FredMcKinnon.Com

Ever wonder what everybody is up to? I wear a lot of hats … too many, no doubt … so my “To Do” list always looks like a bunch of non-related things. I have a dry erase board in my home office to help me sort it all out … but right now, I’ve got a handful of things that are just itching to be “scratched off”:

* finish praise team scheduling for June, start July (much easier, thanks to PlanningCenterOnline.Com)
* practice piano … I finally got my piano from home in my studio - and I’ve played it .. twice.
* send mass email to HighestPraise newsletter and blog to launch referral contest for TheWorshipCommunity.Com
* record a new Highest Praise Podcast
* record a new Worship Interludes Podcast
* take my wife on a date (note, this list is NOT necessarily in order of priority!)
* get the boys riding bikes w/o training wheels (Summer Goal)
* tackle the “Honey Do” list Joy has hanging on my bathroom mirror
(just curious - if husbands gave their wifes a “Honey Do” list, what ramifications would happen in their marriage?)
* update header files on my hosting co’s order form .. it’s a generic, blank template - bad, bad, news - wonder we get new customers, actually.
* invest some 1-on-1 lunch time with Shannon, the Associate Worship Director at SSCC (Shannon, let’s do lunch this week, OK … seriously!)
* Ebay: get some old software for sale on Ebay - outdated software I no longer use, or upgraded to newer versions … a software yard sale.

Speaking of Ebay, I recently crossed the 800 positive feedback mark as an Ebay Power Seller (see what I mean about wearing many hats?) … but I’ve been frustrated lately as i’m finding that the US Postal Service “Global Priority” (now called Priority International) method of delivery is severely lacking, slow, and I’ve lost probably $200+ because customers in the UK, Spain, Israel, Italy (and one in California) complained that they’ve never gotten their product, filed claims with PayPal and got their money back. I think I’ll have to limit my international shipping to FedEx or UPS where you can get reliable tracking. Sorry, US Postal Service, I’m losing faith as well as dollars.

Back to the e-commerce world, I’ve recently started adding a new product line to GetSkinsNow.Com - the iSkin product line. The ProTouch screen protectors for MacBooks and MacBook Pro are good sellers, as well as the iPod and phone covers, which I’m still needing to add on my “to do” list.

Finally, speaking of MacBook Pro … “Lappie” is still gone - still at the Apple store in JAX, still awaiting the replacement part - a “clamp shell” of sorts. I’m VERY DISAPPOINTED in the length of time it’s taking to have this laptop repaired, especially since we bought the $99 ProCare membership. Oh well, certainly Lappie will be repaired this week.

Oh well - back to life. As I write this I can’t help but think “Fred, do you REALLY THINK anybody gives a rip about your “To Do” list … if you want to be a good blogger and get lots of readers, you gotta give compelling content”. I’m sure that thought is true, but today - I just needed to type and rant. If I can’t have an hour by the pool, I’ll just sit quietly and “type” out loud.

So, what’s on your “To Do” list?

God bless,
fred

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Hi Everyone -

I’ve missed blogging … Joy left this past Thursday at 6:30 AM on a flight to Richmond, VA … she went to surprise a girlfriend for her 40th birthday.  That means I’ve had the kids (yep, all 4 of’em) since Thursday AM.  Joy came home late yesterday afternoon, and it was a great arrival!  Everytime she leaves for an extended time, it reminds me what her life consists of every single day - and I think that even on the craziest, longest, most stressful days in ministry or business, her job is far tougher.

Anyway, it’s Memorial Day here in the US.  I explained to the kids what that meant today, and Jon Michael just came and asked me “Dad, to celebrate our soldiers who lost their lives, can we have a sugary snack”? … ’nuff said.

We’ve had the day off from the church today - it’s been pretty nice, although my plan to have at least one hour of “adult time” by the pool at the gym didn’t work out … Joy and I were gonna put the kids in the nursery and have one hour just to lay out and relax, but Andrew broke out with some bumps a few days ago (of course, while she was gone) .. they were little red mosquito bite looking bumps which turned into blisters, and would eventually pop and start to scab (yuck).  I wasn’t too freaked out by it - although he just got over another really bad rash.  But today, a nurse was checking her kids in and said that she thought it may be a mild case of chicken pox, as he just got his vaccinations earlier last week.  Well, they didn’t look ANYTHING like chicken pox bumps, and I thought everyone knew that once chicken pox bumps were scabbing up and the fever was gone (which he never had), you weren’t contagious anymore.  Well, the nursery worker sided with the nurse and promptly gave Andrew back to me … so instead of having a couple of relaxing hours at the pool, we held (or tried to hold) Andrew the whole time and finally gave up, got the rest of the kids, and put them all in the pool.

Joy usually rewards my return from out of town trips with a kiss at the front door followed by a “I’m outta here” and run out the door.  We love kids, we love parenting, but we also love a little “alone time”.  So, after I’ve been on a trip for several days, leaving her with all the kids - she likes to take off and go shopping or something when I return.  Since she returned, I’ve not had the “I’m outta here” opportunity yet - was gonna come BACK to the pool this afternoon, but it wasn’t very sunny, and she needed to go to the grocery store.  Maybe later.  Tomorrow starts the busiest work day of the week for me - Tuesday - due to staff meeting and preparation for Tuesday Night Practice.

Oh well, just felt like checking in and saying “hi” to everyone.  Have a great holiday.

Fred

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Hey Everyone -

Part 2 in my “How I Used to Play” series … the Ballade in Fm by Chopin. I gotta confess, I’m relieved they passed me after hearing all the bad notes … then again, I was scared and nervous. Did I mention all of this is memorized - no music? You Music Majors know the drill, eh?

The recital hall was standing room only, and on about the 4th row, right out of the corner of my eye, was the Music Dept Head, my instructor, and 2-3 other “Doctorate” Piano Performance folks judging and grading my performance.

(click here to play Ballade in Fm,Op. 52, Chopin)

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Hey Ya’ll,

A good buddy of mine, Ben Harrel, came in a couple of weeks ago and recorded the first “guest worship leader” segment for WorshipInterludes.Com. Ben is an anointed worship leader and is sensitive to the leading of God’s Spirit. Hope you enjoy the ministry time as much as I did!

Web: www.worshipinterludes.com

Or, subscribe for free in iTunes:

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