Frazier Blog

Stop. Relax. Slow down. Chill. I need more of those words in my life. I just had an amazing week at houseboat camp. Out of all the sentances the speaker said, i felt like one was speaking right to me, “Why don’t you pray more?”

I need too, and I want too. Therefore I will.

Off to slow down and pray,

Paul

I have been using Mint for over 6 months now. It is a great example of web 2.0. It is basically the financial web-mail. It is free to use and you can be setup in minutes. It aggregates all of your bank information into one central place. Yes yes i know, privacy issues, but when we use online banking anyway it is not that big of a difference. Plus every-time you write a check you give away your bank account information. Don’t believe me? Look it up.

Back to mint. You can set budgets and track how much you have spent on categories or at an individual store. You can press refresh all accounts and in a matter of seconds you have all your bank info on one page instead of having to log into multiple sites.

The best feature for me is the transaction view. In one place I can see what is going on in all my bank accounts. Checking, savings and multiple credit cards. This helps since I use different credit cards for different stores to get the best rewards.

Go check it out. www.mint.com

Enjoying less financial confusion,

Paul

Hello. I know its been a long time….. Enough said about that.

I have been using Trimet and my bike to get me too and from work lately. I ride my bike to the bus stop in the morning and then another .7 of a mile from the bus stop to Columbia Sportswear. (A great place to work by the way. Bike storage and bus passes. ) Then in the afternoons I ride all the way home.

Including the cost of the subsided bus pass I figure I will save 100 dollars in gas each month.

The time is about equal because I don’t consider the ride home time. Confused? Because I am getting a workout I don’t have to go to the gym and do cardio so the time zeros out. Since it takes 40 minutes to get to work in the morning, and round trip would take 40 by car. Equal time with a 100 dollar a month benefit. Hello Iphone.

Saving money and the air,

Paul

I am on a healthy food streak right now. I am not trying to lose weight, just trying to eat healthier. My fruit loops have been replaced with Raisin Bran. Instead of snacking on junk food I am trying to eat more fruit. I am not counting calories, but fiber and protein and looking for whole grains. And not even counting, just looking for foods with good things in them. I don’t know if it is just me or everyone out there, but I feel like it is so much easier to eat bad foods than good ones.

What do you think? Any good ideas for healthy meals/snacks?

We will see if I can keep it up and if I notice any immediate gains, like more energy and such.

God Bless,

Paul

I experienced God in many different ways today. Through nature, prayer and people.

Tonight was unexpectedly amazing and refreshing. I love how God works in mysterious ways.

More to come soon.

But now it is time for me to experience sleep.

Later,
Paul

I am back in Helene for a week with my family. Check out www.ilovehelene.com for updates.

God Bless,

Paul

I discovered a huge pet peeve of mine today. I got a cup of coffee from a campus coffee shop, I also felt like some water. Knowing that Oregon has great water I asked for a cup of water. Starbucks is always more then happy to give me a cup of cold water and even throws in some ice for me. Yet at the coffee shop at the EMU, not a bargain by any means, I paid 3.25 for a 16oz mocha, responds with the dreaded “that will be .10 cents for the cup.” I was tempted to ask for my money back on the coffee. I understand the policy for people who have not purchased anything, but for a paying customer a business should be willing to give me a cup of water. To top things off they put on whipped cream when I asked them not too.

Does this bug anyone else out there? What are some other restaurant or service pet peeves of yours?

Thirsty,

Paul

Yes we can…..

I am inspired by his speaking. I admire his stated goal of bringing the country together. The idea of moving beyond red states and blue states was eloquently stated as Obama said”…[I] stood on the steps of the old state capitol to reaffirm a truth that was spoken there so many generations ago, that a house divided cannot stand; that we are more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and always will be the United States of America.” Obama

As we face critical issues in the next 1-20 years I am excited that a candidate has proclaimed that he wants to unite vs divide. More to come on this election process.

And as he said in 2004 “The pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an awesome God in the Blue States….”(Senator Obama) [Read more →]

When I woke up this morning I had a text that told me to “look outside.” Look at what I found!!!

That (above) was the view out my bedroom windows

And yes, even though it is a Sunday it is a full fledged SNOWDAY. My work called and we had the day off!!!

We got about 3-4 inches.

I thought this bike looked cool.

A view out onto 19th and Emerald.

Big fat flakes.

Yay Snow. I hope it freezes tonight and a class or two gets cancelled. I guess it snowed here in Eugene but has not yet snowed up in Portland. Funny how much of a difference the drive up I-5 can make.

Yay Snow,

Paul