I only work Thursday and Friday this week and so far (I have been here about 4 hours) it has been very slow. Not many people are here most took the week off. I could have taken off as well, I guess, but why? I can save my vacation for next year and have a good time.
I have caught up on all I wanted to do, except one more on-line training class. I tried to log on to it, but it is down and support is only for critical items. Feh. Whatever. At least I am not home painting with my wife. She is very meticulous and I am not, not to mention I do not like to paint. She is doing the trim, which is oil based. It smells and is not fun to be near. Did I mention I hate to paint?
My time off from work has been OK. I cooked some etouffee for our minister and his wife yesterday. His father passed away a couple of days ago and we wanted to do something. The graveside service was this morning, but I do not go to those. We did not go to the memorial last night. I was not really feeling up to it and my wife was not feeling overly well either.
Other than cooking, the only thing I did was grocery shop. I really do not do it enough to be quick about it, but I got through it. By the time I was finished, my leg was killing me. I avoid the pain pills as much as I can, but I took one a couple of days ago when I was on my feet for a very long time. I think I have taken 5 or so and have had the prescription for 3 weeks.
The past couple of days we have been plagued with an incredibly annoying flapping noise coming from the bathroom exhaust fan. Come to find out the vent flap is being moved by a volume of air being moved around the attic by the turbine vents. When it is windy outside, the turbines turn and cool the attic which in turn blows air back to the exhaust vent. The flapper is supposed to be one-way, but it is not working like that. I am not sure why it just started, we have had the turbine vents for at least 3 years and it is always windy here. I think it was stuck in the open position and recently freed itself. I am not sure what to do, since cool air from the attic is flooding the bathroom and of course in the summer, hot air will flood the bathroom. I removed the flapper since the constant squeaking of is worse than the cold air. Of course I removed this at 10:30 last night while my wife was trying to sleep.
TV has been a bust the past 2 weeks, which makes me happy I am not a TV person. With shows like this occupying the airwaves, can you see why I keep the TV off most of the time? I think that I should be able to stream the shows I want to see "on demand" just like digital cable subscribers can. I do not need access to all the channels all the time, just as I need/want them.
My back is not getting any better (to tell the truth I think it is getting worse) and I called and left a message with my back doctor. He was in surgery all week and his nurse was out on vacation. I was told I would get a call back. I hope so. As much as it kills me to say this, I think I am going to have the surgery. Pills and exercise are only temporary and once I have the operation, I am going to take very good care of what is left of my back.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
After Christmas Shopping
I do not like to shop, but sometimes you have to. Today I had a punch list of things to do and I completed them without too many issues.
First on the list was gas for the truck. $2.02 at Kroger with $100 in purchases (which had accumulated 2 weeks ago). Full tank was $36.00
Next was an oil change. I usually get this done at the dealer. I know it costs more, but they tend to do a better job and find the little things that others miss. I failed to use my coupon and paid $27.00 for my oil change.
Next was tires. Sam's Club has what I need and I drove away with 4 new Dunlop 50K mile tires for about $350
My wife called while I was at Sam's and asked me to look at the cordless drill box sets at Home Depot. I looked and they had a good selection...of things that I did not need at great prices or really nice things I wanted but could not afford. I settled on Lowes and got this for a $189.00.
My wife went shopping as well. She picked up her meds, a few Christmas wrapping items, lunch, and some hair spray...you know, women stuff :-).
I got home and put some things in the attic, checked the mail (2 cards, our son's cell bill, some personal mail for him, and junk mail), put the tonneau cover back on the truck (we took it off when we hauled the last load to the dump) and plugged in the batteries for the cordless drill set. I was hoping to use it today on a couple of small projects, but it has to charge for 9 hours and It will not be light when it finishes. Maybe I can pull it off early.
My leg was bothering me today, just like has for a while. The 'roids did not help as much as I hoped. I am guessing surgery is the next step. Joy.
First on the list was gas for the truck. $2.02 at Kroger with $100 in purchases (which had accumulated 2 weeks ago). Full tank was $36.00
Next was an oil change. I usually get this done at the dealer. I know it costs more, but they tend to do a better job and find the little things that others miss. I failed to use my coupon and paid $27.00 for my oil change.
Next was tires. Sam's Club has what I need and I drove away with 4 new Dunlop 50K mile tires for about $350
My wife called while I was at Sam's and asked me to look at the cordless drill box sets at Home Depot. I looked and they had a good selection...of things that I did not need at great prices or really nice things I wanted but could not afford. I settled on Lowes and got this for a $189.00.
My wife went shopping as well. She picked up her meds, a few Christmas wrapping items, lunch, and some hair spray...you know, women stuff :-).
I got home and put some things in the attic, checked the mail (2 cards, our son's cell bill, some personal mail for him, and junk mail), put the tonneau cover back on the truck (we took it off when we hauled the last load to the dump) and plugged in the batteries for the cordless drill set. I was hoping to use it today on a couple of small projects, but it has to charge for 9 hours and It will not be light when it finishes. Maybe I can pull it off early.
My leg was bothering me today, just like has for a while. The 'roids did not help as much as I hoped. I am guessing surgery is the next step. Joy.
Monday, December 26, 2005
Merry CHRISTmas
I hope you Christmas weekend was blessed, ours was.
Thursday - Haircut, vacuumed, watched X2: X-Men United. I had seen it before but was in the mood to see it again.
Friday - I went to work with my wife to do some computer stuff for her and her boss before he went out of town.
Saturday - Gave back the dog we were taking care of. The family was ready to give it to their daughter. Bad thing was, there was a death in their family and the funeral was Friday. We got our new vacuum and I used it to clean the house. It works well. I watched "Spaceballs" and the pilot of "The Lone Gunmen".
Sunday - CHRISTmas service at our church, quick lunch and nap, then over to a friend from church's house for Christmas dinner. She made a ton of food which she forced us to take with us. Watched an episode of "The Lone Gunmen".
Today - we had breakfast with another friend from church and took a long drive (2 hours) home. It was very nice to spend time with them. Did a quick vacuum of the bathroom and the bedroom, stripped and made the bed. My wife washed the oldest dog while I did 2 loads of laundry (to clarify, I put them in the dryer then when they were finished, I folded them and put them away). I watched "Daredevil" and was not too upset with it (it did have a gratuitous sex scene, but you can FF through that...). I have seen worse. I only need to see "Spiderman 2" and "The Hulk" and I think I have seen all the superhero movies...finally.
Overall this has been a good holyday. I still have a couple more days off (I go back Thursday and Friday, off Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) and I need to get an oil change and plunk down $500+ for new tires for the truck. I am glad we got a bonus this year. Christmas was IN CASH!! w00t! No Credit Card Bills!
Thursday - Haircut, vacuumed, watched X2: X-Men United. I had seen it before but was in the mood to see it again.
Friday - I went to work with my wife to do some computer stuff for her and her boss before he went out of town.
Saturday - Gave back the dog we were taking care of. The family was ready to give it to their daughter. Bad thing was, there was a death in their family and the funeral was Friday. We got our new vacuum and I used it to clean the house. It works well. I watched "Spaceballs" and the pilot of "The Lone Gunmen".
Sunday - CHRISTmas service at our church, quick lunch and nap, then over to a friend from church's house for Christmas dinner. She made a ton of food which she forced us to take with us. Watched an episode of "The Lone Gunmen".
Today - we had breakfast with another friend from church and took a long drive (2 hours) home. It was very nice to spend time with them. Did a quick vacuum of the bathroom and the bedroom, stripped and made the bed. My wife washed the oldest dog while I did 2 loads of laundry (to clarify, I put them in the dryer then when they were finished, I folded them and put them away). I watched "Daredevil" and was not too upset with it (it did have a gratuitous sex scene, but you can FF through that...). I have seen worse. I only need to see "Spiderman 2" and "The Hulk" and I think I have seen all the superhero movies...finally.
Overall this has been a good holyday. I still have a couple more days off (I go back Thursday and Friday, off Saturday, Sunday, and Monday) and I need to get an oil change and plunk down $500+ for new tires for the truck. I am glad we got a bonus this year. Christmas was IN CASH!! w00t! No Credit Card Bills!
Friday, December 23, 2005
Life Imitating Art
OK, so cancelled Fox television series may not be very artistic at times, something jumped out at me tonight. My wife and I were watching the pilot episode of "The Lone Gunmen", a spinoff of the very successful X-Files series. In the pilot, the government hatches a plot to fly a fully loaded airplane into the World Trade Center. I know what you are thinking...Fox took a horrible disaster and created an episode for a new show to gain viewer share. That is not the case. The pilot episode for "The Lone Gunmen" aired SIX MONTHS before 9/11. SIX MONTHS.
My wife knows I enjoy a good mystery. The X-Files was one of my favorites shows. Sherlock Holmes was a hero of mine when I was a kid and phenomenon of all types intrigues me. I do not consider myself a conspiracy theorist, but this has really got me curious.
It really is amazing how Hollyweird can come up with stuff like this and it is not even considered by our government. Just read some of these quotes.
If you want some very interesting (and quite possibly bizarre) reading, go to your favorite search engine and type in "Lone Gunmen 9/11". Enjoy what you find. I did.
To top off the mystery, www.snopes.com does not have an entry for this AT ALL.
My wife knows I enjoy a good mystery. The X-Files was one of my favorites shows. Sherlock Holmes was a hero of mine when I was a kid and phenomenon of all types intrigues me. I do not consider myself a conspiracy theorist, but this has really got me curious.
It really is amazing how Hollyweird can come up with stuff like this and it is not even considered by our government. Just read some of these quotes.
If you want some very interesting (and quite possibly bizarre) reading, go to your favorite search engine and type in "Lone Gunmen 9/11". Enjoy what you find. I did.
To top off the mystery, www.snopes.com does not have an entry for this AT ALL.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Of Vacuums and Microsoft
We received our new vacuum cleaner today ... a Dyson DC14 Low Reach. It is a pretty good unit. It is a little hi-tech (but would you expect anything less from moi?), but pretty nice. Light and not nearly as noisy as our Windtunnel (while it is powerful, it is expensive to maintain). While we paid twice as much for our Dyson as we did the Windtunnel, we should recoup the loss by the money we save by NOT buy a new filter every 3 months.
