Dayton is my Middle Name

No Blog Here!

2007-07-27T12:10:00.000-07:00

New blog! I bought my own domain! Watch me as I now turn from an elementary school teacher to a complete internet geek!

http://lindsaydayton.com

also, if you like, you can send email to me [at] lindsaydayton.com, where "me" is anything you want, and [at] is @.

:) So long, Blogger!

Day Two: JP and the Green Monster

2007-05-01T14:49:00.000-07:00

In all honesty, I'm blogging just in case someone stops by. I want to condition people who love me to come read here more often, and I've heard that one way to do that is to write more regularly. So, here I am.

Matt's "cousin" that we're staying with is just wonderful. She's a funny caricature of a Jewish Mother crossed with your typical Army Wife. Absolutely wonderful, with lots of kick. Not unlike the Indian food we had last night in Jamaica Plain. JP is the East Village (SD) of Boston, it turns out--up and coming, with the yuppie condos still in negotiation with the crack addicts. Of course, we all know who will win that battle in the long run. Anyway, it's a very cute, walkable little neighborhood that includes a beautiful arboretum and pond.

Matt had lunch with the CEO and CTO today at the Harvard Faculty Club. I had a burrito at my desk. That will be the last time I "have too much work."

So now, we're on our way to Fenway to see my Oakland Athletics remind the Red Sox that one championship in 84 years does not a legacy make. But before that, some beer at Boson Beer Works. That, along with the subway ride to get there, is enough to keep Matt happy through most of the game...

Cambridge, Day One

2007-04-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

So little to report.

My first non-international red-eye flight. As per usual, Matt slept the whole time, and I tossed and adjusted and futzed and was very jealous. Travel was largely uneventful, though. I was in such a daze, that not even the free upgrade to first class for the Phila-Boston hop could get me enthused.

Not surprisingly, it was dark and rainy when we arrived, but I still had no trouble recogizing Fenway and the Cask & Flagon as we drove by. Can't wait til the game tomorrow--I only hope the newly-returned sunlight decides to make another appearance tomorrow. Go A's!!

So far, the company/job that Matt's auditioning for looks good. They've set me up in an unused workstation, and have been very kind. I think they really really want to give him the job already, because the CTO keeps mentioning incentives/negotiations they would make.

I'm not at all concerned about that right now, though. It's the first day, I'm exhausted, and I'm still quite taken with all the stone and brick. It is simply beautiful, clouds or no.

Stay tuned for culinary commentary and ironic observations about the Ivy League school across the street!

It's Not Chocolate!!

2007-04-24T10:10:00.000-07:00

Friends! We're in trouble! They're trying to take the chocolate out of chocolate!!

From slashdot:

"The US Food and Drug Administration is considering redefining 'chocolate' to allow substitution of vegetable oil ($0.70/lb.) for cocoa butter ($2.30/lb.), and whey protein for dry whole milk. There are already standard terms to differentiate these products from chocolate, such as 'chocolatey' and 'chocolate-flavored.' The change was requested by the industry group Chocolate Manufacturers of America. Leading the resistance to this change is high-end chocolate maker Guittard, with significant grass-roots support from the Candyblog. The FDA is taking consumer comments until April 25. Here is the FDA page on the proposed change, which oddly enough does not say what the proposed change is."

Again, the here is the link to complain to the FDA before they make a decision. As I learned in my Scharffen Berger factory tour, most chocolate here in the states has a significantly

Learn to Knit!

2007-04-13T15:57:00.000-07:00

I love teaching people how to knit. I love knitting myself--besides writing, it's one of the few creative things that I do, so I love empowering others to create as well.

I find that quite often, when I have the opportunity to teach knitting, I am overwhelmed with the task of instructing people on what materials to be prepared with. My hope is that from now until forever, I'll be able to refer them to this blog post.

Yarn: My recommendation is to buy something fairly heavy in a simple texture and color. When beginners buy yarn that has very complicated textures or colors, it enables mistakes. It also hides mistakes, but then you can't learn from them. Very thin or fragile yarn can also be discouraging to new knitters because of breaking and/or the impression of very very slow progress.

I recommend 2 skeins (balls), to ensure that you will have enough for your beginner's scarf. If you want blocks/stripes, buy two skeins of the same style of yarn in two different colors. I don't recommend anything more ambitious than that for any one's first project.

Needles: On the back of nearly every skein of yarn that is commercially available is a symbolic code. Pick out some thick, plain yarn that you can live with, then look on the label for the crossed knitting needles, and the "U.S. #n." I recommend anything larger than an 8, but preferably 10, 10.5 or 11.

I also recommend circular needles (connected with a flexible cable) in the 16" range. If you really really want to use the long straight ones, go ahead and buy them, but if you ever become a habitual knitter, I guarantee that you'll end up replacing them with circulars.

