Air Quality And Office Space

I've worked in lots of offices over the years. Some good, some not so good. When I was just starting out as an engineer, there was the first job with the office in the converted horse barn. The walls were drywalled but not painted, the floor plywood and the desk tops were rejected doors bought at discount at the local door factory. There were many challenges with that space. Keeping a regulated temperature was one. It was either blazing hot with kmart fans trying to move air, or really cold in winter with small heaters trying to keep the air warm. There were a few critters that also leased the space with us - mice, cats, and big ol' spiders. Each had to be convinced we had the 8-5 shift and that they should scram until the door closed at 5:15pm.

Then there was the space where we were all in a big open room with low walled dividers. We could hear each others phone conversations, see what we were working on and observe how much coffee or big gulps the other person consumed. From there it was in a multi-floor high tech space with mazes of cubicles. I think there was 3 underground levels of parking. My first day I was shown my cubicle, I left to go to the bif, got disoriented and couldn't find my space back. That's how I got to be good friends with the janitor.

Now, I'm in a warehouse converted into office space place. Where I sit right now, used to be a truck loading bay. Since I've been here we have had troubles with the air quality. Not that it stinks or anything and the temperature control is perfect - there is A/C and a heater. But its the lack of fresh air input into the building that is a problem.

At first I thought it was just me. I'd get here and within 1/2 hour I'd be lethargic, flush cheeks and feeling really old. So, I'd go for a walk and get more coffee to try and salvage the day. This went on for 3.5 years until this summer when the lease was up and I raised the issue again in a firm, I'm not going to let this one go manner. Air quality is important, right? They inspected the HVAC system and discovered there was no fresh air input into the building. None. No fresh air - just the same old air being breathed in and out. It was like being in the car with 4 kids all day with the recirculate on.

They got some tools out and worked on it and they said they "fixed" the problem and it should be better now. But it wasn't any better. So they checked it again on Monday and reported that the filter was very clogged and the fresh air intake damper was not all the way open and it should work now. But as I sit here, the issue is still not fixed. I want some more coffee, need to go for a walk and try and salvage the day. At home, the coffee is better, maybe I should just stay there and work.

Randy Merkley

With the Chilliwack Bruins season just starting, Chilliwack got their first experience with Randy Merkley, the new Bruins radio voice.

Following the Kamloops game on Saturday, where Randy called his first game here, the discussion boards were buzzing with high ratings. I think he's going to bring another level of passion to an already impassioned hockey town.

Before the game on Saturday he was working the rink doing interviews. At one point, while interviewing a coach, he was so involved with the interview he didn't notice that a Zamboni just about ran him over - what did bother him is that interview may have been affected by the engine noise. Great moment.

Here is a write up in the Chilliwack Progress on Merkley's arrival:

In three years of existence, the Chilliwack Bruins have rolled three different guys through the radio play-by-play role.

In year one, veteran Denny Larochelle handled the gig, followed by Dave Sheldon in year two.

This year, it’s Randy Merkley, and here’s hoping he hangs onto the job for a while, because it’s a position crying out for stability.

“Yeah, I’ll agree with that one,” said radio colour man Jacob Bestebroier, who called his first game with Merkley Saturday night. “I think that’s why Randy’s a good hire. It’s a big move for him and I don’t see him going back the other way any time soon.” More here.

Year Book Pictures

I have to be honest, it took me a while to graduate from high school. Here are all my high school grad pictures.

This Week

the week that was: it felt like a great week. the bruins won in OT on saturday, we are deep into the new series and i feel like i have a handle on it now, had some difficult/sensitive conversations, i figured out some technical stuff with the website, glad the belay analogy wasn't a gong show on sunday (but podcast didn't record), we had a great elder's meeting, and our first youth event at the corn maze got things going - it's going to be a great year.

on my to-do list this week: date with Patti tonight, sermon on value #2, prepare materials for bruins chaplaincy promotion, get material ready for youth sunday night at the youth barn, keep going on fixing and updating the web site, pending bruins chapel (first one) and visit some people.

procrastinating about: lots of projects at home that need attention.

book i’m in the midst of: subversive spirituality (eugene peterson), my amazon shipment will be picked up friday!

music that seemed to catch my attention this past week: U2, Creed, Bill Marley and Brian Doerkson's today

how i’m feeling about this week: good, dreading somethings, but this will be a building week. maybe i'll get my CT scan appointment booked this week ...