When we got it, I told my wife that Microsoft was getting into the vacuum business. Yes, they are finally making a product that does not suck. ;-). She did not get the joke at first. Microsoft just is not my cup of tea. I am eventually going to move everything over to Linux. I got the one program that I wanted to run (AceMoney Lite) to work in Linux under WINE, and I think I can make most of the other programs work as well.
Well, all my Christmas shopping and wrapping is complete, except for the coffee my wife likes, Starbucks Decaf Christmas Blend. Darn good brew, for a decaf that is.
I was supposed to go to work with my wife today, but her boss called and asked us to come in tomorrow instead. We were about 1/3 of the way there, but we turned around and came back. That worked out for both of us as we got a few things done around the house.
The dog we are watching has shown some interesting behavior. If we leave it alone, it will howl and whine until we either come near it or we turn on a radio. She was pretty good most of the day but there were moments. Saturday will not come quick enough. Three dogs is a lot to handle, especially when one is not 100% house broken and is not obedient.
When we got it, I told my wife that Microsoft was getting into the vacuum business. Yes, they are finally making a product that does not suck. ;-). She did not get the joke at first. Microsoft just is not my cup of tea. I am eventually going to move everything over to Linux. I got the one program that I wanted to run (AceMoney Lite) to work in Linux under WINE, and I think I can make most of the other programs work as well.
Well, all my Christmas shopping and wrapping is complete, except for the coffee my wife likes, Starbucks Decaf Christmas Blend. Darn good brew, for a decaf that is.
I was supposed to go to work with my wife today, but her boss called and asked us to come in tomorrow instead. We were about 1/3 of the way there, but we turned around and came back. That worked out for both of us as we got a few things done around the house.
The dog we are watching has shown some interesting behavior. If we leave it alone, it will howl and whine until we either come near it or we turn on a radio. She was pretty good most of the day but there were moments. Saturday will not come quick enough. Three dogs is a lot to handle, especially when one is not 100% house broken and is not obedient.
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Uhhh...That is Their Job...
When I read this, I first thought it was a joke. Military chaplains NOT ALLOWED to mention Jesus Christ? Lord, take me now. I have had enough.
When Words Are Not Enough, Use Pictures
Google fans are no doubt gonna be a little upset and this news. With Google buy 5% in AOL, it looks like we will now have picture ads on on our Google web page, something that has bee missing since the beginning. Google has been a long time fan of minimalistic search pages. Google ads are small, text only boxes that are not overly annoying. Now with pictures, will Google be just like every other search engine? Good thing I have Adblock Plus for my Firefox browser.
Speaking of Adblock Plus, I tend to use it a lot and it really has helped in many ways. Not only do I get speedier web pages, but some of the distracting ads (women in skimpy clothes, etc) are gone as well. As a man who desires to be a strong Christian husband, devoted and dedicated to my wife, Adblock Plus is a gift. Since I can use it to block groups of images or even all images from certain domains, once it is set, it does a good job.
Last night was night number 2 having the third dog around. Mandy whined quite a bit last night because we put her in the dog crate. She peed in the house (something she did not do the first night) and since she is SO hyper, we had to do it. In the long run it will be good for her, but right now she is not liking it at all.
I beat my wife home last night so I got to take care of all three dogs. It took 20 minutes just to get Mandy back in her crate. Then our oldest dog refused to use the bathroom, even though he had been in the house the entire day while we were at work. He also refused to eat, so after about an hour or so he went back into his area and I joined my wife for dinner. I did finally manage to get him to use the bathroom, but I had to walk him a couple hundred meters first.
My wife and I went to La Finca for Mexican food. My wife ordered a "super" burrito while I enjoyed quesadilla camerones (Shrimp Quesadillas). Ohhh..they were tasty. I even splurged and got Xangas (Cheesecake chimichunga with cinnamon ice cream) for dessert. I probably should have pushed the truck home. I was full.
Speaking of Adblock Plus, I tend to use it a lot and it really has helped in many ways. Not only do I get speedier web pages, but some of the distracting ads (women in skimpy clothes, etc) are gone as well. As a man who desires to be a strong Christian husband, devoted and dedicated to my wife, Adblock Plus is a gift. Since I can use it to block groups of images or even all images from certain domains, once it is set, it does a good job.
Last night was night number 2 having the third dog around. Mandy whined quite a bit last night because we put her in the dog crate. She peed in the house (something she did not do the first night) and since she is SO hyper, we had to do it. In the long run it will be good for her, but right now she is not liking it at all.
I beat my wife home last night so I got to take care of all three dogs. It took 20 minutes just to get Mandy back in her crate. Then our oldest dog refused to use the bathroom, even though he had been in the house the entire day while we were at work. He also refused to eat, so after about an hour or so he went back into his area and I joined my wife for dinner. I did finally manage to get him to use the bathroom, but I had to walk him a couple hundred meters first.
My wife and I went to La Finca for Mexican food. My wife ordered a "super" burrito while I enjoyed quesadilla camerones (Shrimp Quesadillas). Ohhh..they were tasty. I even splurged and got Xangas (Cheesecake chimichunga with cinnamon ice cream) for dessert. I probably should have pushed the truck home. I was full.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Content
I know that my content has been more of a personal diary the past few months (well, it is my blog .. I will do what I want with it) and many of you are looking for op-ed / commentary pieces. Those will return. As I struggle with issues in my life (health, family, work) my political opinions are just not as important to me at this time as the personal ones.
I will get back to updating this with a Christian (OK, at least mine) perspective on current events.
In the meantime, Has anyone read this? CREEPY. Who knew that Stalin wanted to play God?
I will get back to updating this with a Christian (OK, at least mine) perspective on current events.
In the meantime, Has anyone read this? CREEPY. Who knew that Stalin wanted to play God?
Oh What a Night ... Mid December Back in 2005
Sorry to all of you who do not get the title of this post. I can find humor anywhere...
Yesterday my wife called and asked me if we could keep a puppy for a friend at church until Christmas Eve. We have 2 indoor dogs so I told her it was OK. NOTE TO SELF: 2 dogs is plenty. As much as I love them, they are a lot of work. Especially when they are inside dogs.
The pup, which is an adorable Golden mix, is very timid but curious. She craves attention but is almost impossible to walk with our other dogs. She likes to play and is trying to establish dominance over our dogs (who, by the way are not happy with our new guest), and reminds me of a Border Collie in her energy level. She is FAST...much faster than our dogs.
Last night she understandably did not want to be put in a crate, but we finally got her in it. This morning, it was raining. She whines when we are not in the same room with her. It is going to be a long week, but these are the things you do for your Christian brothers and sisters.
Yesterday my wife called and asked me if we could keep a puppy for a friend at church until Christmas Eve. We have 2 indoor dogs so I told her it was OK. NOTE TO SELF: 2 dogs is plenty. As much as I love them, they are a lot of work. Especially when they are inside dogs.
The pup, which is an adorable Golden mix, is very timid but curious. She craves attention but is almost impossible to walk with our other dogs. She likes to play and is trying to establish dominance over our dogs (who, by the way are not happy with our new guest), and reminds me of a Border Collie in her energy level. She is FAST...much faster than our dogs.
Last night she understandably did not want to be put in a crate, but we finally got her in it. This morning, it was raining. She whines when we are not in the same room with her. It is going to be a long week, but these are the things you do for your Christian brothers and sisters.
Sunday, December 18, 2005
Beef, it's What's For Dinner and I Really Hate Taking Medicine
Friday...A slow day at work that ended in eating more beef than I care to admit. Our office went to Fogo de Chao, as reported earlier, for our yearly Christmas get together. I sat at the end of the table with my manager, one other and a few of the beef fanatics. I tried to pace myself so I could savor and sample as much as possible without feeling over full. I almost succeeded. The food was good but I realized that I was not really in the mood for festive eating.
On my way home I decided to ... CHRISTMAS SHOP ([perish the thought) for my wife as well as get a gift card for our care group hosts/leaders from El Fenix. I was able to get from the restaurant district in Addison, stop by El Fenix, hit to other stores, and then home in 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Not that bad.
I started taking my steroids on Friday morning and was somewhat queasy all day long. That may have been what put a damper on my eating earlier. I have never taken steroids before and I can tell you that they do not do to me what the pharmacist said they would. First off, they make me drowsy (not keep me awake), they make me queasy (not boost my appetite) and they make me produce room clearing flatulence. I am glad I only have 3 more days (at lowering doses each day) to take them.
Saturday was a men's breakfast / workday in which I was able to only partake in the eating part. I really would have loved to work, but since my back is sore and I m supposed to be resting it (and straining it would be a really stupid thing to do since I am taking meds to relieve inflammation) I had to WATCH while 10+ others worked. I felt so useless. At least my truck was valuable. They used it to haul the old flooring to the dump. Bless you wife, for filling in for me.
I got home and vacuumed (I did not strain myself...I promise) and watched the play by play of the UNC game (GO HEELS!) reloaded my laptop (I screwed up some settings and I was too lazy to research on how to fix it). I went to bed early and got plenty of sleep.
Sunday My back felt pretty good all morning long until I carried a box (that was heavier than I thought it was) of cookware from one side of the parking lot to the other for a member of our church. We went back to the Ghengis Grill for lunch. My wife really likes that place. After that we went ... shopping at World Market. It would have been nice, but there are so many people out shopping that it takes away the pleasure of being there and I really like that store.
I got home and took a nap. I fell pretty good, except for my upper back is a bit sore. I think I is because I am over compensating for my lower back being weak. I also took my last meds for the day. 3 more days left.
On my way home I decided to ... CHRISTMAS SHOP ([perish the thought) for my wife as well as get a gift card for our care group hosts/leaders from El Fenix. I was able to get from the restaurant district in Addison, stop by El Fenix, hit to other stores, and then home in 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Not that bad.
I started taking my steroids on Friday morning and was somewhat queasy all day long. That may have been what put a damper on my eating earlier. I have never taken steroids before and I can tell you that they do not do to me what the pharmacist said they would. First off, they make me drowsy (not keep me awake), they make me queasy (not boost my appetite) and they make me produce room clearing flatulence. I am glad I only have 3 more days (at lowering doses each day) to take them.
