Comfortable With Uncertainty

There's all sorts of leadership gobbledygook out there. It makes it difficult to weed through and actually find something of value. I thought this nugget was particularly valuable:

"Maybe the hardest part of leadership—be it leading a company, a family, a relationship or simply your own life—is that often times you don’t know and you still have to act. Leadership in some ways is built on learning to be comfortable with not knowing, with imperfect knowledge, with the inherent uncertainty of it all."

— The Monster In Your Head » Comfortable with Uncertainty

h/t - Bijan

"Who Vs. "That"

Can I just get something off my chest; it's petty and will only take a light flick? Thank you.

Recently (over the past 14 years), I've been noticing a lot how people use "that" when they should use "who." Even professional journalists do it. In fact, it's rare I observe someone use it correctly. Rule: Use "who" when referring to people. Use "that" when referring to groups or things.

Truthfully, it doesn't really matter which you use. Truthfully, I don't talk correctly all the time either. This is just one of those pet peeves that I had to get off my chest. A sentence is easier to understand when you use "who" when you're supposed to. People that don't talk correctly frustrate me.

The Swell Season

I'm in a music kind of mood this brisk, sunny Friday.

I'm lovin' Falling Slowly by The Swell Season.

Male-Pattern Baldness

Who knew 11 week olds could experience male-pattern baldness?

From The Bowels Of My Brain II

And now for the second batch of "From The Bowels Of My Brain."

Let's do this.

>> The words “flammable” and “inflammable” mean the same thing: “easily set on fire”

>> "Loosen", "unloosen", and "unloose" all mean the same thing too.

>> I blame the above facts on the people of England.

>> If you're going to publicly discuss the ending of a movie, TV show, game, sporting event, court case, or similar and there is a greater than 1% chance I am not aware of the outcome, I plead with you to say or write "SPOILER ALERT" and allow ample time for me to disengage before proceeding. Thank you.

>> Soda is a dessert. And should be consumed as such.

>> Certain words are just fun to say. I really like to say "particularly". I say it like, "parTICulaurly." Try it. It's fun. And if you say it in a sentence with a British accent you sound really smart. Weird, but smart.

>> If you're reading this in August, I have no idea how you found this post and I'm sorry your life is so boring.

>> Why in the world any regular person would buy a clothes hanger is beyond me.

>> I proclaim popcorn as the most under appreciated food in America, both for its flavor/texture and the ingenuity of its creation.

>> Nilla wafers are really good too.

>> Figure Skating's prominent TV coverage is one of life's great mysteries.

Out.

Wolfpack or Tarheels?

So N.C. State Men's Basketball isn't having a great season. The team had a good home win over Wake Forest today to improve to 3-10 in the ACC. But, if they win the rest of their games they'll be National Champs!!!

The Tarheels, well, they're terrible this season too. Almost as bad as the Wolfpack. Victories have been tough to come by. It's now been 41 days since they've beaten any team other than the Wolfpack.

These facts have laid a general morose over the basketball season in the Hill house. Last Saturday, though, we were assured one of our teams would get a victory. We put Kessler in the "House Divided" outfit his Loli made for him and settled in for what we hoped would be a competitive game. Loli and Pops came over to watch the game (and play with their grandson). The Heels won 74-61 over the uninspired Wolfpack.

(Notice the Half UNC Half NCSU pants)

Kessler was disappointed about the loss, but not nearly as animated about it as this guy:

Christmas With The Hills

Whoops, it's February and I'm posting a Christmas post. I had this post teed up 5 weeks ago, but it slipped my mind.

For the past 5 years, the weeks surrounding Christmas have been a fun time for the Hill family. It's a small reunion. All 3 kids and any significant others come to The New Miami and we basically just hang out all the time. We mainly hang at the 'rents' house. Mom fixes a bunch of good, casseroley dishes and we play games, go on walks, watch movies, eat, listen to music, make music, eat, play games, rinse, repeat. There's a certain familiar rhythm to our time together. This Christmas, it suddenly went from a simple 3/4 meter to a compound 9/8. Two new Hills joined the fold by way of chromosomal combination. It was Kessler's first Christmas and our 5-month old Niece, Honey Cate's first Christmas. It was a new rhythm, but a welcome one. Many of the familiarities remained; the games, the laughter, the Hill Holiday Holla, the music, and, of course, the casseroles.

