Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta

Zeke did not get to go to Road Atlanta, but he is not really into sports car racing. I had a blast seeing the changes in the track and infield areas. I think the “new” turn 10 complex is the best place to watch the racing. It had been 19 years since I had been there, so everything was “new” to me! If you know very little about road racing you really should check it out: http://www.roadatlanta.com/ There is nothing like the sights and sounds of sports car racing. I posted a couple of videos on youtube - here’s one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncisv7iIa94 Unlike NASCAR, the sport’s car guys can go in the rain!

Zeke and the BMWs

Zeke has been busy the last couple of months. He wants me to catch everyone up on what's been happening. One thing: Zeke has never been very happy that I never let him ride in my '87 BMW and now he is looking over this even older bimmer (1975) that just moved into the garage for restoration. So far the project has been going smoothly. Only snapped off a couple of bolts so far! Here is a pic of the project. Zeke will be reporting the progress whenever he has time between bones.

Zeke's Star Trek name is "Krell" - a klingon

Zeke wanted to go see Star Trek (the movie) last weekend, but I had to explain to him that dogs were not allowed in the theater. That did not sit will with him. Or maybe that I went on to see the movie without him was more the problem. Well, he will just have to get over it. Star Trek was very good. Maybe it was just my need for an escape for a couple of hours but I thought the action in the movie was great, the plot of an alternate reality was cool, and the possibilities for new adventures in that alternate reality are fun to imagine. I look forward to more Star Trek missions. I am even tempted to go see it again on the big screen before its DVD release. Sci-fi reminds me of the imaginative possibilities for life. Granted, we cannot zip from zero to light speed like they do in the movie (a super cool new twist), but one of the things I have come to believe as a Christian is that God opens all kinds of alternatives to the world’s way of doing things and of being. I think that is why I also like Star Trek, Star Wars, and other sci-fi “realms” – because all kinds of possibilities exist. Zeke’s biggest alternate realities are riding in the car or walking around the block, but that is good enough for him! We certainly need alternatives to the realities we see these days. Movies can give us a brief break, but only God can give us life in abundance – and that is the ultimate alternative reality. I might give Zeke a rawhide bone later so he can have an alternative to his routine. Once he starts gnawing on that bone he will forget all about Star Trek and theaters and alternate realities. If he growls about missing Star Trek I’ll just have to give him a Vulcan neck pinch to calm him down.

Zeke the Presbyterian Dog...

Zeke is a Presbyterian dog. He likes reformed theology but he is wondering what all the fuss is about in the church these days (specifically the PCUSA). We can’t seem to agree on much and the more attempts we make at unity the further apart we seem to become. I told him it is heartbreaking to see relationships strained over scripture interpretation or abortion views or all the other issues that divide us. (He had no idea what I was talking about.) I told Zeke that I preached a sermon last Sunday that touched on some of the issues and some folks became upset over it while others appreciated my taking a stance. Two perspectives are breaking the denomination apart and now those perspectives are cutting at our local church. Why won’t God just clarify these things for us? Both camps think they are clear in their respective views, but they are clear on opposite sides. I’ll keep praying about it, Zeke will bark out praise, and we will see what comes.

Zeke says "no thanks" on the sushi...

Zeke was excited for me today because I received a gift certificate for the Japanese restaurant which means a trip to the sushi bar. Sushi and sashimi are favorites of mine. If it were not so expensive I would eat it more often. Zeke, on the other hand, knows nothing about such delights. His diet is mostly dry chunks and cans of Alpo. He only eats once a day and still seems to gain weight. In that regard he is just about like me. I am one of those traditional yo-yo weight control people, eating right and exercising well for three months, then two months off, then back to it and so on. It is tough to keep the discipline, motivation, and the more costly “health” foods in the diet. Then there are the church meals when everyone wants me to try their cake or pie or cookies. How am I supposed to say no to that? Zeke and I will just have to take some long walks together to keep us both slim and trim!

Zeke and the Masters...

Zeke was fired up today. He kept leaping straight up in his pen and you could see it in his eyes – he knows – its Masters Week. Zeke loves golf. He loves to chase down the plastic practice balls I hit in the back yard. But he just sniffs them. I think they are too small for his liking. Tennis balls are more his style for chasing and chewing. It’s the first major of the year in golf. As Zeke says: “all the big dogs will be there!” Zeke is old school, like me, and will be cheering for Norman to win! Tiger who? Phil who? Go Greg! I told Zeke how cool it is to be at the Masters during this week. The course is awesome and even if there were no players around it is so cool to see the course. TV does not do it justice. Zeke glanced at the TV once when the Masters was on, but the only time he was really interested was when the crowd, “the patrons”, erupted in cheers over a great shot. Zeke was disappointed again that he did not get any practice round tickets this year, but he also knows how tough it might have been to go during Holy Week. He is a busy dog.

Zeke thinks he lives in Michigan...

My dog Zeke has become a Michigan Football fan. He must not realize he lives in West Virginia. It all started after coach Rich Rodriguez left WVU for Michigan. WVU folks took it hard, Zeke says I’m being too kind here, and the Rich Rod bashing became a state hobby. Even though Coach Rod took WVU to national prominence and elevated the Big East to a legitimate conference for BCS bowls, most wanted him crucified. Zeke thought is was sad but his response was to follow Coach Rod through his career at Michigan. My dog is kind of crazy with it…he has me check Michigan football websites every day for news. With spring practice currently running, Zeke makes me check www.mgoblue.com daily for news and videos. (By the way, two good freshman quarterbacks will work in Rod’s system well!) Back to my crazy dog – he checks the weather forecast in Ann Arbor to see if the guys can practice outside! How nuts is that? Then Zeke decided we should become fans of Coach Rod’s facebook page, but that’s not all…he got me on Twitter too so that we could follow Coach Rod there as well. Gee whiz, dog, when will it stop?
I, no wait, my dog follows Michigan now with a passion. Zeke’s dream is that Michigan and WVU will meet in a bowl, maybe even next season. Wouldn’t that be something? Go Blue!

Talking to my dog...

I was talking to my dog Zeke yesterday. He looks like Marley but his name is Zeke. Good name for a dog. He said something about blogging. Not sure how he knows about these things. Since he weighs in at 75+ lbs and his paws are full of mud all the time, I decided it was time that I typed up his thoughts.
Blogging is something Zeke has considered for a long time since I tell him about the blogs I read. He is an introverted dog, so the thought of blogging to the cyber world is a little bit daunting. It was a warm day yesterday and Zeke spent some time chasing a big ball that had blown into the back yard. He cooled off by prancing through the water in the ditch. Yellow labs look even more dirty after mudding up the paws. He enjoyed the warm sunny Sunday afternoon before tucking in to his dog house for the night. He was not happy when I told him to expect snow tomorrow.
Well, this is Zeke's first blog so we will keep it short.