Ice Breaker – Tickets

As I mentioned earlier this week, my daughter just turned 16 this week.  In the state of Pennsylvania where we live, this means she is now eligible to get her driver’s permit.  This is a big step for her, and a huge step for Leanne and I her parents.  I now have a deeper appreciation for the anxiety I must have provided for my parents when I started learning to drive.  This week’s Stretched Ice Breaker is inspired by Hannah’s driving milestone this week.

Question:  Why did you get your first ticket or get pulled over for the first time?

My Answer:  I definitely had a heavy foot when I first learned to drive.  I don’t remember which time was the first, but I know I was pulled over for speeding more than once during the first few years of driving.  Once or twice, I got away with it thanks to a generous police officer and a FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) card from a friend of mine.  I remember the feeling of fear that came over me as I saw the flashing lights approaching my car.  My heart would race, and I would sweat as I tried to figure out how to deal with this.  It was typically I feeling of shame as I knew I got caught breaking the rules.  I’ve slowed down a bit over the years.  And recently, I’ve been especially cautious as I am being watched more closely by my teenagers.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

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Ice Breaker – Museum

Yesterday, I took Leanne to the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, PA.  The Barnes is a museum full of Impressionist artwork.  It is made up of the personal art collection of Dr. Barnes who passed away in 1950s.  We had a fun day together in the city, and our visit to this museum is the inspiration for this week’s Stretched Ice Breaker.

Question:  What is your favorite museum?  What museum would you most like to visit?

My Answer:  My favorite museum is the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, PA.  The Franklin Institute is an interactive science museum.  I remember attending this museum as a little kid with my family, and I loved to play with all the “toys” that actually taught science principles.  I’ve been there several times over the past few years, and I still love playing with all the “toys”.

As for the second part of the question, I’ll answer it in two parts.  First, I’d love to visit the annex to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum (Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center).  I’ve been to the original museum a couple of times which was spectacular.  And I’d love to see the newer museum at some point.  I’d especially enjoy seeing the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Second, I would love to visit the “Stolpe” museum.  I know this doesn’t really exist, but I’d love to go to a museum that documents my family’s history.  I think it would be interesting to learn more about my family from the past.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

Ice Breaker – Haircut/Hairdo

Question:  Describe your weirdest, wildest, or craziest haircut or hairdo.

My Answer:  As a young kid, I was a toe-head – meaning my hair was blond.  As I got older, my hair turned more of a dirty blond and then brown.  Now, it’s starting to turn a little grey in spots.  My sophomore or junior year in high school (or both), I used Sun-In to bleach my hair blond.  At the time, I had an eighties feathered haircut with a part right down the middle.  I thought I was pretty cool at the time.

Towards the end of high school, I transitioned to a buzz cut or flat top.  This was by far the easiest haircut.  There was virtually no work to it except to get it cut often enough to keep it tight.

Honestly, I was the most conservative of my brothers when it comes to haircuts.  I’m not complaining, but I can guarantee they have better stories for this question.

Here’s a picture of me during my flat top days.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

Ice Breaker – Favorite Candy Bar

It’s the day after Halloween.  Kids are waking up from their sugar coma, and parents are raiding their kids’ Halloween candy stash.  If you’re anything like me, you’ve already gone through your kids candy and grabbed some of your favorite candy.  It’s the price of parenting – what can I say?  With this in mind, today’s Stretched Ice Breaker is inspired by candy.  Today’s question is sure to tap into your sweet tooth.

Question:  What is your favorite candy bar?  (Or other type of candy?)

My Answer:  My answer changed a bit over the past two years.  I had to give up chocolate for the most part as a result of my migraine headaches.  Before this, I would have said Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  There’s nothing quite like the combination of chocolate and peanut butter.  But now, Reese’s go to my wife and kids.  I don’t eat a lot of candy anymore, but I still get hungry for something sweet from time to time.  Finding a candy bar without chocolate is next to impossible.  I like taffy, but I don’t like the painful sensation on my teeth when the taffy gets stuck on my gums right above my teeth.