Many memories are made over those few weeks and I look forward to the tradition continuing for many years to come. Viva la Christmas with the Hills.

Here are some snapshots from those few weeks which include some great moments with the Roses (Ashley's family) as well.
(Hover over the picture and click the paper icon for captions.)

Kessler Goes Sledding

We got some more snow here in The New Miami. Last snow, Kessler was a little too young to play in it, so we had to take advantage of the soft, white, crystallized water droplets this time around. Who knows when we'll get another snow like that again.

We put him in his toddler snowsuit, threw him on the disc sled, gave him a 1-2-3-go and off he went. He wasn't all that interested. By that I mean, he just laid there. He didn't realize he wasn't lying inside on the floor. Remember, babies are dumber than dogs.

It was fun to watch him slide down the hill on the snow. Ashley wasn't even nervous. She just smiled and waited for him to slide down to her. You can see a really boring, soundless, almost pointless, 3 second, stop-motion video of his first sled here on the Youtubes. How's that for a sales pitch? Sad thing is, now I'm thinking you're more likely to click over to the video. But now that you read that last sentence, maybe you're less likely to click over. Oh, forget it. I'm going to bed.

Kessler's Favorite Whiskey

What better way to stay warm on a cold, snowy day than with a smooth as silk American blend.

From The Bowels Of My Brain

Periodically I will post a batch of unrelated thoughts. I'm calling this "From The Bowels Of My Brain", which may not be accurate because the thoughts originated in my mind, but I like the alliteration and the fact that I can use the word "bowels" without talking about poop.Well, I just ruined that.

Here we go.

>> I was attracted to Walgreen's because of their $2.99 Milk sale. I spent $9.84. Drugstore sales work.

>> The vast majority of shoes sold in America are ugly.

>> I just realized recently that the sound of snapping your fingers comes, not from friction, but from your middle finger banging against the base of your thumb. Don't act like you've thought about that before. Or maybe I'm just dumb.

>> If we wash our bodies and our dishes with warm water, why don't we wash our teeth with it?

>> The ONLY thing you can talk about with a stranger on an elevator is the weather.

>> If I had a nickel for every time I've heard the phrase "Eight to fifteen inches of snow is expected in the Triad", I'd be five cents richer.

>> "Congratufreakinlations" autocompletes on my phone. Maybe I should come up with a better congratulatory phrase.

>> Brett Favre is 40.

>> It is not possible to not watch "The Fugitive" if you stumble upon it on TV.

>> One of the least fulfilling experiences a human can have: Holding back a sneeze.

>> One of the benefits of having a kid is that it gives you a chance to blog about something other than, "Today I stared at spreadsheets and PowerPoint Presentations while surrounded by gray fabric for 9 hours. Then I came home."

>> Babies are dumber than dogs. #fact

>> Never doubt meteorologists.

>> Eating ice cream with a fork is a better experience than eating it with a spoon.

Finally, I would like to dedicate this post to the first person who drank the white fluid that comes out of a cow's teat.

Sister On Haiti

Sister Abby with her boyfriend, Allan

My sister is a 2nd grade teacher in Copan Ruinas, Honduras. She walks through dirt (and mud) streets to school each morning. The power goes out in the whole town on a daily basis. Meat for sale sits on tables, uncovered, in the street. Many kids she interacts with have no toys, few clothes, and limited food options. Thus, she has a unique perspective on the disaster in Haiti.

She posted to her blog the other day about Haiti and I thought it was worth sharing here.

