March madness 2012

Looks like it's that time of year again when college basketball crazy fans get ready for the three weeks in what is called march madness....I've study the team brackets, regions where the team is playing, wins and losses and most importantly defense. So, without further ado here are my final four picks for this year......Kentucky, kansas, Vanderbilt, and marquette with Kentucky winning it all.

one more thing....I'm starting to not like going to the dentist....at the end of this month this will be my fourth time in two months. With the money, I have spent going to see him...I could have taken a weekend trip to phoenix for spring training...oh well it beats having dentures.

Signed
Tim "ready for the maddness to begin" Crippen

Why I never talk about past girlfriends on this blog until now

With Valentine's day just around the corner it's time to come clean.....I looked back on some previous February posts and none of them mention love except in a tongue and cheek way (See Jane Seymour post on Feb. 2008). In fact, I never talk about my girlfriends in the past at all....why is that? Let's start with the beginning....I never had a girlfriend until my first year in college....Oh sure, I had plenty of crushes in high school, but none them really develop into serious relationship.....in fact in high school I never even went to prom my senior year...pathetic yeah I know. Most of my past girlfriend experiences were actually pretty good, but as you date for some reason either you or your partner seemed to fizzle out. There were others that I had missed on opportunities and some you would just like to forget. I don't mention the names because of two reasons....One out of just respect...two it's in the past and you just can't change that. Love is a two way street and it only works when both people are on the same page, but i would also say that if your relationship with Christ isn't connecting vertically then all the other parts of your life won't be functioning either.

Signed
Tim "trying to open up" Crippen

Pay it forward and it will pay you back

I always believe that if you do good things for people without expecting something in return....it will be forwarded to you later down the road. That was a lesson my dad taught me that I still use today. Last summer, I was coming back from band practice in church and I stop by a gas station to fill up. I saw an older woman whose tire went flat on her car and she was so frustrated. Now, I normally would ignore this and would be on my merry way, but something inside my spirit compel me to help this woman. So, I offer to help put her spare tire while taking the old one off. After getting a little dirty from the dust and the grind....I finish my job. The woman offer me money, but I told her to pay it forward to someone else. She asked me if I was a Christian and I said yes I was and I left doing my good deed for today.

Now fast forward to today.....back in September our company is a big sponsor of JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research foundation) and we raise a lot of money through raffles, silent auctions etc. Well, one of the prizes they were raffling off was a chance for three people to take three of their friends to a Kansas City Royals 2012 game along with a parking pass sitting in suite section. I put tickets in but was not one of the three to win the tickets. Well, today a co-worker who I barely know out of the blue gave me her tickets. I asked her why she gave them to me? She said that she had heard that I was Royals fan and that the person she wanted to take would complain the entire time at the game. She felt like she would give it to someone else who would thoroughly enjoy it. I thanked Jan and gave her hug....she didn't have to do it, but I was really appreciative. God works in mysterious ways whether they are great or just in small tokens. There are still good people today.

Signed
Tim "pay it forward" Crippen

December to Remember 2011

As we come to the end of this month.....heck the end of this year.....I realize this month has had it's up and downs. First, let's start with first week of December....I was in Dallas, TX for the Major League Baseball winter meetings....It was exciting to see the business side of this game that I have loved for so many years. Former and current players making deals at Hilton Anatole which is big hotel. I was here mostly for the job fair where thousands of applicants are trying to get their foot in the door wether it would be for major team or minor league. The picture below shows this incredible zoo I had to deal with it.

I was mostly mad at the cost of the job fair...and yes there was a cost to apply for a job if can you believe that. It was $250. If, I had known there was cost for this thing I could save hundreds of dollars, but it was unique experience....so I move on.

My beloved gorillas...Pittsburg State won the division two football national championship...yeah exciting. With only one loss to Washburn....pitt state got it's revenge in the playoffs to Washburn, Northwest Missouri State, Delta State and Wayne State for the title game. Twenty years since my alma mater won the title here is me excited after the game as my cousin jefferey and I watched the game at a sports bar in overland park.

Christmas time was unique as Mom, Ernie and I flew on frontier airlines to our nation's capital ...Washington D.C. to see my brother. It was fun getting a chance to see the white house tour....the trees in each room were decorated to the nines and I even saw a replica of the white house made of gingerbread that weighed 300 pounds.



Seeing my niece and nephew again .....Nate is almost two and is growing like a weed and gracelynn is in her own little world.


So what does 2012 hold? Who knows hopefully I will be able to get a job in the sports industry next year that's the goal anyway. So, merry christmas and happy new year.

My first time at Allen Fieldhouse

Pics of laymens retreat

Open House pics of the new performing arts center

Looking at the northside of the building



Look how long the line is

Helzberg hall

Inside the Muriel kauffman theatre