Saturday was a men's breakfast / workday in which I was able to only partake in the eating part. I really would have loved to work, but since my back is sore and I m supposed to be resting it (and straining it would be a really stupid thing to do since I am taking meds to relieve inflammation) I had to WATCH while 10+ others worked. I felt so useless. At least my truck was valuable. They used it to haul the old flooring to the dump. Bless you wife, for filling in for me.
I got home and vacuumed (I did not strain myself...I promise) and watched the play by play of the UNC game (GO HEELS!) reloaded my laptop (I screwed up some settings and I was too lazy to research on how to fix it). I went to bed early and got plenty of sleep.
Sunday My back felt pretty good all morning long until I carried a box (that was heavier than I thought it was) of cookware from one side of the parking lot to the other for a member of our church. We went back to the Ghengis Grill for lunch. My wife really likes that place. After that we went ... shopping at World Market. It would have been nice, but there are so many people out shopping that it takes away the pleasure of being there and I really like that store.
I got home and took a nap. I fell pretty good, except for my upper back is a bit sore. I think I is because I am over compensating for my lower back being weak. I also took my last meds for the day. 3 more days left.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Of Doctors, Treatments, and such
I wanted to post an update regarding the visit I had with the spine specialist.
I made my appointment, filled out the paperwork, and waited for the specialist to see me. We spoke, went over my symptoms and ran a few range of movement tests. The results are in: I have a medium to large herniated disk at L4-L5. It is applying pressure to my sciatic nerve and low dosage anti-inflammatory drugs are not doing any good. The doctor gave me the run down and since my pain has bee there at least 6 months, he is going to try steroid therapy on me for a while and if that helps, praise be to God. He did say however that surgery is the most likely treatment for my condition. Since it is difficult to stand for more than 20 minutes or so, pain killers (I am taking Ultracet when the pain gets too great) are not a viable alternative. The doctor asked me if my quality of life was acceptable using pain killers and I told him know. I also told him I was not excited about going under the knife. He then explained that the procedure is now out-patient surgery and there is a 96% success rate. Good news, but I am still a chicken :).
The option to use epidurals was given to me, but he stated the success rate is only about 40%. My problem is a bit more sever and he thinks it would be a waste of time and money.
While I was at the doctor's office, my son called and asked me if we could talk. My mind thought the worst and then I thought he might be asking to move back in. I was wrong on both acocunts. He just wanted to chat. Of course, this was prompted by a call from my lovely wife, but he made the effort to drive to see us. I bought us burgers at Jake's, then we went to get my steroid prescription filled. After we picked up the drugs, we got gas at Kroger and then home.
We chatted about his health, school, career, the Army, his grades, social life, church, finances, his car, etc. He seems to be under control except for finances. He has a mobile phone set up when his current one runs out and he has some very good job options available to him after he graduates and gets out of AIT. The kid looks good in a uniform.
I started my steroid megapack today. I have to take 6 pills today, 5 tomorrow, 4 the next day, etc until they are gone. then I should feel some relief. If not, then the next step is surgery.
It is quiet here at work. We have a lunch get together at Fogo de Chao today in Addison later in the afternoon. The food is so good there, even if I normally do not eat much beef.
Next week is a short week. I work Mon-Wed, go to my wife's office to help on computer stuff on Thursday, have Fri-Wed off and work the last two days of the week. Then we get a long weekend, and then it is back to the grind. The holidays are almost over.
I made my appointment, filled out the paperwork, and waited for the specialist to see me. We spoke, went over my symptoms and ran a few range of movement tests. The results are in: I have a medium to large herniated disk at L4-L5. It is applying pressure to my sciatic nerve and low dosage anti-inflammatory drugs are not doing any good. The doctor gave me the run down and since my pain has bee there at least 6 months, he is going to try steroid therapy on me for a while and if that helps, praise be to God. He did say however that surgery is the most likely treatment for my condition. Since it is difficult to stand for more than 20 minutes or so, pain killers (I am taking Ultracet when the pain gets too great) are not a viable alternative. The doctor asked me if my quality of life was acceptable using pain killers and I told him know. I also told him I was not excited about going under the knife. He then explained that the procedure is now out-patient surgery and there is a 96% success rate. Good news, but I am still a chicken :).
The option to use epidurals was given to me, but he stated the success rate is only about 40%. My problem is a bit more sever and he thinks it would be a waste of time and money.
While I was at the doctor's office, my son called and asked me if we could talk. My mind thought the worst and then I thought he might be asking to move back in. I was wrong on both acocunts. He just wanted to chat. Of course, this was prompted by a call from my lovely wife, but he made the effort to drive to see us. I bought us burgers at Jake's, then we went to get my steroid prescription filled. After we picked up the drugs, we got gas at Kroger and then home.
We chatted about his health, school, career, the Army, his grades, social life, church, finances, his car, etc. He seems to be under control except for finances. He has a mobile phone set up when his current one runs out and he has some very good job options available to him after he graduates and gets out of AIT. The kid looks good in a uniform.
I started my steroid megapack today. I have to take 6 pills today, 5 tomorrow, 4 the next day, etc until they are gone. then I should feel some relief. If not, then the next step is surgery.
It is quiet here at work. We have a lunch get together at Fogo de Chao today in Addison later in the afternoon. The food is so good there, even if I normally do not eat much beef.
Next week is a short week. I work Mon-Wed, go to my wife's office to help on computer stuff on Thursday, have Fri-Wed off and work the last two days of the week. Then we get a long weekend, and then it is back to the grind. The holidays are almost over.
Thursday, December 15, 2005
White Elephants and Difficult Choices
Last night we had the last care group meeting of 2005 and we decided to have a 'white elephant" gift exchange. If you have never participated in one, here is a link describing it. It was one of the most polite exchanges I have ever attended. My wife walked out with a couple of soy wax candles from a local shop in Saint Paul, Texas and I got an old Polaroid camera that I think will be passed on next year. It is customary for some of the more "unusual" gifts to be passed on year after year. That makes the game fun ;-) .
The lovely couple who host the care group meeting in their home asked for special prayers last night regarding "Darlene's"* job. She works for a local travel agency and has been feeling a bit unsatisfied there for some time. She decided to stay there an minister to a woman who is battling breast cancer and now that her treatment is almost over, "Darlene" feels it may be time to move on. Enter me. I found a listing at www.christianjobs.com for a CHRISTIAN travel agent. I naturally thought of "Darlene" and sent her the link. She went and interviewed with the company and was blown away by the atmosphere. While it was not paying as much as the secular job, she could see the perks might just outweigh the cut in pay. She must have really wooed the people there, because they called her and asked what it would take to get her to come on board the new place. She told them she would have to pray about it and last night we did.
Now just between you, me and the fencepost (one of my grandpa's favorite sayings) I think her time has come to move on. I know nothing about either job, but I am getting good vibes from the Christian company. To be honest, I am a tad jealous that she gets a chance to work at a Christian company. That is something I have wanted to do for a couple of years now. I have had Christian bosses and team leads, but having an environment where everyone is in love with The Lord is so appealing.
Health news: My back specialist visit was rescheduled for this evening. It was originally scheduled for yesterday, then it was moved to this morning and yesterday they called to move it to this afternoon. My back is killing me today. It hurts enough I took one of the super pain pills (Ultracet) my doc prescribed. I hate taking them since they make my head swim, but I need some relief. I have had them a couple of weeks I think and have only taken 4 or so. They are narcotic, so I want to be careful. Oh. It just kicked in. Let the swimming begin.
Christmas shopping is almost complete. I only have a few things to get for my wife. I am going to get her a gift card and a couple of small things and then I am done.
Sopping for our son has been tough. He does not return e-mails much and I know his grades are slipping quickly. I checked his grades online and if he does not do something QUICK, he is going to fail this semester in a few subjects. I will lift it up to God and pray that my son makes the correct choices to get back on path.
*not her real name
The lovely couple who host the care group meeting in their home asked for special prayers last night regarding "Darlene's"* job. She works for a local travel agency and has been feeling a bit unsatisfied there for some time. She decided to stay there an minister to a woman who is battling breast cancer and now that her treatment is almost over, "Darlene" feels it may be time to move on. Enter me. I found a listing at www.christianjobs.com for a CHRISTIAN travel agent. I naturally thought of "Darlene" and sent her the link. She went and interviewed with the company and was blown away by the atmosphere. While it was not paying as much as the secular job, she could see the perks might just outweigh the cut in pay. She must have really wooed the people there, because they called her and asked what it would take to get her to come on board the new place. She told them she would have to pray about it and last night we did.
Now just between you, me and the fencepost (one of my grandpa's favorite sayings) I think her time has come to move on. I know nothing about either job, but I am getting good vibes from the Christian company. To be honest, I am a tad jealous that she gets a chance to work at a Christian company. That is something I have wanted to do for a couple of years now. I have had Christian bosses and team leads, but having an environment where everyone is in love with The Lord is so appealing.
Health news: My back specialist visit was rescheduled for this evening. It was originally scheduled for yesterday, then it was moved to this morning and yesterday they called to move it to this afternoon. My back is killing me today. It hurts enough I took one of the super pain pills (Ultracet) my doc prescribed. I hate taking them since they make my head swim, but I need some relief. I have had them a couple of weeks I think and have only taken 4 or so. They are narcotic, so I want to be careful. Oh. It just kicked in. Let the swimming begin.
Christmas shopping is almost complete. I only have a few things to get for my wife. I am going to get her a gift card and a couple of small things and then I am done.
Sopping for our son has been tough. He does not return e-mails much and I know his grades are slipping quickly. I checked his grades online and if he does not do something QUICK, he is going to fail this semester in a few subjects. I will lift it up to God and pray that my son makes the correct choices to get back on path.
*not her real name
Monday, December 12, 2005
Weekend Update
We had a rather enjoyable weekend to cap off a busy week. There were many blessings for us and I wanted to share them with those of you who are following us from afar...
Friday I stopped by Fry's to pick up some replacement fans for my PC. The case fan and the CPU cooler fan were both making horrible noises and I figured I better replace them. Once that was done, I realized that the chipset fan was going bad, too so I replaced that with a spare I had. We are now much quieter! Now if I could just find a PS for my Linux box that was quieter. The replacement I put in a few weeks ago is LOUD.
