Jim Carrey v. Adam Sandler: Carrey wins.

In Living Color v. Saturday Night Live: SNL wins.

Kate Winslet v. Drew Barrymore: Push.

New York v. Hawaii: N/A.

Elijah Wood's Patrick v. Sean Astin's Doug: Doug.

Tom Wilkinson (link) v. Dan Akroyd: Wilkinson.

Kirsten Dunst.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind vs 50 First Dates. ESSM by a mile.

One of the funniest lines I remember from M*A*S*H:

Father Mulcahy: Klinger, I thought you were an atheist.
Klinger: Gave it up for Lent.

It was Ben’s idea for the hike at Boulder River (Forest Service, Green Trails #77 (Oso) and/or #109 (Granite Falls)), and he couldn’t have picked a better day. The weather on Saturday was mostly calm, and there was no rain until the evening when we returned to Bellingham.

I’m convinced the best way to do a day hike is to leave early. The earlier, the better. For me, fewer other hikers equals a better trail experience. We left at 7:30 am and arrived at the Boulder River Trail trailhead around 9:00.

The trail follows Boulder River for 4.5 miles until it ends at a smallish campground next to the river. Some maps show the trail going over the river and up the hill on the other side, but since we all left our hip waders in our other pants, we figured this was a decent place as any to call our final destination.

Even if you don’t want to do the full 4.5 miles, you’re in luck. There are two tall unnamed falls 1 mile and 2 miles in, giving you a decent destination without all the work. Boulder Falls itself is not visible from the main trail (we didn’t know this at the time, or else we would have looked for it).

This is a low altitude hike that is available all year (from what I’ve heard). We got an early start, and we only encountered 2 people on our way in; on the way out, we passed 25+ people and 5 dogs.

Directions from I-5: Get off I-5 at the Arlington/Darrington/SR-530 exit, and follow the signs to Darrington. Somewhere before mile marker 40 on SR-530, turn right (south) on French Creek Road/Forest Road 2010. Follow it 4.5-ish miles to its end. Forest Service Pass required.

The water falls gave me a chance to play with shutter speed on a borrowed fancy-pants camera.

From river level:

There were also some great moments with the sun shining through the mist as the air warmed up.

More pics are available here.

If you click this link, you'll read a brief story about a man who was dead at least one whole year before anyone noticed. And the kicker: the finding of his body was coincidental/accidental.

Maybe I'm affected by the exertion from the day... or the season... or a sudden jolt of humanity... but I can't take this story for anything other than how sad it is.

1. Apparently, Mr. Ricardo was unloved. If you love someone, you care. You check up. It's what you do. (Note to Mom and Dad: I'm calling tomorrow.)
2. He was alone. 'Nuff said.

What scares you? Car accidents? Earthquakes? A bald Britney? I'll betcha that for most people, being unloved and being alone are right on the top of their list of fears, whether they realize it not.

My advice: Hope in Christ.

1. He went to prepare a place for us. Jn 14 is marriage language. We are loved.
2. We have a promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us, and we have the Holy Spirit. We are never alone.

Here in this one night out of the last 21 where I didn’t have something happening, have somewhere to be, or have someone to be, I finally have a little quiet time to read some of my old favorites:

Honey Roasted Peanuts. Ingredients: Salt; artificial honey roasting agents; pressed peanut sweepings.

I know some of you doing-all-the-time types might step over your own mother just have a quiet night away from all the busy-ness, but careful what you ask for. I’ll bet you “twenty dollars can buy many peanuts” that you and me both on a suddenly open night are a little like the mule with a spinning wheel… no one knows how he got it, and danged if he knows how to use it.

Actually... I figured it out. I’ll use it for laundry. Because the only thing I’m hunting for is an outfit that looks good.

Throw up your hands, and raise your voice.

So I know that there’s been a surge in recent years of naming children after little-named-after Biblical people. In my limited experience, names like Caleb, Noah, and Seth are more common now than they used to be. I don't have a problem with that. None, whatsoever. In fact, the cutest kid you're going to meet (okay, okay... he's at least in the top 4) is named Seth (seen on the right).

But when’s the last time you heard of parents naming their kid Tamar or Amminadab?

I will give you $50 if you name your daughter Abishag.

Technology can be wonderful and make life easier. For examples: last.fm, internet banking, and Hot Pockets and news about nailing jelly to a wall.

It also gives us tax return software.

But don’t get me wrong. It’s not the tax return software that’s the problem. In fact, the software I used was useful and helpful, and it employed a decent interface. It allowed me to gracefully render unto Caesar, and for Caesar to give back that which he kept interest-free over the past 12 months.

Here’s the problem: With the proliferation of tax return software, and E-File, and all that, there is little hope that we will ever have any kind of serious tax reform. The best argument we used to have against the current tax system is that “taxes are too complicated.” Now the best argument we have against it is, “I have too many software providers to choose from.”

What would be better? No income tax. Failing that, a flat tax. But for now, we’re stuck. Land of the AGI, Home of the Schedule A.

Crank up the burner, folks. That frog won’t jump.

So I was heading home yesterday about 5:30pm and, whaddyaknow, there was enough sunlight, in between the dark clouds, to show an orange sunset.

To me, this indicates two highly significant things:

1. The sunny parts of days are getting longer. Not only that, it’s actually noticeable to the 9-ish to 5-ish office crowd. (Lamest Day of the Year award goes to: toss-up! Dec 22 (shortest day) or June 23 (when the days start getting shorter))

2. Spring and summer are indeed coming. God promised we would not be deluged again, and he keeps his promises. Also noteworthy: We went a whole 23 hours without precipitation the other day. Praise the Lord, and pass the sunscreen.