Author Brian McLaren was kind enough to fill out one of my Prayers For Blowouts Sports Surveys recently. I posted his responses yesterday. Definitely the most notable person I’ve had participate in the blog so far…but hey, we’re just getting started here.

i got tagged in a blog meme, so what the hey…

1) What was I doing 10 yrs ago?

Ten years ago was April 1998. It was my senior year at WPI and I was frantically looking for a job, either in MA or PA. Erica and I knew we were going to be together at that point, but didn’t know where. I applied for jobs in both states, and as it turned out, the only company that wanted to hire me had offices in both states. So i took the offer in Pennsylvania and the rest is history…

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

1. Update the Softball scores and schedule - check
2. Work out - check
3. send this report I’ve been working on out for approval - not yet
4. pick out some books i don’t want anymore for our yard sale - tonight
5. enjoy my family - later

3) Snacks I enjoy:

a bowl of cereal always hits the spot…so do crackers and cheese…and a cup of herbal or green tee to top it off.

4) Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

1. Pray like crazy…That’s a lot of responsibility
2. Pay off my house.
3. Find a few causes i really believed in.
4. Quit my job and start a career doing freelance writing, book writing, and artist fan community development.
5. Hire a personal trainer to keep me from getting fat.
6. Golf more
7. Build a softball field complex that had replicas of Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Pac Bell Park (with a lake behind left field).
8. Help Dean Kaman get his slingshot into the whole world so we could eliminate the tragedies that lack of water cause.

5) Three of my bad habits:

1. not washing my car…ever
2. eating snacks after 10pm
3. thinking too much about the future

6) 5 places I have lived:

1. New Bedford, MA
2. Swansea, MA
3. Worcester, MA
4. New Holland, PA
5. Gordonville, PA

7) 5 jobs I have had: (there is a related meme in the on-deck circle)

1. Bun Toaster at McDonald’s
2. Busboy at a Chinese Restaurant
3. Paperboy
4. dishwasher at local diner
5. engineer

I’ve got around 125 contacts in my cellphone. Alphabetically, the man at the very top is Dale Albright. Today is a sad day though, because a few hours ago Dale passed on from this life to the next to be with his Creator.

Dale was a manager in the softball league I have been President of for the last 3 years. In fact, his team’s first season with our league coincided with my first term as President. I liked Dale from the beginning. He was always out at the fields, always great to talk to, and always smiling. Managers like him made my job as President a lot easier.

A few months ago, Dale let me know that he would be stepping down as manager this year because he had been diagnosed with throat cancer. Despite being sick, he still came to our pre-season meeting in February with his new interim manager. I had no idea, of course, that it would be the last time I would see him. (Even as i type this it makes me think of how I treat those around me…you never know if the interaction you just had with someone will be your last…so make them all count.)

Dale went in for surgery last week and it did not go well. His heart stopped working on the table, and for the past week he had been in the hospital in various states of serious to critical condition. Some days were more promising than others, but all along the family knew that at any moment things could turn for the worse. Dale’s softball team decided to play their first game on saturday despite heavy hearts, and the family forced Dale’s wife Dianne to come out to the field to get away from the hospital for a few hours. I was happy to see her there, and gave her a big hug. The team responded with similar sentiment, winning 15-2.

News came this morning that Dale had not had a good night and that things had turned for the worse. Through a website that a fellow church member had set up, it became clear that the family was preparing to say goodbye to him today. My heart sank when i received an update at 1:48pm

“Pray for Dianne and her family as Dale went home to be with the Lord a little after 1:00 p.m. today.”

At some point I’m going to take Dale’s contact information out of my cellphone, but not now. For the moment, his name couldn’t be in a better place. It’s right at the top, reminding me to pray for Dianne and the family, that God would give them peace through His word and through the comfort and love of each other. Seeing his name will also remind me how important it is to treat people well. Though I didn’t know Dale very well, that’s absolutely what I will remember about him.

If you don’t mind, would you say a prayer for Dianne and their family during this difficult time? Thanks…

Great interview with Damon and Carlton of LOST over at the AV Club. (LOST returns for 5 more weeks on thursday, april 24). I especially liked this quote from Lindelof about how the group of writers approach writing the show:

There are six or seven other incredibly talented individuals that we spend many, many hours with in a room. The fact is that nobody can get territorial about any one idea, because it fundamentally always becomes a hive mind, and the best idea always wins. Carlton has always said, and I think he’s right, that we’re just trying to write a show that is cool for us. And the reason that we all work so well together is, we all think the same things are cool. We’ve never gotten to a point where somebody pitches something, and they think it’s really cool, and everybody else goes, “Oh, that’s not cool.” We all sort of get onboard and rally around it.

That’s sort of how I’ve approached writing my book. I am trying to write something that i think is poignant, inspiring, and funny. If it’s good enough for me and my friends, then it will probably be good for other people too. And if not, that’s ok.