Saturday I made a house call to work on 2 PC's for a security guard for our buildings. I charged him a lower rate (and gave him 2 hours free) and offered to give him e-mail advice when needed regarding the particular issues he was having. Even with the discounts and he was 25 miles away, I still cleared a small profit. Not my normal profit, but I think it was a win-win situation. Now if I could just land more customers...
That afternoon I did my normal housework duties and when that was over, my wife and I joined her boss, his wife, his foreman and his wife for dinner at Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy. I really enjoyed myself. I had a beer (which I have not had in a long time), a Mexican version of surf and turf, and dessert. My wife and I both left very stuffed. She was blessed with a monetary bonus and a gift card from her boss. WOW!
Sunday was a normal Sunday for us, with the exception of a few things. First, we picked up one of the people our church adopted who was displaced by Katrina. She lives nearby and we gave here a ride to church and back. Once we got there, I felt the overwhelming need to pray for her at the alter call. My wife and I escorted her down to the alter, got her a chair to sit on and we prayed. I am sure the Lord heard it. I can just tell. She is having so many issues with the apartment complex she is in and with FEMA. I want to see her issues go away!
After dropping her off and going to lunch at Jason's Deli (they make the biggest and best baked potatoes), we went home to check on the dogs and let them use the bathroom. From there we went to go see "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe". We missed the two showing s we wanted to see, but the 3:35 showing (in DLP) was open and we bought advanced tickets for that. Since it was only an hour away, we waited in the van, sipping bottled water.
The movie was good, but I am not going to go way out and say it was fantastic. The beginning dragged a bit and it is not 100% true to the book, but it is a good family film. I noticed it easily was number one at the box office this weekend. Not bad for a "right wing Christian" film :-) .
We got home, fed and walked the dogs, and then really just vegged out until we went to bed (which was early...we were both tired) at 9:30 PM.
This week we have "white elephant gift exchange" at care groups on Wednesday, I have a doctors appointment on Thursday and we get to go to Fogo de Coa on Friday as our Christmas dinner at work. w00t! Add that to my normal work week and I think I am set. All that a a week-long vacation starting the middle of the week before Christmas.
Thank you, Lord.
Friday I stopped by Fry's to pick up some replacement fans for my PC. The case fan and the CPU cooler fan were both making horrible noises and I figured I better replace them. Once that was done, I realized that the chipset fan was going bad, too so I replaced that with a spare I had. We are now much quieter! Now if I could just find a PS for my Linux box that was quieter. The replacement I put in a few weeks ago is LOUD.
Saturday I made a house call to work on 2 PC's for a security guard for our buildings. I charged him a lower rate (and gave him 2 hours free) and offered to give him e-mail advice when needed regarding the particular issues he was having. Even with the discounts and he was 25 miles away, I still cleared a small profit. Not my normal profit, but I think it was a win-win situation. Now if I could just land more customers...
That afternoon I did my normal housework duties and when that was over, my wife and I joined her boss, his wife, his foreman and his wife for dinner at Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy. I really enjoyed myself. I had a beer (which I have not had in a long time), a Mexican version of surf and turf, and dessert. My wife and I both left very stuffed. She was blessed with a monetary bonus and a gift card from her boss. WOW!
Sunday was a normal Sunday for us, with the exception of a few things. First, we picked up one of the people our church adopted who was displaced by Katrina. She lives nearby and we gave here a ride to church and back. Once we got there, I felt the overwhelming need to pray for her at the alter call. My wife and I escorted her down to the alter, got her a chair to sit on and we prayed. I am sure the Lord heard it. I can just tell. She is having so many issues with the apartment complex she is in and with FEMA. I want to see her issues go away!
After dropping her off and going to lunch at Jason's Deli (they make the biggest and best baked potatoes), we went home to check on the dogs and let them use the bathroom. From there we went to go see "The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe". We missed the two showing s we wanted to see, but the 3:35 showing (in DLP) was open and we bought advanced tickets for that. Since it was only an hour away, we waited in the van, sipping bottled water.
The movie was good, but I am not going to go way out and say it was fantastic. The beginning dragged a bit and it is not 100% true to the book, but it is a good family film. I noticed it easily was number one at the box office this weekend. Not bad for a "right wing Christian" film :-) .
We got home, fed and walked the dogs, and then really just vegged out until we went to bed (which was early...we were both tired) at 9:30 PM.
This week we have "white elephant gift exchange" at care groups on Wednesday, I have a doctors appointment on Thursday and we get to go to Fogo de Coa on Friday as our Christmas dinner at work. w00t! Add that to my normal work week and I think I am set. All that a a week-long vacation starting the middle of the week before Christmas.
Thank you, Lord.
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Morning Fun
Being the FNG (Friggin' New Guy) on the UNIX team, I am not going to get the prime assignments. Heck, I do not even have root access, so with the way we are set up, I am limited on what I can do. On any given day I will monitor our ticket queue, send out reports on cases that need attention, compile stats on previous weeks / months performance, answer the phone, check e-mail, do research on the web for my boss, etc. In any spare time I have, I do some online training in Solaris and Linux. Online training gets a bit old after a while and it is much more interesting when I can SSH into my Linux box at home, here from work to practice the root stuff. I have not been doing that lately because my Linux box's power supply died and the replacement is louder than the failed one. It stays off quite a bit.
Yesterday the weather turned cold and we had some freezing rain. The precip froze and it has not gotten above freezing to melt. It got down to 18 F last night and is expected to get down to 11 tonight. That is cold for Texas.
The drive home was a bit tricky and our short journey to our care group meeting was entertaining, but not bad. This morning our drive to work was at 20-30 mph top speed (depending on road conditions) and I was one of 3 people to make it by 10 AM (we got here at 8:15). At 11 AM or so most people showed up. One guy just left, so my guess is that we are working a half day today.
When I got in, we had 3 tickets for a database server in our queue. 3 tickets, one db server. I figured if it is getting that much attention, then I need to up the severity and call in help. To make a long story short, my TL walked me through restarting services on the Solaris 450 server. All 3 tickets are closed, I am eating lunch and the day may be more normal now.
I read this story earlier. While I understand the lynching comment, why is it so wrong to pick on Santa when we Christians have to tolerate people pick on our beliefs? I am running out of checks to turn...
Yesterday the weather turned cold and we had some freezing rain. The precip froze and it has not gotten above freezing to melt. It got down to 18 F last night and is expected to get down to 11 tonight. That is cold for Texas.
The drive home was a bit tricky and our short journey to our care group meeting was entertaining, but not bad. This morning our drive to work was at 20-30 mph top speed (depending on road conditions) and I was one of 3 people to make it by 10 AM (we got here at 8:15). At 11 AM or so most people showed up. One guy just left, so my guess is that we are working a half day today.
When I got in, we had 3 tickets for a database server in our queue. 3 tickets, one db server. I figured if it is getting that much attention, then I need to up the severity and call in help. To make a long story short, my TL walked me through restarting services on the Solaris 450 server. All 3 tickets are closed, I am eating lunch and the day may be more normal now.
I read this story earlier. While I understand the lynching comment, why is it so wrong to pick on Santa when we Christians have to tolerate people pick on our beliefs? I am running out of checks to turn...
Health
Monday, I went and had an MRI done on my lower (lumbar) back. The results came in Tuesday and I was not in the best frame of mind. They found a herniated disk at L4-L5 which is pushing on my sciatica nerve, which is causing the extreme pain in my leg, from hip to ankle.
I have an appointment with a specialist NEXT Thursday to see what my options are. I will tell you right now, surgery is not something I am looking forward to. I have this dislike for doctors as it is...having one cut me open? No unless it is life threatening.
A cold snap has caused temperatures in the Dallas area to drop to the teens at night, something the locals are really hating. I am not enjoying it much either, mostly because of the wind that blows all the time. Exposed skin is likely to get wind burned.
At our weekly care group meeting last night, we had a Texas style dinner to treat our missionaries from Pachuca, Mexico to. Everyone enjoyed it and the dialogue with the missionaries was very interesting. Our goal is to begin supporting them (as a small group) next year with letters, e-mails, and small gifts.
The shooting in Florida is a sad story. I am sure the fallout from this will go on for quite some time. The full story will never come out and this will no doubt cause more distrust in the air towards government and possibly non-Anglo's.
I have an appointment with a specialist NEXT Thursday to see what my options are. I will tell you right now, surgery is not something I am looking forward to. I have this dislike for doctors as it is...having one cut me open? No unless it is life threatening.
A cold snap has caused temperatures in the Dallas area to drop to the teens at night, something the locals are really hating. I am not enjoying it much either, mostly because of the wind that blows all the time. Exposed skin is likely to get wind burned.
At our weekly care group meeting last night, we had a Texas style dinner to treat our missionaries from Pachuca, Mexico to. Everyone enjoyed it and the dialogue with the missionaries was very interesting. Our goal is to begin supporting them (as a small group) next year with letters, e-mails, and small gifts.
The shooting in Florida is a sad story. I am sure the fallout from this will go on for quite some time. The full story will never come out and this will no doubt cause more distrust in the air towards government and possibly non-Anglo's.
Sunday, December 04, 2005
Keep Me in Your Prayers
I am having an MRI done on my lower back tomorrow. The pain in my left left is getting worse and I am not sure how much longer I can take it. I went to the doctor Thursday and after chatting with me and my symptoms, the doc is a bit concerned about my back, not my leg/hip. He thinks this could be resolved with steroids, but he is not sure yet. The MRI will tell him more. He gave me some Ultracet to take for the pain. I can take 1 or 2 every 4-6 hours. If I take one, the pain is lessened (not removed) although I can feel the effects of the meds. If I were to take two, I am sure I would not be much good to anyone. Needless to say, I only take one.
On a brighter note, I picked up to CD's at Family Christian Book Store, Disciple and Day of Fire. Both rock. Hard. I like my rock with an edge and I want to be a good Christian and listen to positive music. These two bands help me do both at the same time.
News thoughts:
Mayor wants N.O. residents to come home. To what?
Death from above. Be afraid. Very afraid.
I am sure it was not to invite the President to lunch. He looks happy, no?
On a brighter note, I picked up to CD's at Family Christian Book Store, Disciple and Day of Fire. Both rock. Hard. I like my rock with an edge and I want to be a good Christian and listen to positive music. These two bands help me do both at the same time.
News thoughts:
Mayor wants N.O. residents to come home. To what?
Death from above. Be afraid. Very afraid.