One of the non-chocolate candies I really enjoy is Goetze’s Caramel Creams.  I know it’s not a candy bar, but it’s the closest thing for me.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

Ice Breaker – Athletic Claim To Fame

Today, Hannah is running at the district cross-country meet being held at Lehigh University.  Tuesday, I mentioned about her year of cross-country and her positive attitude.  Today’s Stretched Ice Breaker is inspired by her accomplishments this season.

Question:  What is your athletic claim to fame?  What accomplishment from your athletic past brings you the most pride?

My Answer:  For a while, I would say dunking a basketball was my biggest athletic accomplishment.  My answer has changed over the past several years.  I’ve run 3 marathons in the past 10 years.  The first one in Philadelphia was tough, because I didn’t really know what to expect.  The last one in the Bronx was different taking place on a narrow trail in a park in the city on Thanksgiving Day.  My second marathon in Baltimore was my slowest marathon thanks to a strained IT Band and a hilly course, but it’s the one I’m most proud of completing.  Around 13 miles into the race, my IT Band acted up leaving me to struggle with walking and running the next 13 miles of the race.  There was a part of me that wanted to give up, but there was also part of me that wanted to finish what I started.  I kept telling myself to find a way to run across the finish line, so my kids could see me finishing strong despite the pain of my injury.  I saw my kids about 300 yards from the finish line.  They were holding signs and cheering for me as loud as they could.  As I crossed the finish line, I remember tearing up.  I was proud of my accomplishment, and I was emotional with the uncertainty that I would ever be able to do this again.  If you’ve ever run a marathon before, you know it takes a great deal of training time and effort to prepare for running this type of race.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

Ice Breaker – Gravity…3 Items You Would Take To The Space Station

I haven’t seen the movie Gravity yet, but I’m hearing great things about the movie.  Initially, I was a little “scared” to see the movie as it looked way too intense.  But I’ve heard the movie is excellent.  So we’ll see.  This week’s ice breaker question is inspired by the thought of going to the International Space State.

Question:  You are an astronaut heading to the International Space Station for a year.  You can take 3 things with you:  a book (other than the Bible), an CD or mp3 of one album, and a personal item less than 20 pounds.  What are you taking with you?

My Answer:  First of all, a year is a long time to be away from my family, so I would definitely take some type of photo of my family.  Perhaps I would take my iPad or iPod with me loaded with pictures of my family – this of course assumes that I have a means to charge this device.  If not, I would take a family portrait/picture.  I would take a CD or mp3 of U2’s The Joshua Tree.  This is one of my favorite albums, and it would certainly remind me of home.  If I could sneak a second album on board with me, I’d probably take an album by Hillsong United, Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, or Jeremy Camp.  Finally, I think I’d bring Love Does by Bob Goff.  This is one of my most favorite books in the past few years.  I’d also have to find a way to sneak on several journals and writing utensils to keep track of my thoughts and experiences.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

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(Please note:  There are affiliate links in this post.  Should you purchase Love Does or The Joshua Tree by clicking one of these links, I receive a small percentage of the purchase.  These funds are used to support The Stretched Blog and to extend ministry and missions to Guatemala.  Thank you!)

Ice Breaker – Discover Columbus Day

Each week on The Stretched Blog, I ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

This week’s Ice Breaker is inspired by Columbus Day.  This is a day when Americans celebrate the discover of America by Christopher Columbus.  While many will question whether or not he actually discovered America, there is little doubting his pioneering spirit.  With this in mind, I hope you’ll chime in with an answer to this week’s Ice Breaker question.

Question:  What discovery or invention are you especially thankful for today?