Other Stuff: Scissors, a tapestry needle, and a bag to keep it all together will all get together to make your life a better place. If you're really serious, I also recommend a small journal to keep track of patterns, changes, ideas, and plans.

Questions? Leave a comment and I'll get back to you asap!

Guest Blogging

2007-04-13T10:58:00.000-07:00

Everyone should read Bronwyn's blog. She's out there trying to make the world a better place by educating the poorest kids in Oakland.

Especially today, everyone should read Bronwyn's blog because I'm the guest blogger.

Dear Bronwyn's Readers

Ah, the peaceful South

2007-03-20T08:32:00.000-07:00

I'm not a complainer. If you didn't already know, I just want to be clear. I'm really not a complainer. Generally I'm an easy going, don't sweat the small stuff, water off a duck's back kind of girl.

But South Carolina is so loud, I can hardly believe it. It must be complained about.

Train. Lish's house (adorable--really, really SO cute it makes me want to spend the day at Home Depot) is on some train tracks. Before we went to bed last night, she said "oh, and the train *isn't* going to come through the house." I swear, even with this disclaimer, it's hard to believe. I was still awake when the first one came through, and I was so impressed with the blaring horn and the shaking house that I cracked up. Laughed myself silly.
Birds. Listen, I'm not an animal lover. The occasional charming mutt has wiggled its way into my heart, but that's really the extent of it. The large green squawking hooked-beak bell ringing things in the cage in the hallway? No love for them. Maybe a Bearnaise sauce, but no love.
Pile Driver. For the love of God.

Okay, fine, also I want to say that Lish is nice, her dad is cool, and the flight was fine. Blah blah blah.

My Reality

2007-02-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

So the funny thing about this post is that I have something to say, but I can't actually tell you anything.

I have found, over the past several months, that the frequency with which I indulge in dot-com entrepreneurial fantasies has skyrocketed. On the one hand, I'm proud. A year ago, I would have been smart enough to understand what the suggested businesses are, but not knowledgeable enough to contribute usefully to the conversation. I have learned a lot, and I think it's a lot of very valuable (in the literal sense) information. So, yay, one more reason not to feel guilty about not teaching anymore.

Really, this is about the excitement and embarrassment of participating in entrepreneurial fantasies.

Excited, clearly, because I am easily the kind of person who thinks big. I think big, I talk big, I dream big, I eat big. Entrepreneurial fantasies totally suit me, especially now that I am no longer plagued by crippling ineffectiveness in an elementary school classroom.

But also, it's a little embarrassing. Do I really believe that I and my small band of intelligent but equally human cohorts could be successful in imagining and implementing a business? We're cool and everything, but really?

So many ideas floating around these days. Lots of them are bad. Lots of them are over my head. But a few of them are downright good. By good I mean I'd work there. I'd risk a lot to be a part of the founding efforts. And I'm excited to have imagined them over a taco.

I just can't talk about what they are.

My Left Hand is Warm

2007-02-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

I will blog more often. I will.

Hooray, I have made a mitten! Mary counseled me through some of the more tricky decreases, but I pretty much made up the pattern all by my own self. This is a big deal, mostly because I have been completely terrified of things that require so much shape in order to be effective. Much better to stick with the safety of the squares and rectangles. I made a mitten that looks and acts just like a mitten! Hooray!

Photos will be posted as soon as there is a pair. Maybe I'll post the recipe, too.

After the rain

2006-11-09T23:12:00.000-08:00

I swear, I wish I had more control over my own brain.

Right this second I am in a coffee shop, trying not to work, and wishing that I could decide what stays in and what gets kicked out.

It seems that beyond my control is the persistance of lyrics to Nelson's great After the Rain ballad. If you could sing every word along with them, you'd be outraged too.

Of course, you have to recognize the bravery of LeStat's for being tuned to the satellite radio station that plays this stuff.

Thought for the day from Gunnar and Matthew: Don't be afraid to lose what was never meant to be.

At the bottom of the mountain

2006-11-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

I have not had the opportunity to spend a lot of time in Colorado.

While I loved high school church camp up there in Rocky Mountain National Park, I think experiences like that could have been just as good nearly anywhere in the nation (except Texas).This past week, I got to spend a couple days in Boulder, and then a few more in Denver. I didn't meet lots of people, and I didn't act like a tourist. Mostly, I just hung out with my friends and stared at the beautiful mountains there to the west. Beautiful. Big rocks. Steep steep inclines. Green. Jagged. To me, the only drawback is that they make the western horizon quite tall, and therefore direct sunlight even more scarce.