I am sure it was not to invite the President to lunch. He looks happy, no?
Thursday, December 01, 2005
I Knew This Was Coming ... Sooner or Later
I hope my wife does not see this. She will have me on treatment in no time.
Quotes:
"These specialists estimate that 6 percent to 10 percent of the approximately 189 million Internet users in this country have a dependency that can be as destructive as alcoholism and drug addiction, and they are rushing to treat it."
"Dr. Cash and other professionals say that people who abuse the Internet are typically struggling with other problems, like depression and anxiety. But, they say, the Internet's omnipresent offer of escape from reality, affordability, accessibility and opportunity for anonymity can also lure otherwise healthy people into an addiction."
I guess the article holds some truth, but if you play the violin 6-8 hours a day, are you addicted to that? (just kidding, AAA)
Am I "addicted" to loving Jesus Christ? I hope so!
Quotes:
"These specialists estimate that 6 percent to 10 percent of the approximately 189 million Internet users in this country have a dependency that can be as destructive as alcoholism and drug addiction, and they are rushing to treat it."
"Dr. Cash and other professionals say that people who abuse the Internet are typically struggling with other problems, like depression and anxiety. But, they say, the Internet's omnipresent offer of escape from reality, affordability, accessibility and opportunity for anonymity can also lure otherwise healthy people into an addiction."
I guess the article holds some truth, but if you play the violin 6-8 hours a day, are you addicted to that? (just kidding, AAA)
Am I "addicted" to loving Jesus Christ? I hope so!
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
I am getting tired of turkey and ... where is my e-mail?
OK, US Thanksgiving is a week behind us, and I have had turkey almost every day since then, and I am tired of it. Today my frozen pasta dinner will most likely taste like heaven :)
I have tried the turkey in a variety of ways but the most appealing has been in a burrito shell with salsa, jack cheese, and bacon bits -- microwaved for 45 seconds or so. Some sour cream helps, too.
Even the sides have taken a while to dissapear. The stuffing and green bean casserole were finished two nights ago and I am still working on the jellied cranberry sauce. Where is my son when I need THAT eaten quickly?
I got an e-mail (at work) from my wife who had gotten notice from a sister at church that my mistergeek e-mail has been bouncing back undeliverable. I had read that this is becoming more common, partly because the MAJOR network providers (who provide the service to ISP's) are not playing well with each other. Nonetheless, I gave my SiC (Sister in Christ) my gmail addy (since that never seems to fail) to use as a backup.
Yesterday morning I turned on my hobbled together linux server and it made horrible noise, eminating from the power supply. I walked away (since it takes a while to boot the old girl up in the morning) and when I got back to my home office, it was stuck on the boot screen. Nothing would restart it, so I pushed the reset button and waited. Same thing. Rut-roh. Well, I had no time to troubleshoot it at that time, so I went to work and posted a query, hoping to hear something. I receuved 1 suggestion .. reload the OS. I knew that was not a good thing to do FIRST, so when I got home, I swapped the PS with one I had as a spare and guess what? It booted! Now, the fan is louder, but it is a healthy loud, not like the screach from a bad PS, but a healthy loud whirring noise. it is gonna drive my wife nutz when I leave it on all day while I am at work, but I hope she can ignore it.
A fellow blogger, POKO, was kind enough to send me a notice that JAVA had a security update I needed to take, so I opened up the Java program on my firewall and took the update. Thanx POKO.
I have a doctors appt tomorrow regarding my sciatic nerve issue. I am hoping that some back adjustments can fix the issue, with a minimum of drug use. I have been taking what he gave me a few months ago, but only to show him that I am trying. it did not work the last time (he said take it for 10 days to see if that would ease the inflammation on the muscles around the nerve) but I decided to try again.
Ok enough for now. I am hoping to post some politcal ranting soon. Stay tuned.
I have tried the turkey in a variety of ways but the most appealing has been in a burrito shell with salsa, jack cheese, and bacon bits -- microwaved for 45 seconds or so. Some sour cream helps, too.
Even the sides have taken a while to dissapear. The stuffing and green bean casserole were finished two nights ago and I am still working on the jellied cranberry sauce. Where is my son when I need THAT eaten quickly?
I got an e-mail (at work) from my wife who had gotten notice from a sister at church that my mistergeek e-mail has been bouncing back undeliverable. I had read that this is becoming more common, partly because the MAJOR network providers (who provide the service to ISP's) are not playing well with each other. Nonetheless, I gave my SiC (Sister in Christ) my gmail addy (since that never seems to fail) to use as a backup.
Yesterday morning I turned on my hobbled together linux server and it made horrible noise, eminating from the power supply. I walked away (since it takes a while to boot the old girl up in the morning) and when I got back to my home office, it was stuck on the boot screen. Nothing would restart it, so I pushed the reset button and waited. Same thing. Rut-roh. Well, I had no time to troubleshoot it at that time, so I went to work and posted a query, hoping to hear something. I receuved 1 suggestion .. reload the OS. I knew that was not a good thing to do FIRST, so when I got home, I swapped the PS with one I had as a spare and guess what? It booted! Now, the fan is louder, but it is a healthy loud, not like the screach from a bad PS, but a healthy loud whirring noise. it is gonna drive my wife nutz when I leave it on all day while I am at work, but I hope she can ignore it.
A fellow blogger, POKO, was kind enough to send me a notice that JAVA had a security update I needed to take, so I opened up the Java program on my firewall and took the update. Thanx POKO.
I have a doctors appt tomorrow regarding my sciatic nerve issue. I am hoping that some back adjustments can fix the issue, with a minimum of drug use. I have been taking what he gave me a few months ago, but only to show him that I am trying. it did not work the last time (he said take it for 10 days to see if that would ease the inflammation on the muscles around the nerve) but I decided to try again.
Ok enough for now. I am hoping to post some politcal ranting soon. Stay tuned.
Friday, November 25, 2005
And How Was Your Thanksgiving Day?
Thanksgiving is a time of family and togetherness. It is difficult for some of us to fathom a holiday without a hot meal and someone to share it with. If I asked you what you did last Thanksgiving, would you remember much about it? Did you go to you parents or grandparents and have a big meal? Did you fall asleep in the living room 30 minutes later? Did you play any board games, play hide and seek, cards, watch football? I have trouble remembering much about Thanksgiving from year to year, but I am sure I will remember this year and last year's Thanksgiving.
Last year my wife, son and I joined several members of our church to serve food to the homeless living in Dallas. It was an experience I will not soon forget. It was difficult, not because I did not want to help, but because when I help someone it is difficult for me to accept the responses I might (and did) receive. I know this is something that God has to work on with me. I need to let the reactions and the comments bounce off of me.
When we got home last year, we were exhausted (and pretty hungry since we had not really eaten all day) and all we wanted to do was clean up and go to sleep. I felt like I made a difference, but it was draining. I hope I was able to bless someone (ok, maybe we did bless the couple we helped move from one area to the other. She was 8-9 months pregnant and they had a lot to carry. We piled it all in my truck and moved them closer to the farmer's market. We tried to get them into a shelter but we were not very successful in doing that.), and my son did actually gave the shirt off his back to a guy who did not have anything warm to wear.
This year my wife wanted to do something closer to home (Downtown Dallas is 25+ miles from us) and she found a husband and wife team that has been feeding locals (mostly Hispanic) for the past few years. Each year the number they feed goes up.
The couple run a car dealership and on Thanksgiving Day, they move cars out of the showroom and set up tables for a Thanksgiving sit down meal. This year the couple had more food, volunteers, and guests than they ever had. Our best guess is that about 400 people were served and we had enough food left over to feed 50-100 more. Towards the end we were giving away WHOLE pies, LOAVES of bread and turkey by the POUND. When it slowed down some, I fixed a plate and sat with one man and chatted for a while. My Spanish is horrible and he spoke decent English, so we were able to converse. He seemed like a nice guy. He works in Denton and has 6 kids here in the US. He has many members of his family in Mexico and some in the US.
Most of the volunteers filtered out a few at a time until at 3 PM. The only ones left were my wife and the couple. We cleaned up a large part of it and headed home. They asked us for our phone number so we gave it to them on the back of one of my business cards. I hope to see them again. They were nice people.
I will remember this Thanksgiving for a long time.
Last year my wife, son and I joined several members of our church to serve food to the homeless living in Dallas. It was an experience I will not soon forget. It was difficult, not because I did not want to help, but because when I help someone it is difficult for me to accept the responses I might (and did) receive. I know this is something that God has to work on with me. I need to let the reactions and the comments bounce off of me.
When we got home last year, we were exhausted (and pretty hungry since we had not really eaten all day) and all we wanted to do was clean up and go to sleep. I felt like I made a difference, but it was draining. I hope I was able to bless someone (ok, maybe we did bless the couple we helped move from one area to the other. She was 8-9 months pregnant and they had a lot to carry. We piled it all in my truck and moved them closer to the farmer's market. We tried to get them into a shelter but we were not very successful in doing that.), and my son did actually gave the shirt off his back to a guy who did not have anything warm to wear.
This year my wife wanted to do something closer to home (Downtown Dallas is 25+ miles from us) and she found a husband and wife team that has been feeding locals (mostly Hispanic) for the past few years. Each year the number they feed goes up.
The couple run a car dealership and on Thanksgiving Day, they move cars out of the showroom and set up tables for a Thanksgiving sit down meal. This year the couple had more food, volunteers, and guests than they ever had. Our best guess is that about 400 people were served and we had enough food left over to feed 50-100 more. Towards the end we were giving away WHOLE pies, LOAVES of bread and turkey by the POUND. When it slowed down some, I fixed a plate and sat with one man and chatted for a while. My Spanish is horrible and he spoke decent English, so we were able to converse. He seemed like a nice guy. He works in Denton and has 6 kids here in the US. He has many members of his family in Mexico and some in the US.
Most of the volunteers filtered out a few at a time until at 3 PM. The only ones left were my wife and the couple. We cleaned up a large part of it and headed home. They asked us for our phone number so we gave it to them on the back of one of my business cards. I hope to see them again. They were nice people.
I will remember this Thanksgiving for a long time.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Somethings I Have Learned While Living in North Central Texas
01 - "I don't need no stinkin' turn signals."
02 - North Central Texas is like the beach, minus the sand and the water (the wind blows ALL the time).