Your Home's Address

About 4 years ago, our family moved from Los Angeles to Chilliwack. The moving truck left a few days before we did, and we drove up the I-5 and got to the Canadian border crossing. We had to declare our items, and take care of some paper work associated with moving from one country to another. It helped that we had lived in BC before and that I am a Canadian citizen. When all the paper work was finished and they gave us the approval for entering into the country, we stepped back from the counter and then the immigration officer said to me, “Welcome Home.”

Those words drew considerable emotion from me right then and I have often reflected why.

It could be that I was Canadian and was living in the US for 5 years and now I was returning back to Canada, even BC the province I was born in. That certainly had a part to it but I don't think all of it.

I think there is more to it. Near the end of our time in Los Angeles I experienced personal trouble associated with my work as a pastor. Conflict developed between myself and my co-worker and a few others. We both believed in our positions and they concluded I was a bad person and developed a campaign of sorts to make sure I was “exposed” and that I would leave.

So, when I heard the words “Welcome Home” it was like God saying, "It will be different now. It will be better. I am with you. Your safe here."

Don’t get me wrong. I loved Los Angeles, the weather, good friends, surf, the city – it was home to us. We were not looking to leave, but suddenly our home was no longer there, but here.

I don’t think finding your home has much to do with the address you live at.

Home has more to do with the condition of our heart than the address on the house.

Brother Lloyd Is Now A Doctor!

Lloyd (my brother in Des Moines) successfully defended his dissertation late last week!

"We’re just back from Minneapolis where we spent the last 36 hours. We were there for Lloyd to defend his dissertation to his dissertation committee. “Defend! Defend! Yea!” “The closest thing to sport in years”, says Lloyd. “Defend” is exactly what he did yesterday afternoon, from 1:00-2:30PM. And he did well! He passed with flying colors, and is now officially DONE with the dissertation process ... " More here.

michael phelps and genetics

This puts the drug issue to rest.  More here.  

This Week

the weekend that was: it was a whirrrr. i remember looking last week into the week thinking, if I make through, it'll be a miracle. so, miracles or miracles i'm here. filled with Bruins stuff, youth, website (it's up now check it out here), council meeting, sermon writing, house projects, and Patti being away all weekend.

on my to-do list this week: learn how to make forms on the website, learn how to tell itunes there is a new podcast, date with Patti tonight, read and write, elder's meeting thursday night.

procrastinating about: looking for office space (still).

book i’m in the midst of: missional leader (roxburgh) and i'm waiting for my amazon shipment to arrive :-)

music that seemed to catch my attention this past week: catchy tunes by metro station, david crowder

how i’m feeling about this week: good, some stuff has already got motion and others need some more work yet (youth).

thx to marko for this idea ...

advice for matt

Matt's been "in college" for a couple of weeks now. It's going pretty good for him, he's digging his classes, meeting new people and he bought a new winter coat - which is good since he is in Saskatchewan.

We have talked a few times on skype and we trade stories, he shares his experiences etc. It's all thrown me back to my college days (82-86) at Dordt College.

So, I have some advice for Matt about going to a Christian college. It's really important he gets this. I got it from here.

If you live on campus at a Christian college, and you didn't go to church one Sunday and you want to go to the cafeteria for lunch, you better dress up. You better throw on a pair of khakis or a skirt or something else that doesn't instantly scream "I am a sleepy heathen." You wear shorts? People are going to know you didn't go to church. You wear flip flops? People are going to know you didn't go to church.

It doesn't matter if you went to a Saturday night service or are going Sunday night or go to a church where jeans and flip flops are the norm, you're going to get some looks. And maybe at your school, people have developed highly sensitive "that dude dressed up so it would look like he went to church" radar. What to do then? Fear not. I came up with four new ways to look like you went to church.

1. Carry bulletins with you.
When you reach for a meal in your school cafeteria, casually drop a church bulletin out of your pocket. Act like you're surprised it's there, as if you just rushed in from church and forget you even had it with you.

2. Use loads of "church" words and puns.
Everyone knows that on Sundays, the food they serve in college cafeterias is just the food no one ate during the week with a layer of cheese melted over it. Same thing happens at camp. That doesn't mean you can't describe it with really silly church words and puns. Say things like, "Our corn is an awesome corn, its grains, are on top of my plate." Or "I'm not sure I understand the systematic theological implications of sitting on this side of the cafeteria." People will over hear you, especially judgmental people because they have pretty phenomenal hearing, and will think, "Wow, that lady sure sounds churchy. She must have gone this morning."

