Independent Consultant with a Hawaiian Shirt

Well, it's the start of Week 4 at home. I haven't had a trip in a while. But I've been making good use of the time while I'm here. This past Saturday was the Awana Grand Prix, the pinewood car derby at our church. Samuel and I made a car for the ages. He called it "SPLAT!", named for the stick figure being run over by a boulder that was featured prominently on the car. Somehow that car flew down the track and not only won the Speed trophy in his age group, but he took the overall trophy for fastest car: As part of the "legendary" Haddad West Racing team, we couldn't have been happier! Between us, we had three kids in the race and each one brought home a trophy. Counting a fourth car that Marty put together for another child in the church, we were 4 for 4! That's two years in a row. It may be premature to talk about a dynasty, but you be the judge: http://www.hwracing.com . I know it looks a little silly for us to be taking ourselves so seri...

"I'm sorry, sir, but we couldn't hold the plane for you." Those words echoed through my mind as I trudged towards the hotel shuttle. It was 10:00pm on a Sunday night and, instead of being 35,000 feet in the air on my way to Sacramento I was trying to find out where to catch the shuttle to the Radisson Hotel in Minneapolis. Let me back up a bit. It was Sunday, January 11, 2009. Weather was bad, and system delays were predicted. As usual, my routing to Sacramento had me doing Detroit-Columbus, OH-Minneapolis-Sacramento. My problem was that I would have less than 40 minutes to make my connection in Columbus. So when a delay for my Detroit-Columbus leg was announced, I immediately went to a service desk and asked for assistance. They rebooked me on a direct flight to Minneapolis which would arrive in the same concourse (a big deal in Minneapolis) with 80 minutes to make my connection. No sweat, I thought, as I sat back in the lounge waiting to go. I boarded this new fligh...

Hi all, Sorry this has been a bit quiet as of late. I haven't gone anywhere new (Los Angeles, Sacramento, Arkansas) so I haven't been too quick with it. But it has been five weeks since the last update and I just found out that somebody other than my mom is reading this. So, here's a catch-up edition: 22-31 December 2008: Los Angeles, California We packed the bags and hauled the kids to be with my parents for Christmas. We hadn't been to California in a while, and 2008 saw us go twice - once for my father's 70th birthday back in June and now for Christmas. As you can see from the pictures, getting there was half the fun. The next day we went to Knott's Berry Farm and had a great time riding the rides and eating the food. http://picasaweb.google.com/khalaf.writes/ChristmasInLosAngelesKnottSBerryFarm During this time, Basma and I managed to sneak off for a second honeymoon in San Diego. Our first day there we walked across the street to the USS Midway Museum, a vi...

Sorry I've fallen behind on this. The past couple of weeks have been reruns - Sacramento, CA and Rogers, AR. On my trip to Rogers, I flew in and out of Springfield, MO. On the way back to Springfield on the 19th, I discovered Carthage, MO. This town is home to the Precious Moments Chapel. Contrary to popular belief, this place is much more than a shrine for figurine collectors. The artwork and the mood is something special. Surprisingly I am having a hard time putting words to the calm and tranquility I experienced during my trip here. One of the themes that the artist deals with throughout the chapel is Heaven. For those who are mourning a loss, great comfort can be found here. I strongly recommend a visit to all who may pass by this way. Here are some pictures from the grounds and from the chapel itself. The guided tour gave me too many wonderful stories to share. Admission is free; I recommend the tour. http://picasaweb.google.com/khalaf.writes/PreciousMomentsChapel

Wednesday night last week I made a spur-of-the-moment stop at the Billy Graham Library. Much to my surprise there was a Living Nativity set up by the entrance: http://picasaweb.google.com/khalaf.writes/BillyGrahamLibrary After walking through the Exhibit Hall, I left with a clear sense of wonder. How wonderful God is that his message of love is so simple, and how wonderful that in our lifetime we have been blessed through a man who could retell the message with clarity and simplicity. Billy Graham's faithful witness allows the power of God's Word to come crashing through. If you're ever in the Charlotte area, do take the time to visit the museum. I'm already figuring out how I'm going to get the family down there in the summer.