03 - The better the employment, the further you will have to drive.
04 - In the summer, NO ONE comes out until the sun goes down.
05 - There are no "great" bagels or pepperoni rolls.
06 - Churchs come in 2 sizes: "Small" and "You have got to be kidding".
07 - Coyotes only sound cool in the movies. In real life, it is an unnerving sound.
08 - Even when gas is $3 a gallon, Texans will still drive their trucks and SUV's to work everyday.
Number 07 was inspired by my morning walk with my dogs. One is a corgi/beagle mutt and the other is a boxer/golden mutt. Neither dog is fierce. As we walked closer to the elementary school that borders a large farm, my dogs and I heard the howling of many coyotes .. most were within a quater mile at best guess. The howls seemed to come from all directions and it was quite unnerving to hear a crescendo of howls while my dogs just looked around, on guard. I was not going to chance anything, I know coyotes can be cowards, but in packs, they can take down a cow if they are hungry enough. The urban sprall has encroached on the land these creatures roam, forcing them to come into the 'burbs to look for food. Our yards are full of rabbits looking for food, finding it on our groomed lawns and manicured landscaping.
I have seen a coyote or two roaming our neighborhood, as well as a skunk and a few armadillos. You can smell skunks all the time from where they have been hit by a car. Dead armadillos can be seen littering the roads where they too, are not blessed enough to miss getting squashed by an SUV.
I hear the coyotes all the time, but have only seen two, and those were fleeting looks at pale looking creatures lurking in shadows. One was in our neighborhood and the other was along a state highway that was leading into the 'burbs. Neither of them were large. As a matter of fact, they looked a bit thin.
I received a call from a brother at church who is having similar issues with is back that I am. He has been placed on steroids and was given an injection of some sort and he says he slept very well the past few nights. I am very happy for him. He is a real nice guy whom I admire quite a bit.
Work has been going well. I am keeping busy for the most part. Not much down time, except for an odd hour here and there. Today looks like it may be slow, so I could do some more online training, but I am not very motivated to do so.
Thanksgiving plans -
Thanksgiving Day we plan on serving food for some underpriveledged folks in the area. After that we will come home and have our dinner.
Friday I need to do some yard work for us and my neighbor. I need to spray for weeds and cur down her elephant ear plants for the winter.
Saturday I get my hair cut and need to catch up on some house cleaning.
Sunday, well, we know what that day is for, don't we?
02 - North Central Texas is like the beach, minus the sand and the water (the wind blows ALL the time).
03 - The better the employment, the further you will have to drive.
04 - In the summer, NO ONE comes out until the sun goes down.
05 - There are no "great" bagels or pepperoni rolls.
06 - Churchs come in 2 sizes: "Small" and "You have got to be kidding".
07 - Coyotes only sound cool in the movies. In real life, it is an unnerving sound.
08 - Even when gas is $3 a gallon, Texans will still drive their trucks and SUV's to work everyday.
Number 07 was inspired by my morning walk with my dogs. One is a corgi/beagle mutt and the other is a boxer/golden mutt. Neither dog is fierce. As we walked closer to the elementary school that borders a large farm, my dogs and I heard the howling of many coyotes .. most were within a quater mile at best guess. The howls seemed to come from all directions and it was quite unnerving to hear a crescendo of howls while my dogs just looked around, on guard. I was not going to chance anything, I know coyotes can be cowards, but in packs, they can take down a cow if they are hungry enough. The urban sprall has encroached on the land these creatures roam, forcing them to come into the 'burbs to look for food. Our yards are full of rabbits looking for food, finding it on our groomed lawns and manicured landscaping.
I have seen a coyote or two roaming our neighborhood, as well as a skunk and a few armadillos. You can smell skunks all the time from where they have been hit by a car. Dead armadillos can be seen littering the roads where they too, are not blessed enough to miss getting squashed by an SUV.
I hear the coyotes all the time, but have only seen two, and those were fleeting looks at pale looking creatures lurking in shadows. One was in our neighborhood and the other was along a state highway that was leading into the 'burbs. Neither of them were large. As a matter of fact, they looked a bit thin.
I received a call from a brother at church who is having similar issues with is back that I am. He has been placed on steroids and was given an injection of some sort and he says he slept very well the past few nights. I am very happy for him. He is a real nice guy whom I admire quite a bit.
Work has been going well. I am keeping busy for the most part. Not much down time, except for an odd hour here and there. Today looks like it may be slow, so I could do some more online training, but I am not very motivated to do so.
Thanksgiving plans -
Thanksgiving Day we plan on serving food for some underpriveledged folks in the area. After that we will come home and have our dinner.
Friday I need to do some yard work for us and my neighbor. I need to spray for weeds and cur down her elephant ear plants for the winter.
Saturday I get my hair cut and need to catch up on some house cleaning.
Sunday, well, we know what that day is for, don't we?
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
All I Want is My Truck Title...
A little over 2 years ago, my wife and I paid off the truck we bought 4 years prior. It was a confusing loan that was a home equity loan and car loan all in one. The bank holds the title to any vehicle that you are using as collateral and this held true in this case. We figured when the note was paid off, then the title would be mailed to us.
In the time that we got the loan and paid it off, we moved to Texas. 2 years after we moved here we paid off the truck and we got a letter stating our loan had been paid in full. We expected the title to show up within a few weeks.
Two years later, enter in 3 dollar a gallon gas prices and I am still driving my 5.2 litre V8 to work (30 miles round trip) each day. Time to sell the truck. I go into my office, look in the file cabinet for the truck loan paperwork, and guess what? I do not have my truck title. I look EVERYWHERE for it, but nothing. In desperation, I call the bank looking for my title. They tell me in a matter of fact (but polite voice) that the title had been mailed to the NC DMV. I am not really sure why, since they had my address (and sent me the letter telling me my loan had been paid in full). They suggested I contact the NCDMV to get a copy. Well I contacted the NCDMV and they wanted $15 for a duplicate title. Now $15 is not much, but why should I have to pay for it, when I was not responsible for getting it the
here in the first place.
The chain of events -
Nov 10, called and talked to Angela (XYZ Bank). I was calling from my cell phone and the call dropped after being on hold with for 40 minutes. I did not call back.
Nov 14, called and talked with David (XYZ Bank). He informed me that Angela took very good notes and sent out a broadcast e-mail telling the call center that if I called back to give the info she gathered. My title had been sent to the NC DMV and if I need any help in getting it to call back.
Nov 14, called TX DMV to see if they could help. Left message for someone to call me back.
Nov 17, received a call from TX DMV telling me I had to deal with NC DMV. TX DMV could not assist.
Nov 22, called Mike (XYZ bank) and he did some research and told me to call local branch of XYZ Bank. He stated that there was a note on my old account to have a copy of the title mailed there.
Nov 22, called April (XYZ local branch). She put me in charge with Barrett, who did some research and had to call me back (a total of 3 times). before he knew for sure what was going on. When he called back the last time, he stated he would be sending me a check so I could get this taken care of from my end. They have no idea where my title is.
All for the want of a vehicle title.
The funny thing about this is that my wife's car was used as collateral as well, but we got her title. maybe it was because mine was worth more :)
In the time that we got the loan and paid it off, we moved to Texas. 2 years after we moved here we paid off the truck and we got a letter stating our loan had been paid in full. We expected the title to show up within a few weeks.
Two years later, enter in 3 dollar a gallon gas prices and I am still driving my 5.2 litre V8 to work (30 miles round trip) each day. Time to sell the truck. I go into my office, look in the file cabinet for the truck loan paperwork, and guess what? I do not have my truck title. I look EVERYWHERE for it, but nothing. In desperation, I call the bank looking for my title. They tell me in a matter of fact (but polite voice) that the title had been mailed to the NC DMV. I am not really sure why, since they had my address (and sent me the letter telling me my loan had been paid in full). They suggested I contact the NCDMV to get a copy. Well I contacted the NCDMV and they wanted $15 for a duplicate title. Now $15 is not much, but why should I have to pay for it, when I was not responsible for getting it the
here in the first place.
The chain of events -
Nov 10, called and talked to Angela (XYZ Bank). I was calling from my cell phone and the call dropped after being on hold with for 40 minutes. I did not call back.
Nov 14, called and talked with David (XYZ Bank). He informed me that Angela took very good notes and sent out a broadcast e-mail telling the call center that if I called back to give the info she gathered. My title had been sent to the NC DMV and if I need any help in getting it to call back.
Nov 14, called TX DMV to see if they could help. Left message for someone to call me back.
Nov 17, received a call from TX DMV telling me I had to deal with NC DMV. TX DMV could not assist.
Nov 22, called Mike (XYZ bank) and he did some research and told me to call local branch of XYZ Bank. He stated that there was a note on my old account to have a copy of the title mailed there.
Nov 22, called April (XYZ local branch). She put me in charge with Barrett, who did some research and had to call me back (a total of 3 times). before he knew for sure what was going on. When he called back the last time, he stated he would be sending me a check so I could get this taken care of from my end. They have no idea where my title is.
All for the want of a vehicle title.
The funny thing about this is that my wife's car was used as collateral as well, but we got her title. maybe it was because mine was worth more :)
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Workin' For The Weekend
Ok, I was not working for the weekend, just during it. Saturday was the Men's Breakfast at church and we received a real treat: My wife's bosses son-in-law made authentic Huevos Rancheros. They were very good (and I don't like eggs!) and I got very full. It was needed, since we worked on the volleyball pit and the parking lot for a few hours after that. When we finished the required work, 4 of us paired up and pitches some horsehoes. We played to games and the team I was on won both (the second game we won 21-1). I played pretty well, but not as good as my partner, my wife's boss. He has a good eye and a steady hand.
Sunday is a busy day for us this week. The Care Groups are throwing the annual Thanksgiving dinner for the rest of the congregation. My wife and I are on they cleanup crew. Every care group is required to bring a specific list of items. We (our Care Group) are responsible for 20 lbs of turkey, 10 lbs of ham, 400 rolls, butter, salad dressing and 1 dessert per family in the Care Group. Other groups are bringing ham and turkey, potatoes, green beans, etc. There should be plenty of food. I am sure no one will go hungry.
I am not very hungry right now. We had Taco Bell for lunch and it was rather filling (especially with all the iced tea I had with it...) and I hope I will have room for dinner. I really would hate to pass up some Cajun deep-fried turkey.