Snippet:

"...I just cannot imagine everything I know being taken from me, my family killed/injured, my home demolished, my city streets un-walkable, the hospital ruined, no power, no water….and the list continues. and I certainly cannot imagine a city/town having to recover from destruction like that, or the disease that is going to follow such a terrible disaster. I tried to imagine if something like that happened in Copan, what would the people do? It breaks my heart to think that the people in Haiti are similar to the people in Copan in terms of wealth, and just the devastation and long, long road that is ahead of them. I have questioned the Lord a lot this week on why this happened to Haiti? One of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. They already had SO little…and why this now? It just doesn’t make sense. But today, I was journaling and the Lord just reminded me that He is exactly that…the Lord. and He is in control. He knows those people. He feels for those people. He loves those people so incredibly much..."

Kessler Is Home

WARNING: If you don't like to see pictures of babies hooked up to medical machines, then don't look below. (Ashley's note)
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The last four days have taught us a lot and given us perspective as to just how blessed we are. When you first find out you're having a kid, everyone asks if you want a boy or a girl. The clichéd answer is, "So long as it's a healthy baby." I avoided saying that, though it was true. You envision your life with a baby and the baby growing just how you did and how a lot of others have. But you also realize that things don't always go how you envision them. We know several parents who've had children with debilitating ailments from skin disease to brain tumors. After these past four days, I can say, "I can imagine what that would be like," but that's all it would be, imagining. There was never really a moment where I thought there was a likely chance for long-term issues resulting from Kessler's sickness. For that, I'm thankful.

Last Sunday night, Kessler came down with a minor cold, or so we thought. He became more congested to the point he was having trouble breathing by Thursday night. Friday morning, we took him to the doc where his oxygen saturation was found to be low. Off to Baptist Hospital we went where they did a chest x-ray, a deep nasal suction, and a couple other tests. They said it was RSV, a respiratory infection that is risky for infants, and admitted Kessler for monitoring. Later that day, his breathing worsened and his oxygen saturation briefly dipped to 55%. A cannula was then placed in his nose to provide a steady stream of O_2.

After a few apneic spells, the doctors thought it best for him to move to an area of more acute care where he could be monitored closely. This also would help a concerned mother rest more easily.

His thick congestion continued to make it difficult for him to breathe throughout the night. So much of the guy's energy had to be focused on breathing that he was unable to sleep or eat. To get him some energy, they had to start an IV in his little arm. You'll see the heavy duty wrap and medicine cup to keep him from ripping out the IV.

Friday night was his roughest night. He had trouble sleeping and didn't eat for almost 24 hours. As a parent, you're toeing the line of trusting God and worrying. I laid in the room the whole night, most of the time praying for him to calm and get some rest and for some of his congestion to clear. His stomach was empty. He was exhausted. Yet he couldn't rest, because he couldn't breathe. For a four or five hour stretch he would spit out his pacifier, cry, and fight to breathe through the thick mucous. I would get up and dip his pacifier in some sucrose and put it back in his mouth to soothe him. This worked for a bit until he got worked up again because of the congestion. Every 45 minutes the nurse would come in to deep suction his nose; running a plastic tube down each nostril to help clear the junk. Let's just say Kessler didn't like that too much. But, it helped. And gradually he got better. He got a little rest. We were able to hold him. Saturday, we moved to a regular Pediatric room. He was in better shape, but still needed oxygen and the IV and was still having trouble eating. Sunday came around. He rested more. He ate. He breathed. They stopped the deep suction. He ate some more. And slept some more. And breathed easier. And so did his parents. Around 6pm Sunday night, the feisty boy decided he didn't want the cannula in his nostrils any longer. So I watched his oxygen saturation level and it remained at 100%! He had no fever. He had turned the corner. Ash had stepped out to get a snack and I called her to celebrate. This was the best news we had gotten in quite some time, and somewhat unexpected as well.

The medical staff monitored him for another 18 hours and he maintained his solid vital stats. Now, we're home and he's gone from a taped-up, medicine-cup-on-hand, IV-in-vein, hard-to-breathe, uncomfortable little boy to a cute, colla-poppin' little boy more like the Kessler you see below.

