Why are mountains so awe-inspiring?

Every year I try to make at least one trip to the mountains for a weekend. I made it up there last weekend finally, and found it both completely exhausting physically (I should work out more consistently) and refreshing both mentally and spiritually.

There's something significant about sitting at the foot of a very large mountain and realizing just how small you really are. I think mountains, especially really big ones, mirror the grandeur and scope of God and of his creativity/creation. The magnificence of those enormous mountains is a shadow of what my soul longs for in a magnificent God.

what makes a good blogger?

Obviously someone with an interesting point, or at least point of view, and frequent updates. I think I currently fail on both counts. Oh well, can't be perfect at everything.

But seriously, what causes some people to go nuts posting their thoughts online for the world to see, while others sit in their basements doing nothing to interact with the world but bother poor innocent mice?

4 airports for a single meeting

I went down to LA today for a one-hour meeting. Usually it's a simple affair to grab a Southwest flight from San Jose to LAX and back. But nothing was simple about today. Maybe it's b/c I flew American, not Southwest. Or maybe it was just meant to be.

So this morning the airplane from San Jose to LAX had some mechanical problem, and while at first they thought they would fix it, it was clear 30 minutes later that there was no hope, and they would be cancelling the flight. Since all other flights to LAX were sold out, Joe and I grabbed the next flight to Orange County. Yes, Orange County. An hour's drive from Santa Monica, where we were heading. And a very expensive cab ride. We did finally make it, just in time for the meeting.

And the meeting went well. That was good.

Then on the way home, this time from LAX back to San Jose, AGAIN the airplane (same one, maybe?) had mechanical problems and the flight was cancelled. And AGAIN there were no other available flights. So Joe and I grabbed the next flight out to San Francisco. Yes, San Francisco. Not San Jose, where my car was in short-term parking. So another long cab ride. But I did make it home.

Net-net: 4 airports, $300 in cab fees, and roughly 6 hours of traveling for a single 1 hour meeting. That's a personal record. Top that