3. Show up in a group.
If you show up to the cafeteria alone, people are going to know you didn't go to church. That's why it's better to arrive in a group. There's great strength in numbers. Grab a few other friends that are going to the Sunday night service or just went to bedside Baptist. Work out a plan and then show up all together as if you were on your way to a restaurant after church but then remembered the cafeteria is delicious too so instead headed there. Designate a "key carrier," who can swing a set of car keys around to give the impression there's a car involved. That adds a nice touch of realism.

4. Wear a guitar.
Forget looking like you went to church, pretend you actually played some music while you were there. Just walk through the line of food, grabbing things on your tray, knocking plates off with your guitar, bumping into people and saying, "whoa, sorry about that, musician here."

Hopefully those will work for you like they did for friends I had at Samford University. I personally didn't use these methods when I was there. I was too busy church hopping, but that's a whole other story.

This Week

thx to marko for this idea ...

the weekend that was: a bit of a scramble week trying to line up new things for the fall and preparing the last sermon "exposed" of the "no ordinary joe" series. we started draining our canadian tire pool yesterday.

where i am at the moment: church office, in front of my imac working on the church's new web site.

on my to-do list this week: finish new web site, continue to sketch out the "church without walls series", prepare our 8-10 new youth leaders for the upcoming fall season, council meeting thursday night, try to figure out how to make a podcast. date with my wife tonight.

procrastinating about: looking for office space.

book i’m in the midst of: the tangible kingdom, halter and smay; breaking the missional code, stetzer and putman.

music that seemed to catch my attention this past week: haven't opened itunes yet.

how i’m feeling about this week: cautiously optimistic - some projects are going to come together this week - youth, new site, and new series

Welcome Holly Autumn!

We want to welcome Holly Autum into this world!

She is a beautiful baby girl, born to Jeff and Maria! She was born Sunday, Aug 17 - 8 lbs 6 oz.

Gowning Around

I've been following Cam's blog as he vividly describes his battle with cancer.

Today he put up this great post about the hospital gown:

I was reminded today how significant the humble hospital gown is. Its power is amazing.

There are two kinds of gowns I am familiar with. One has three arm holes in it - yes, three, and yes, arms. I am not sure how many other people have embarrassed themselves trying to squeeze their head through the middle arm hole, wrestling about half-naked in a change room with the flimsy floral curtain does little to contain the frantic gasping breaths that accompany claustrophobia. But I know a friend of mine has. Um, then there is the other kind of gown - the one that if you do happen to put it on back-to-front you get to the lowest and final tie before thinking, “Hang on, that can’t be right! Surely?” It happened to another friend of mine.

There are few things in this world that have the power to annul social standing, economic welfare, education achievements, professional accolades or culture affiliation. The hospital gown, with it’s mysterious powers, seems to achieve such disarmament with incredible ease.

After many frustrations experiencing what a hospital gown allows to be revealed to the world, I think it is not recognised enough for what it can hide.

Day-surgery patients, whose conversations rarely get to the next level of conversation after hospital food and the weather, may be in conversation with others they would never know how to relate to in the real world. Every attempt to identify yourself in society has been left behind.

You can’t even vary your garment. You can’t roll up your sleeves to say you’re relaxed at the end of a day, you can’t unbutton your shirt to say you loved the 70’s, you can’t roll your skirt up to show off your legs. It is how it is. You become refreshingly un-categorizable . People’s response to you then has to rely on your countenance and the words that you speak. You come away feeling more connected with people than you expected, and all without having to present your identity through what is worn or adorned.

Such is the power of the hospital gown.

This Week

thx to marko for this idea ...

the weekend that was: last week i used the last 5 days of vacation. we visited southside church, kassi had a tournament and lost the gold game in the last 2 minutes - heartbreaker. had a wonderful visit with cousins from florida: terri and al.

where i am at the moment: church office, in front of my powerbook g4

on my to-do list this week: get organized, weed through the 150+ emails, write last "Ordinary Joe" message for sunday, rebuild and plan youth ministry, continue to re-build heartland web site, continue to map out the fall series "church without walls." install skype to keep up with matt, council meeting on thursday, keep searching for new office space.

procrastinating about: probably everything, since i've been away last week ...

book i’m in the midst of: transforming mission, david bosch; rainbow 6, clancy; the tangible kingdom, halter and smay.

music that seemed to catch my attention this past week: ramones, david crowder

how i’m feeling about this week: anxious and out of control - overwhelming to have everything hit you at once.