I just can't get over the metaphor of living at the bottom of the mountains--mountains like that, that are so new and rugged on a global scale. And there are just so many metaphors.So I started to think--which one represents my current location? Am I preparing for the trek of a lifetime? Am I living in the shadow of something overwhelming? Am I resting triumphantly after the trek of a lifetime? Am I in a holding pattern--not brave enough to try to conquer something so formidable?

I don't actually know, but if awe and peace are the overwhelming emotions when I look at those mountains, I'm not worried.

Real Beauty

2006-10-17T11:23:00.000-07:00

Those of you who participated in my life as I transitioned from San Diego to Berkeley oh so many years ago, or as I transitioned more recently back to San Diego know that the wearing of makeup, bikinis, and other so-cal kinds of things is something that I don't take lightly.

This is relevant for two reasons. First, everyone EVERYONE EVERYONE should watch this video. Especially girls between the ages of 10 and 25, because that's when I think Cosmo, Hollywood and other related evils do the most damage.

Just for fun, here's some FASCINATING photoshopping advice/tutorial to help make my point.

There's another thing. Why is "taking care of yourself" some kind of code for wearing makeup and blow drying your hair? Why isn't it about working out? Drinking soy milk*? Wearing sunscreen?

Nobody gets to give me crap when I show up to church wearing makeup, by the way. I'm still working this out for my own self.

*Bronwyn informs me that you can't milk a soy, so it's more accurate to say "soy juice." Whatever.

Hear, O Israel

2006-10-13T13:15:00.000-07:00

So, there's a lot going on in my head lately. Anyone who knows me knows that there's always a lot going on in my head, but this moment in my life is different. I've never experienced so much connectedness in the things that are going on in my head, in my life, and in my heart. I have to say, it's wonderful and scary and really peaceful all at the same time. Don't ask me how that's true.

Amidst all of this unification, there is an opt-in/opt-out dichotomy going on. There will be much much more about that later, but in the mean time, here are my notes, questions, and thoughts from listening to Michael Frost of Small Boat Big Sea faith collective near Sydney, Australia as he spoke to Missiongathering at my favorite restaurant that I've never eaten at, The Linkery on Wednesday, October 11.

Please feel free to respond and make comments to anything you see posted here. Also, please feel free not to assume that I necessarily agree or disagree with these ideas. This is just what I wrote down as I listened.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

Michael told us a story about a woman, working, churching, and worshipping--existing in three different worlds and essentially recognizing three different gods. He suggested that many Christians actually function within this kind of polytheism.

How would our lives look different if we lived like God is the same on Sunday as he is on Monday and Friday? Do our lives need to change to recognize a monotheistic reality?

Why is worship separated from life? Why can't making sausages be an act of worship?

Christianity was originally about the death of religion--not the creation of it.

So there's this guy with a very abundant crop--the bible calls it the parable of the rich fool. He tears down his barns and builds bigger ones to store his wealth, but this is not what makes him a fool, as we may expect. What makes him a fool is that he made this decision on his own--without the wisdom of the elders of the village. Paul took the word used for the gathering of elders at the city gate--the ekklesia--and made it the word for church--a gathering of Christians.

Our calling is to bring value to the neighborhood where we live...salt and light...

If we really lived monotheistic faiths, we would see no wrong in eating pizza in the sanctuary or playing soccer through the church.

Small Boat Big Sea has a committment they have made--BELLS.

Blessing: Each week, community members will bless three people (one christian, one non-christian, and a third from either category) in a specific, thoughtful, intentional way.
Eating: Each week, community members will share a meal with three people (one christian, one non-christian, and a third from either category). Michael and his wife actually have at guests into their home at least once a week!
Listening: Each week, community members commit to spending a "significant" amount of time (that's ONE big chunk of time, not lots of little chunks) listening to God.
Learning: Each week, community members commit to spending a "significant" amount of time (that's ONE big chunk of time, not lots of little chunks) learning about Jesus.
Sent: Community members are to record in a journal the ways that the work they have done that week is what God sent them to do--even if that is a bloody good sausage!

What if eating were the central religious practice of our faith? (I'd be the most religious person on the planet!!)

As a community, SBBS chooses one person to get up each week and describe their average week. The community then tells the individual the ways that they are doing God's work in their lives, and through them in the community. What a beautiful picture. Who wants to start doing this?

Make an effort to integrate all your worlds under the leadership of Jesus.

How do our actions differentiate between loving people to love them and loving people to recruit them?

DNA: Discipleship, Nurturing, Accountability--groups of 3 people who meet for breakfast weekly to help practice BELLS.

Best conversion experience ever: "Oh shit, I'm a Christian!"

Don't talk about values--talk about the practices that reflect your values.

What is there to say about a church like SBBS becoming a spectacle? If Missiongathering were to disappear, would North Park miss us?