The Swiss Family Mike

The other day Samantha reminded me that I do, in fact, have a blog. So, in order to please her, I have made a new post. We had a good summer. We took the kids to the zoo and the beach, and Titus has learned how to swim. We took a few pictures. School has started (no pictures of this yet). The family is doing good, although sometimes it feels like we live in a tree after surviving some kind of shipwreck. At least, sometimes our house looks like a shipwreck. Titus' birthday is coming soon. I need to know if I should make his party pirate themed or based on the T.V. show Wipeout. Either way I think Titus is going to jump in the pool from our balcony.

The Mike Badge of Courage

Happy Independence Day Everyone! We had a pretty good 4th of July weekend over here. My class officially ended on the second (although I still have homework due for it), so we decided to actually celebrate America's independence (instead of simply studying Athanasius' rhetorical method in his defense against heretics). The festivities started with a B.B.Q. and pool party on the 3rd. Unfortunately, Biola decided to rebuild the pool in our apartment complex, so instead of having a well manicured hole in the ground covered in plaster and filled with cool, clear water, we had a pit of dryish dirt and concrete chunks (not very cohesive for swimming). The cook did a good job though. After we finished the B.B.Q./un-pool party we walked down to Biola and watched the La Mirada city fireworks (because the leaders of this city think America declared independence on the 3rd, apparently). Titus liked them, Courage slept.

On the 4th we bought batteries (hence the missing pictures from any events which took place on the 3rd). Then we continued to eat what we had made at the B.B.Q. the day before (we are still eating this to this day). This time we were with a different group of people at our old apartment complex, so Titus took a swim. After this B.B.Q./real-pool party, we hurried on down to Downtown Disney to watch their firework extravaganza. We almost made it there. It took us about five minutes to get from our place to the Disney exit, and then it took about an hour to get off the exit (it was a regular civil war out there, I've included a picture taken after traffic cleared up). A note for anyone trying to see the Disney fireworks on the 4th: Go Early. Even though we were stuck on the street in our car amidst a crowd of traffic, we did get to see the fireworks (we were facing the right way on the exit). The fireworks were pretty good. Courage liked them, Titus slept.

The fun continued on the 5th, as we took Titus to his first theater experience (discounting when we took him to Happy Feet, since he was three months old and slept through the whole thing). Titus chose to watch Wall-E. As it turned out, this was a good choice. At least, Titus really liked the movie (and he still wants to watch the previews on the computer at home). Titus also liked walking up and down the steps in the theater during the film, and asking questions loudly about what happened to Wall-E during the slower parts.

On the 6th I studied Athanasius' rhetorical method in his defense against heretics.

The Consolation of Mike

We finally got the internet up at our new place. The lack of internet here has been my excuse to all who have complained about the lack of posts on this thing.
Here is a quick catch-up of where we are at in the Owen family. My soccer team won the Biola intermural b-league championship. I finished the semester and have started summer school. I am taking two classes right now; the first one has one more session on Saturday, and the second class started this week. We moved to a new apartment (just down the street from where we used to be). Samantha and I are both working. Titus' gymnastics class is over, so he plays at home. Courage eats, sleeps, and spits-up.
I've noticed that whenever this family enters into what is supposed to be vacation time we are much more busy than when we are on normal work and school schedules. I don't mean busy with extra activities even, I mean more busy with work and school. Well, at least summer classes are short (I should be done with them before the fourth of July). Also, I feel confident that I can take comfort in the fact that Titus and Courage are good looking kids, or so the pictures seem to indicate.

NicoMIKEean Ethics

Well, we had a baby. And, we even named the baby. Here are some pictures of Courage (like the cardinal virtue) Eudaimonia (it's Greek) Owen. Enjoy. Oh, by the way, Titus really likes his little sister.

Mike Quixote

I am a busy man. I didn't actually comprehend the full truth of this until someone emailed me detailing how busy of a man I am (and I am). Hence, I have not posted in quite some time. Forgive me, and have hope that I will post pictures of the new baby when she comes.
I do, however, enjoy all of the work that I do. I even enjoy getting up before five in the morning and cleaning up after the filthy English and philosophy students who attend classes at Biola (how is that for maturing). I mostly enjoy playing with Titus, though. And, he mostly enjoys playing with me, unless I drop him when we are spinning in circles (this has yet to happen, but I am sure he would feel more discomfort than pleasure if it did occur).
Samantha felt that I might need some other activity to take up my already non-existent free time, so she signed me and Titus up for a gymnastics class on Friday mornings, right after work and right before the soccer game. It's fun, and it seems Titus is going to become some kind of kung fu high-flipping master. I think, though, that I'll sign Samantha up for a few months of nursing a crying newborn, just to get back at her.
Anyway here is a picture of Titus as some kind of George Lucas, Star Wars, dark lord of the Sith sort of character (he has used his powers to hinder the proper orientation of the photo). Now, me and master Titus have to go fight some windmills.

Brave New Mike

I have discovered the acme of the internet. The World Wide Web has reached its telos. I now know what this thing was truly created for. Guitar videos on Youtube. Say what you like about the internet being a great research tool for scholars, or that it bridges the gap between people groups the world over. These things do not compare to the overall grandeur that is produced by really good guitar playing anytime of the day with the touch of a button. Not only does this have a great intrinsic value, but it has practical value as well. It has made me better at guitar, and has given me more drive to practice my music. I turned to Samantha the other day and said, "I am going to get rid of all frivolous activities in my life so that I have more time to practice guitar." She just smiled. Then I said, "Yeah, I couldn't think of any frivolous activities that I partake in that I could get rid of either." And now classes have started. I guess we really were made for eternity. That's about the right amount of time one really needs for guitar playing.

Mike and Prejudice

Break out the pink cigars--it's a girl. Although, from the way it is kicking and tumbling in the womb I think it might also be a ninja warrior and a Valkyrie. If this is the case, then I am going to give her the name Gunda. Don't blame me, Samantha picked it out (granted, I am not completely certain she was serious).

I was hoping for a boy, but when Samantha come home from the doctor and said, "It's a girl," my gut did the same thing it did the first time Titus walked on his own. The past was rearranged and my whole world took on a new color. This leads me to believe that what I was really hoping for was just what I got, or, at least, someone who happens to really have control over the gender of newly made people knows more about what I need and what I want than I do.

She is still going to grow up on The Lord of the Rings instead of Jane Austin (I have misspelled this on purpose) though.

The City of Mike Against the Internet

Happy New Year and Welcome to Mike's Very First Attempt at Putting Things onto the World Wide Web!!!

This year promises to be an exciting adventure of communication. I hereby give my good word to update this thing periodically, and to at least take an afternoon to figure out how to do things on a blog (I might even figure out how to turn photos right side up). I hope this can keep anyone interested updated on my perspective to the various and sundry affairs of the Owen family here in L.A. Most importantly, I also promise to post cute pictures.