Instead of a sermon today, the Christian Academy that is associated with our church put on their yearly Christmas play. It was very good. Not as good as last years, but very good nonetheless. There was some real talent in that young group of thespians.
I have been playing with Linux more and more, especially since my new job will have me supporting it to a degree. I have been learning as much as I can about it. This weekend I have been playing with the XFCE windows manager. It is lightweight and runs well on the sandbox.
Work is going well. They asked me to make a up a small piece of documentation for the group and our TL said it was "excellent". I was very surprised to hear that from him. He even went as far as to tell the team he thought it was "excellent".
My boss has a couple of projects he wants me to work on in the upcoming weeks. One is to build a NetApps file server / backup system as a test to see if our outsourced FE's (Field Engineers) can do it. Since I am the least technical of our department, if I can build it, anyone can.
The other project is to start looking at some of our older tickets and see why they are still in pending/unresolved. That is a big chore, but I think I can handle it.
Sunday is a busy day for us this week. The Care Groups are throwing the annual Thanksgiving dinner for the rest of the congregation. My wife and I are on they cleanup crew. Every care group is required to bring a specific list of items. We (our Care Group) are responsible for 20 lbs of turkey, 10 lbs of ham, 400 rolls, butter, salad dressing and 1 dessert per family in the Care Group. Other groups are bringing ham and turkey, potatoes, green beans, etc. There should be plenty of food. I am sure no one will go hungry.
I am not very hungry right now. We had Taco Bell for lunch and it was rather filling (especially with all the iced tea I had with it...) and I hope I will have room for dinner. I really would hate to pass up some Cajun deep-fried turkey.
Instead of a sermon today, the Christian Academy that is associated with our church put on their yearly Christmas play. It was very good. Not as good as last years, but very good nonetheless. There was some real talent in that young group of thespians.
I have been playing with Linux more and more, especially since my new job will have me supporting it to a degree. I have been learning as much as I can about it. This weekend I have been playing with the XFCE windows manager. It is lightweight and runs well on the sandbox.
Work is going well. They asked me to make a up a small piece of documentation for the group and our TL said it was "excellent". I was very surprised to hear that from him. He even went as far as to tell the team he thought it was "excellent".
My boss has a couple of projects he wants me to work on in the upcoming weeks. One is to build a NetApps file server / backup system as a test to see if our outsourced FE's (Field Engineers) can do it. Since I am the least technical of our department, if I can build it, anyone can.
The other project is to start looking at some of our older tickets and see why they are still in pending/unresolved. That is a big chore, but I think I can handle it.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
"Let's Kill Some Christians!" (and other stuff)
Is exactly what Communist Korea is saying. I want to caution you that this article is very graphic and though I can handle a lot, it still disturbed me.
My wife reads a magazine called "Voice of the Martyrs", which offers info on Christians all over the world who are persecuted for their faith. The stories are sad sometimes. Often I am angered by them. Why should a person be tortured for having a belief that is not hurting anyone?
On side note, I have been doing some stretches every morning and my pain seems to be lessened. I still need to go to the doctor, but I am pretty sure (thanx to a massage therapist friend of mine) it is the sciatic nerve. It stil could be disk problems and if it is, that could be serious. I am not going to ignore this. To those in the Netherlands to have expressed concern, I appreciate your words.
Work is coming along rather well. I have taken several hours of online training and my boss is giving me small projects to do. I am beginning to feel like part of the team, at least in some manner. The work is not hard, just time consuming.
Our care group meeting went well last night, although I was tired. We discussed Ephesians 6 and went into a little detail on it. The meal was good, although I am not a big pork chop fan. The veggies and bread were both very tasty, but I did not try the potato salad (which everyone was raving about) because it had eggs and I detest eggs.
We arrived home and I walked our dogs. After I was done with that, I watched "Law and Order" with my wife. We were pretty tired and since I get up at 5 AM, I was groggy this morning. Thank you God for French Roast coffee!
My wife reads a magazine called "Voice of the Martyrs", which offers info on Christians all over the world who are persecuted for their faith. The stories are sad sometimes. Often I am angered by them. Why should a person be tortured for having a belief that is not hurting anyone?
On side note, I have been doing some stretches every morning and my pain seems to be lessened. I still need to go to the doctor, but I am pretty sure (thanx to a massage therapist friend of mine) it is the sciatic nerve. It stil could be disk problems and if it is, that could be serious. I am not going to ignore this. To those in the Netherlands to have expressed concern, I appreciate your words.
Work is coming along rather well. I have taken several hours of online training and my boss is giving me small projects to do. I am beginning to feel like part of the team, at least in some manner. The work is not hard, just time consuming.
Our care group meeting went well last night, although I was tired. We discussed Ephesians 6 and went into a little detail on it. The meal was good, although I am not a big pork chop fan. The veggies and bread were both very tasty, but I did not try the potato salad (which everyone was raving about) because it had eggs and I detest eggs.
We arrived home and I walked our dogs. After I was done with that, I watched "Law and Order" with my wife. We were pretty tired and since I get up at 5 AM, I was groggy this morning. Thank you God for French Roast coffee!
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Sunday
I am not writing this for sympathy, so put it away. I sit here in pain. Why am I in pain? This is why. While I have not been "officially" diagnosed with this, several people who are familiar with this is are certain this is my problem.
It started about 6-12 months ago with a dull pain in my left hip joint area. Walking long distances (which is a favorite past time of mine) was difficult. It became increasingly more painful and severe as time went by, until now, I am in pain 25-50% of the day. Today has been a bad day. Standing is painful, sitting is better, but I am still hurting some. Lying down is tolerable.
The pain is intense at times. It shoots down my left leg and ends at my ankle. Sometimes the pain skips spots or feels like the muscles are tightening up. Sometimes it is accompanied by back pain, but not always. I have been very conscious of my posture (sitting and standing) and my sleeping positions. I have been trying to stretch as much as possible, but I am not as flexible as I used to be so it is hard.
While I was a church, I really was hurting and an Elder prayed for me. I was touched. My wife initiated the prayer request and I was deeply moved. I have much faith in the power of prayer, but the Elder hinted that I should see a doctor. I know he is right. No disrespect to doctors, but I do not like them. If a back alignment is what is needed, then I need to get that done.
So if you will do me a favor and pray for me, it would mean a lot. If you have a prayer need and would like me to pray for you, I would be honored to do so.
It started about 6-12 months ago with a dull pain in my left hip joint area. Walking long distances (which is a favorite past time of mine) was difficult. It became increasingly more painful and severe as time went by, until now, I am in pain 25-50% of the day. Today has been a bad day. Standing is painful, sitting is better, but I am still hurting some. Lying down is tolerable.
The pain is intense at times. It shoots down my left leg and ends at my ankle. Sometimes the pain skips spots or feels like the muscles are tightening up. Sometimes it is accompanied by back pain, but not always. I have been very conscious of my posture (sitting and standing) and my sleeping positions. I have been trying to stretch as much as possible, but I am not as flexible as I used to be so it is hard.
While I was a church, I really was hurting and an Elder prayed for me. I was touched. My wife initiated the prayer request and I was deeply moved. I have much faith in the power of prayer, but the Elder hinted that I should see a doctor. I know he is right. No disrespect to doctors, but I do not like them. If a back alignment is what is needed, then I need to get that done.
So if you will do me a favor and pray for me, it would mean a lot. If you have a prayer need and would like me to pray for you, I would be honored to do so.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
My Truck, an Old Dog, and a New Friend
Friday I called back to the bank to see what was going on with my truck title and found out that it was mailed to the NC DMV. The customer service rep for the bank has NO idea why, since they had our new address on record (they sent me a notice that my truck was paid for to that address and I got that...). I then went on the NC DMV web page and found out I would have to pay for a duplicate title. Well, I think that the bank will be paying that. I guess I can call them later on that. No major hurry yet.
When I got home my wife informed my our oldest dog was sick. He had diarrhea all day and had not eaten. We were afraid he my become dehydrated and also mess up the house, so we put up a gate across the utility room doorway so he would not wander and make a mess. We left him water and went to be. At 4 AM, my wife woke up to check on him and he had made a huge mess. She took him outside where he continued to make a huge mess on the patio. It was such a sad sight. My wife cleaned up the laundry room mess and I cleaned the patio. At 7 AM, I got up to check on our dog and had discovered that he had messed up the freshly cleaned utility room. I did not fuss, I just let him out and cleaned it up. My wife cleaned up the first mess, I took the second. When the vet opened, my wife called and made an appointment.
I did the vacuuming like I normally do, washed dishes and when that was done, I got cleaned up so my new friend Mike and I could check out the house he is looking at. It is only a couple of miles from here and looks pretty good. It needs some work mind you, but it looks sound enough. Mike is a good guy and he and his wife really want a house. I am praying that God wants them to have one as well. I know that if the time is not right, then God will not let it go through, but if God says it is time, then they will get it.
When I got back, my wife had returned from the vet. She was very upset. It seems that our dog had very bloody diarrhea after she got back. The vet thinks our dog has a parasite as well as an infection. He is on meds now and appears to be doing better this evening.
I finished the days chores by chopping down some seasonal plants that my neighbor asked me to cut. They grow like crazy during the summer. I got two large bags full of them.
Well, I need to go walk the sick dog. My wife is walking the other. Maybe when I get back, I can watch another episode of Space: Above and Beyond. I love that show. To bad they cancelled it.
When I got home my wife informed my our oldest dog was sick. He had diarrhea all day and had not eaten. We were afraid he my become dehydrated and also mess up the house, so we put up a gate across the utility room doorway so he would not wander and make a mess. We left him water and went to be. At 4 AM, my wife woke up to check on him and he had made a huge mess. She took him outside where he continued to make a huge mess on the patio. It was such a sad sight. My wife cleaned up the laundry room mess and I cleaned the patio. At 7 AM, I got up to check on our dog and had discovered that he had messed up the freshly cleaned utility room. I did not fuss, I just let him out and cleaned it up. My wife cleaned up the first mess, I took the second. When the vet opened, my wife called and made an appointment.