My Answer:  I’m especially thankful for the invention of the toilet.  After doing a little research on Wikipedia (assuming you can trust this resource), this is an invention that has evolved over time.  Many of us in developed nations take this invention for granted.  When we were in Guatemala, they had toilets, but you couldn’t flush toilet paper down the toilet.  I’m assuming their sewer systems were not designed to handle this extra paper waste.  When you go number 2 in Guatemala, you have to put your used toilet paper in a waste container typically located next to the toilet.  It’s a little strange.

Needless to say, I was thankful when we returned to the United States where our toilets and sewage systems can handle our waste.  Our trip to Guatemala was a great reminder that many people in the world do not have clean water and advanced sewage systems.  This is a basic necessity that helps people stay clean and healthy.  I’m grateful for organizations which have begun to tackle these problems.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

Ice Breaker – Allergies

Each week on The Stretched Blog, I ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

This week’s ice breaker is making an appearance on Thursday instead of Friday due to a special guest posting opportunity tomorrow (more details to follow).

Question:  Do you have any allergies?  If you could be allergic to one thing, what would it be?

My Answer:  Apparently, I’m allergic to caffeine.  I get migraine headaches when I have caffeine.  It stinks, but I would rather not have migraines.

If I could be allergic to one thing, I would be allergic to shopping.  I’m not a big fan of shopping as it is, and think of all the money I would save if I couldn’t shop.  I’m sure there would be significant downsides to this allergy, but it’s fun to imagine.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

Ice Breaker – 22 Hours

Each week on The Stretched Blog, I ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

This week, GOP Senator Ted Cruz of Texas spoke for 22 straight hours on the Senate floor in response to the budget and Obamacare.  I’m not really interested in getting into a political debate or discussion here, but this marathon speech provided some inspiration for this week’s ice breaker question.

Question:  What could you do for 22 straight hours?  What are you so passionate about that it would keep you awake for a whole day?

My Answer:  I’m not as young as I used to be, and I probably couldn’t pull many all-nighters in a row.  But there are a few things that would drive me to stay up all day and night:

• Watching my daughter run cross-country (although I think she’d give up well before the marathon reached 3 hours).
• Spending time with my wife.  Our days are so busy running from one thing to the next.  We often miss the time when our responsibilities and distractions were minimal.
• Playing “Just Dance” on the Wii with my son.  He’s hilarious.  It might take me 22 hours just to beat him in one of the songs/games.
• Walk the streets of Xenacoj.  I don’t think I would ever grow weary of walking these beloved streets (at least not for a day).
• Writing.  If I had the time, I think I might be able to make it for a whole day writing.  This has definitely become a passion of mine.
• Worshiping God.  We got a small taste of this during our last night in Guatemala last month.  I think this is actually possible if we are intentional with everything we do (even sleep).
• Watch the Star Wars movies.  I think I’d have to watch two or three of them twice, but this would be a fun marathon.
• Run.  I’ve done three marathons, and I know it’s a lot of work.  But I’m always intrigued by the ultra marathons.  If my body could take it, I think it would be fun to run for 22 straight hours.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.

Ice Breaker – Current Reading

Each week on The Stretched Blog, I ask an ice breaker question. The questions are designed to help us get to know each other here in The Stretched Community. I’ll provide my answer to the question here in the post, and then you can leave your response in the comments. While you’re in the comments section, see how others answered the ice breaker question.

Question:  What are you reading right now?  What book?  What blog?  What magazine?  Whatever?

My Answer:  I’m in the process of reading The In-Between: Embracing the Tension Between Now and the Next Big Thing [A Spiritual Memoir] by Jeff Goins.  So far, it’s been a great read.  I’ll share more on the book once I finish it.

One of the blogs I’m reading these days is Radical Living In A Comfortable World by Seth Barnes.

I’ve been reading the book of Romans lately.

And you can always find a copy of Runner’s World magazine by my nightstand.

Answer this week’s ice breaker question by leaving a comment. I look forward to reading your response! (As always, feel free to share links.) And keep STRETCHING!

Also don’t forget to sign up for the weekly Stretched newsletter.  Check out this post to find out how to sign up.