up like one of the Three Musketeers even better) Then it was off to Scottsdale, Arizona to celebrate my father's birthday and introduce Donna to my family. By sheer luck it rained in the Sonoran Desert that week and we arrived just in time to see many exotic desert flora in bloom.

January 2005
We attended the wedding of Donna's friend Sandy, visited Donna's grandmother in Sarasota for her 90th birthday and enjoyed a beautiful outdoor church service at Tradewinds Park - an annual tradition.

The Blue Gator Times 2003

2003-12-31T09:45:00.005-05:00

This was the first online edition of "The Blue Gator Times", which originally appeared on my site hosted on bluegatoronline.com.

The Blue Gator Times "All the News that's Fun to Print"
South Florida, 2003

WELCOME! Here it is - the very first online edition of the Blue Gator Times! It's been a long time coming, but I did it! Here is the 2003 scoop from Blue Gator Land. So pull up a chair, get comfortable, have a glass of eggnog, and enjoy as a, um, er, great holiday tradition lives on in cyberspace!

JANUARY
We started the year off with an outdoor service at Tradewinds Park and some home improvement. My roommate Steve helped install a new chandelier in our dining room, which also happens to be his bedroom.

FEBRUARY
I visited Dad in Arizona, which has some really cool scenery. Mountains - what a concept for a Floridian! Even Dad's subdivision is like one big desert garden. Some really handsome visitors are known to show up there occasionally also.

MARCH
Both my family and my roommate Wayne's family sent us Omaha Steaks for Christmas, so our freezer was packed! Too much for us to eat alone, so we threw a BBQ I called "The East Side Steak-Out." Wayne, Steve and I, and about 20 of our closest friends really "had a cow" (or several). Later that month the church had a singles camping retreat at Camp Sparta, in Central Florida. I even got to be in charge of the slide show!

APRIL
Finally, I got around to having some landscaping put in my front yard, along with a coconut palm.

MAY
May was crammed full of events! First there was the annual Picnic in the Park, sponsored by the North Andrews Neighborhood Association. Then came a teen & campus worship service, where we got to meet John and Kay Hoyt who would later move to South Florida from Orlando to lead our teen ministry. Then came my Memorial Day BBQ.

JUNE
My friend Pat organized a trip to northern Florida's Ichetucknee Springs, where a crystal-clear, cool (72 degrees), spring-fed river attracts inner-tube riding adventurers.

JULY
During the 4th of July weekend we trekked to Orlando for the Southeast Family Bible Conference, a gathering from our churches all over Florida and the South for a weekend of in-depth Bible studied and special classes for married couples, singles and teens. That Saturday I volunteered to take a few of the kids to Wet 'n' Wild, an Orlando-area water park. Unfortunately, as you can see, I forgot my sunscreen!

AUGUST
August was a relaxing summer month, with evenings on the beach, dining in downtown West Palm Beach and celebrating friends' birthdays and weddings. We also went back to having "Friday devotionals" (informal worship and Bible study) for our teen group. These are lots of fun, since we like to hang out together and you never know what goofy things may happen! And our back to school cookout at a county park made that sad occasion as happy as possible!

SEPTEMBER
Funny how a party can take on a life all it's own regardless of planning! The afore-mentioned "East Coast Steakout" was something I planned a month in advance and even handed out flyers. My Labor Day cookout, on the other hand, was thrown together a week ahead of time, and had almost double the turnout! We even ran out of hamburgers. Later that month, after much work on a three-computer Macintosh network, I got some of the kids together for a multi-player computer game called "Age of Empires II", in which players build villages and castles, mine gold, then raise armies of knights, horsemen, archers, etc. and attack each other's castles and villages.

OCTOBER
My birthday was on the 19th, the day we happened to have a special Sunday worship for our high school and college students. Pizza served afterward, of course! Later that week my friend Phil treated to my traditional steak dinner at one of my favorite restaurants, Steak and Ale. Then came our weekend camping trip to a state park about an hour and a half north of Ft. Lauderdale. On Halloween weekend I attaned a reunion of church members who attended the Crossroads Church in Gainesville (home of my alma mater, the University of Florida) in the 1970's and 1980's

NOVEMBER
Every year our church sponsors "Campus Fair", an opportunity for 11th- and 12th-graders to spend a weekend in Gainesville (my second trip there in two weeks! My co-workers thought I was nuts!) and get a sample of college life including a pep rally, question-and-answer session with current college students, a campus tour, and of course, a Gator football game on TV! Wow, did I feel old when I realized the fall 2004 freshman class will be entering U.F. exactly 20 YEARS after I did! Oh well, at least I'm still young at heart. I had the blessing of being able to spend Thanksgiving with my friends Les and Judee and their family, who cooked up a very traditional and BIG turkey dinner. Just what the doctor ordered for those like me who have no family in the area.

DECEMBER
So far, 2003 is ending with a bang! The first weekend in December brought, back-to-back, the Pro-Frame Contracting annual holiday party at Gatsby's in Boca Raton, which I had the honor of planning (but thankfully, I did NOT have the honor of paying for it!), and our singles ministry Christmas party at a Mexican restaurant on the Ft. Lauderdale riverfront.