So I lost my phone. It was about 9am when I looked for it to make a call, and it wasn’t in any of the 36 normal landing spots at home. So I looked in the 17 alternate landing places to no avail. I even looked in the couch. I began replaying the day before… when did I last have it… when did I last use it….I even tried the ‘find my iphone’ feature, but my phone wasn’t connected to a network anywhere. Hmmm…. And with a gut-blanching suddenness I remembered. I had taken it outside the night before while this was happening. Because I wanted to take pictures.

I remembered that there had been a bit of a scuffle, so I put my phone down to help out.  I remember thinking, “I HAVE to remember to take that back inside”. Then, my son had a bit of an accident on a scooter, so I had to help him get into the house and quiet the screaming. I forgot about the phone. Where did I leave it? Here.

Wondering what that is, exactly? Try this view.

I PUT IT ON THE BUMPER OF THE CAR. (I know.) When I realized all of this, my husband had already met a friend for breakfast and had returned home, driving this car.  He looked at the bumper… and was convinced the phone had gone with him. Because it had been raining, and the phone shaped outline implies something was sitting there in the rain. Be still my heart. He, being an amazing husband with a great appreciation for personal communication, retraced his steps.

And he found my phone.

My phone rode on the back of his bumper, in the spot pictured above…. for about 4.5 miles… …down our bumpy driveway… …through a half mile of washboard gravel road, including several hundred feet through a construction site (none of which Neil drives through with, say, great restraint)… … a few miles of 5 lane suburban roadway, including several stoplights… … IN THE RAIN… … to this restaurant.

He found the phone lying face up in the parking lot. In perfect condition. (pause to offer thanks and absorb the ridiculousness of my own actions)

He is, and has been for 15 years now, My Hero.

I began replaying the day before… when did I last have it… when did I last use it….I even tried the ‘find my iphone’ feature, but my phone wasn’t connected to a network anywhere. Hmmm….
And with a gut-blanching suddenness I remembered.

I had taken it outside the night before while this was happening. Because I wanted to take pictures.

I remembered that there had been a bit of a scuffle, so I put my phone down to help out.  I remember thinking, “I HAVE to remember to take that back inside”.
Then, my son had a bit of an accident on a scooter, so I had to help him get into the house and quiet the screaming.

I forgot about the phone.
Where did I leave it?
Here.

Wondering what that is, exactly? Try this view.

I PUT IT ON THE BUMPER OF THE CAR.
(I know.)

When I realized all of this, my husband had already met a friend for breakfast and had returned home, driving this car.  He looked at the bumper… and was convinced the phone had gone with him. Because it had been raining, and the phone shaped outline implies something was sitting there in the rain.

Be still my heart.

He, being an amazing husband with a great appreciation for personal communication, retraced his steps.

And he found my phone.

My phone rode on the back of his bumper, in the spot pictured above…. for about 4.5 miles…
…down our bumpy driveway…
…through a half mile of washboard gravel road, including several hundred feet through a construction site (none of which Neil drives through with, say, great restraint)…
… a few miles of 5 lane suburban roadway, including several stoplights…
… IN THE RAIN…
… to this restaurant.

He found the phone lying face up in the parking lot. In perfect condition.

(pause to offer thanks and absorb the ridiculousness of my own actions)

He is, and has been for 15 years now, My Hero.

Isn’t it pretty?  It’s for green screen, or chroma key, shots.   Read about what that is here.  The rounded corners had to be created from plaster by hand. Which took some skill and some time. My husband did a stellar job with the design, construction, and management of this project.

The wall has been built at the end of a long narrow gallery that is used for art shows, video shoots, etc. When the green wall isn’t needed, it can disappear behind a lovely red curtain.

Poof. Oh, and I also learned a nifty trick.  If you stand very close to a green cyc wall, looking directly at the wall so that there’s only green in your periphery, anything you look at next will appear magenta.  No kidding.   (That one was for free.)

In other words, we’re throwing a lot of stuff away.

Now, let me just say that I know my husband loves me.  And I know he loves our kids.  And I know he loves Jesus.  In our basement, we found evidence of a whole different category of his affection.

What’s in your basement?

Tech Things: I’ve always used an FM transmitter in my car to listen to my iPod. Last fall, my husband and I abandoned Verizon for AT&T as our cell phone provider for the express purpose of paving the way in case a miracle occurred and he could get an iPhone. The new AT&T compatible phones came with the endearing quality of emitting FM interference. I got used to the little ‘dut dut duuuuuh‘ buzzing through the car radio when taking my new phone for a ride. BUT NOW (in a set of unforeseen circumstances) both my husband and I have iPhones. And there is simply no dealing with the ‘DUT DUT DUUUUH DUH DUT-DUT DUUHHH!!!!!!!!‘ that eminates from the iPhone if ever I plug it into the FM transmitter. It’s almost exactly like listening to the opposite of music. After realizing this new problem, I noticed my car has a cassette player. Which has sat largely unused for, say, 5 years? So now, I am living in the technological oxymoronic reality of plugging my iPod or iPhone into a $5 cassette adapter. And there is no more interference. And it sounds better. So there.

Things that make me go wha??? Target sells something called Shrimp Popsicles. Go look. They’re in the freezer section.

Best overheard conversation which, I think, could teach us all a lesson about great communication:

• flight attendant: sir, are you able to perform the duties required in the emergency exit row?
• man seated in front of me: I’m sorry, what?
• flight attendant: are you able to perform the duties of the emergency exit row?
• man: I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. I don’t have my hearing aids in.
• flight attendant: well, then you can’t
• man: what?
• flight attendant: you just told me you don’t have your hearing aids in so you can’t
• man: can’t what?
• flight attendant: you’re going to have to move to another seat.
• man: I can’t move to another seat? what?!?!

(Random post idea stolen from inspired by tam)

Extra credit: what’s on the bigger screen?

Extra credit: what’s on the bigger screen?

This is the main part of our auditorium sound system. Recoil in horror if you like, but except for an amp rack and the part of the board you’re not seeing in this pic, this is our usual set up.

This is Betty.

Betty is the personal property of our extremely talented tech director.

Betty came to visit for Easter and, can I just say, she made all things new.

We love Betty.

This is the main part of our auditorium sound system. Recoil in horror if you like, but except for an amp rack and the part of the board you’re not seeing in this pic, this is our usual set up.

This is Betty.

Betty is the personal property of our extremely talented tech director.

Betty came to visit for Easter and, can I just say, she made all things new.

We love Betty.