Thank you for your prayers and concern. An easy-breathing Kessler just spent the last 2 hours asleep on my chest - one of the best feelings in the world.

Unintentional Comedy

Some people love unintended comedy. It's not really my thing, but this is THE standard for unintended comedy. So, I had to share.

This scene is from a movie called "Undefeatable".

Gotta love the internet.

HT: The Cavin

Picturing The Decade

The NY Times consistently delivers interesting graphics. You have to spend some time with them and this one is no exception. But imagine how many words it would take to communicate everything in this graphic.

It's fun to look through all this and remember the past decade.

Our New Little Family

More to come...

Baby In A Commercialized Christmas-Related Outfit

It continues to strike me as odd how we put these little humans in outfits and take pictures of them like they're some exhibit. Maybe I'll get used to it someday.

But for now, I do think this pic of Kessler in a Christmas outfit is pretty darn cute.

More to come...

Willpower and New Year's Resolution(s)

Spreading resolutions out over time is the best approach.

Excerpt from a fascinating article on willpower and decision making:

"Willpower, like a bicep, can only exert itself so long before it gives out; it's an extremely limited mental resource.

Given its limitations, New Year's resolutions are exactly the wrong way to change our behavior. It makes no sense to try to quit smoking and lose weight at the same time, or to clean the apartment and give up wine in the same month. Instead, we should respect the feebleness of self-control, and spread our resolutions out over the entire year. Human routines are stubborn things, which helps explain why 88% of all resolutions end in failure, according to a 2007 survey of over 3,000 people conducted by the British psychologist Richard Wiseman. Bad habits are hard to break—and they're impossible to break if we try to break them all at once."

HT: Heath Brothers

Our Greatest Gift This Christmas

On Christmas morning we went to Ashley's parents' house to open gifts and grub on some good grub. This year we decided to just do gifts for those who've yet to graduate from High School. So, it was odd when Heather, Ashley's sister, started passing around matching boxes to each of us.

We waited for everyone to get a box, counted to 3, and dug in. Inside my box was a simple card which read, "You will be a recipient of a new niece!" Confused at how Heather and Gardner would already know the sex of their new daughter, I quickly racked my brain. The light bulb went off and then Heather blurted out the great news. "We're adopting a baby girl from Uganda!" Cheers went up and tears flowed (mainly from Ashley's eyes).

Many circumstances came together to lead them to this point, but the video below of an orphan meeting her new family was a big contributor and you can see why.

Bottom line: Another parentless child will be rescued and we couldn't be happier about it.

James 1:27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress...

Snow In Winston-Salem

I tweeted last Tuesday, "Don't be an amateur scientist." Thursday, I didn't heed my own advice.

I don't generally keep up with the weather forecast unless I have outdoor activities planned. So last Thursday when everyone started talking about snow coming to Winston-Salem, it was the first I had heard about it. Then, I dismissed it. They were talking about 3-5 inches of snow falling in a city that was currently 54° and sunny. Even though I made a B+ in Dr. Viney Aneja's Meteorology class in college, I know almost nothing about weather (other than the fact that it NEVER snows in Winston-Salem when the Meteorologists say it will).

Even though I know almost nothing about weather or the reasons for the forecast for snow, I presumed none such snow would settle on the ground. I was being an amateur scientist, similar to those who "choose a surgeon based on the carpeting in his office and a politician by his hair cut."

I was wrong.

Visit To The Doc

Kessler had his 2 week check-up today - 3 days early. He's almost back to his birth weight! With newborns you're able to notice tiny changes, what seems like, every hour. He's becoming more and more alert. He continues to sleep and eat well. We are so blessed and thankful. We continue to love him and love being parents. Wednesday was the first time someone said, "Oh, you're Kessler's dad." It was an odd and satisfying feeling.

These are 2 photos taken at our appointment (from my phone):

Hopefully this is an estimation of his future height, but it's probably just the pounds and ounces of his weight.

This is him being alert.