I did the vacuuming like I normally do, washed dishes and when that was done, I got cleaned up so my new friend Mike and I could check out the house he is looking at. It is only a couple of miles from here and looks pretty good. It needs some work mind you, but it looks sound enough. Mike is a good guy and he and his wife really want a house. I am praying that God wants them to have one as well. I know that if the time is not right, then God will not let it go through, but if God says it is time, then they will get it.
When I got back, my wife had returned from the vet. She was very upset. It seems that our dog had very bloody diarrhea after she got back. The vet thinks our dog has a parasite as well as an infection. He is on meds now and appears to be doing better this evening.
I finished the days chores by chopping down some seasonal plants that my neighbor asked me to cut. They grow like crazy during the summer. I got two large bags full of them.
Well, I need to go walk the sick dog. My wife is walking the other. Maybe when I get back, I can watch another episode of Space: Above and Beyond. I love that show. To bad they cancelled it.
Thursday, November 10, 2005
Me and My Mango Plant
Over a month ago, I planted a mango seed in some fresh dirt. I kept it in as much sunlight as I could, watered it and for the longest time, I thought nothing was happening. However a week ago or so, I saw the seed begin to germinate and it broke through the soil. A mango plant is beginning to grow.
I did research on mango plants to find out how big they grew and how long they lived. I found out that mango trees can grow 60 feet tall and live to be 300 years old. I may not live long enough to see this little guy produce fruit, but I am hoping I do. The article I found said that mango plants make great tropical indoor plants as long as they get plenty of sunlight and are kept warm enough. I hope it lives!
Yesterday I finished up my two days of training on Netapps. While I was not the ideal candidate, I did learn quite a bit and hope to learn more. I like to learn and practice what I have learned. I want to grow and the only way to grow is to learn new things and use them!
After class, we were asked to go back to the office so all the class and our boss could go out to dinner. We ended up at Razzoo's (a personal favorite) and enjoyed Cajun food and pretty good conversation. I left at 7:30 or so and made it home by 8:8:00 PM.
When I got home, I walked the dogs and washed up the dinner dishes. My wife was at our care group meeting, and as much as I hated to miss it, I needed to serve my wife by taking care of a few things around the house.
I finished up and realized I had indigestion so I grabbed some Tums and settled down with my wife to watch Law and Order. I went to bed as soon as it was over. When I woke up, my stomach and the rest of my digestive system was not in a good mood, so I decided to work from home. I decided to take a few minutes of my lunch break (not that I am eating anything exciting) to post this.
I got a call from my wife who reminded me that I needed to call the bank to find out where my truck title is. I paid it off 2 years ago and I do not remember ever getting it. So I called the bank and was on hold for about 30 minutes and was disconnected. I was going to call back, but I cannot keep wasting minutes on calls like that.
Working from home is rather advantageous. Not only can I be very comfortable, but I can multitask a little easier. It also is quieter.
I did research on mango plants to find out how big they grew and how long they lived. I found out that mango trees can grow 60 feet tall and live to be 300 years old. I may not live long enough to see this little guy produce fruit, but I am hoping I do. The article I found said that mango plants make great tropical indoor plants as long as they get plenty of sunlight and are kept warm enough. I hope it lives!
Yesterday I finished up my two days of training on Netapps. While I was not the ideal candidate, I did learn quite a bit and hope to learn more. I like to learn and practice what I have learned. I want to grow and the only way to grow is to learn new things and use them!
After class, we were asked to go back to the office so all the class and our boss could go out to dinner. We ended up at Razzoo's (a personal favorite) and enjoyed Cajun food and pretty good conversation. I left at 7:30 or so and made it home by 8:8:00 PM.
When I got home, I walked the dogs and washed up the dinner dishes. My wife was at our care group meeting, and as much as I hated to miss it, I needed to serve my wife by taking care of a few things around the house.
I finished up and realized I had indigestion so I grabbed some Tums and settled down with my wife to watch Law and Order. I went to bed as soon as it was over. When I woke up, my stomach and the rest of my digestive system was not in a good mood, so I decided to work from home. I decided to take a few minutes of my lunch break (not that I am eating anything exciting) to post this.
I got a call from my wife who reminded me that I needed to call the bank to find out where my truck title is. I paid it off 2 years ago and I do not remember ever getting it. So I called the bank and was on hold for about 30 minutes and was disconnected. I was going to call back, but I cannot keep wasting minutes on calls like that.
Working from home is rather advantageous. Not only can I be very comfortable, but I can multitask a little easier. It also is quieter.
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Day 2
I attend my second day of training at Hitachi today. This one will be dedicated to the CLI (Command Line Interface) as opposed to the GUI (Graphical User Interface) we were shown yesterday. While I understand quite a bit of this training, there are parts I need to get clarification on. I am not as talented as my colleagues, since a big part of my training has been in supervising technical teams, not performing the work of the teams.
Tonight is also care group night. I enjoy care groups very much, but my boss has said he wants to meet with all of his reports after training and I am not sure I can get out of that. Not that I do not want to go to this meeting, but I take my spiritual life seriously. Meeting with my Christian brothers and sisters on Wednesday is important to me.
Yesterday was election day in Texas. Prop 2 passed, so marriage is now between 1 man and 1 woman. The percentage that favored Prop 2 was around 75%. No need to tell you how I voted. There were other issues as well, issues dealing with mayoral power and other items, but Prop 2 was the one that drew people out. I waited 2 hours to vote and my scatia never issue was bothering me the entire time. I have noticed that whenever something is important to me, that problem will flare up. The Devil sure knows how to make it rough sometimes, but guess what...it did not work. I still voted.
Tonight is also care group night. I enjoy care groups very much, but my boss has said he wants to meet with all of his reports after training and I am not sure I can get out of that. Not that I do not want to go to this meeting, but I take my spiritual life seriously. Meeting with my Christian brothers and sisters on Wednesday is important to me.
Yesterday was election day in Texas. Prop 2 passed, so marriage is now between 1 man and 1 woman. The percentage that favored Prop 2 was around 75%. No need to tell you how I voted. There were other issues as well, issues dealing with mayoral power and other items, but Prop 2 was the one that drew people out. I waited 2 hours to vote and my scatia never issue was bothering me the entire time. I have noticed that whenever something is important to me, that problem will flare up. The Devil sure knows how to make it rough sometimes, but guess what...it did not work. I still voted.
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Update
Just a quick update before I go watch "Law and Order, SVU".
I was at a training class today in Dallas. It was held at Hitachi Data Systems lab and was pretty interesting. It was not as far over my head as I thought, even though I was the noob there. The chair did not help my back and I was dying to get out so I could go vote.
Voting...ACK! Not the act, the process. Our area held voting at one location and the setup was horrible. It took 2 hours of standing in line to cast my votes. BtW, the gay marriage bill (stating marriages are between 1 man and 1 woman) past. It was an amendment to our constitution.
I have been on a moving watching kick lately. I finished Blade Trinity, The Princess Bride, The Punisher, and Kingdom of Heaven. Only "The Princess Bride" was any good, but it is a favorite of mine. I still have Unleashed, The Village, National Treasure, and Ronin to watch. I know Ronin will be good.
Ok, of to watch some TV. I am bushed and sore!
I was at a training class today in Dallas. It was held at Hitachi Data Systems lab and was pretty interesting. It was not as far over my head as I thought, even though I was the noob there. The chair did not help my back and I was dying to get out so I could go vote.
Voting...ACK! Not the act, the process. Our area held voting at one location and the setup was horrible. It took 2 hours of standing in line to cast my votes. BtW, the gay marriage bill (stating marriages are between 1 man and 1 woman) past. It was an amendment to our constitution.
I have been on a moving watching kick lately. I finished Blade Trinity, The Princess Bride, The Punisher, and Kingdom of Heaven. Only "The Princess Bride" was any good, but it is a favorite of mine. I still have Unleashed, The Village, National Treasure, and Ronin to watch. I know Ronin will be good.
Ok, of to watch some TV. I am bushed and sore!
Monday, November 07, 2005
Monday Morning Quickie
OK, before I rush out the door for work:
Sunday was nice. My wife and I had lunch with our son (who moved out a month ago) and caught up on things. We had lunch at The Macaroni Grill and was served by our favorite server. That girl is amazing. Even thought we had not been there in 6 months, she remembered our favorite items. She did not have a table open in her section, so she served us at another table anyway. She is a dream.
Our son is doing well, working 2 different jobs after giving up the bartending gig in Richardson. He is now a mechanic and a video store employee. His back is ok after scaring us with a possible ruptured disk.
After lunch, I helped deliver an entertainment center to the family I built the second computer for. She was very happy, almost to the point of tears. I left my "Day of Fire" CD for James to listen to. We listened to part of it while driving to and from the apartment of the evacuee family. He seemed to dig it.
Called mom and my buddy, Blockhead. Talked a total of 2 hours between the two. Mom is ok and Block is bored. He wants to move and after talking to him for a while, I could tell he is miserable in WV. I know I was.
I talked to my brother (first time in a long time!) Friday. He is doing well and thinking of hitching a ride with a "friend" to OK. He will fill me in later. I hope this works out for him. His track record is not so hot with moves.
Gotta run. Busy week ahead with the SOX audit and training all this week. I am not looking forward to it, but I will leave it in God's hands where it belongs.
Sunday was nice. My wife and I had lunch with our son (who moved out a month ago) and caught up on things. We had lunch at The Macaroni Grill and was served by our favorite server. That girl is amazing. Even thought we had not been there in 6 months, she remembered our favorite items. She did not have a table open in her section, so she served us at another table anyway. She is a dream.
Our son is doing well, working 2 different jobs after giving up the bartending gig in Richardson. He is now a mechanic and a video store employee. His back is ok after scaring us with a possible ruptured disk.
After lunch, I helped deliver an entertainment center to the family I built the second computer for. She was very happy, almost to the point of tears. I left my "Day of Fire" CD for James to listen to. We listened to part of it while driving to and from the apartment of the evacuee family. He seemed to dig it.
Called mom and my buddy, Blockhead. Talked a total of 2 hours between the two. Mom is ok and Block is bored. He wants to move and after talking to him for a while, I could tell he is miserable in WV. I know I was.
I talked to my brother (first time in a long time!) Friday. He is doing well and thinking of hitching a ride with a "friend" to OK. He will fill me in later. I hope this works out for him. His track record is not so hot with moves.
Gotta run. Busy week ahead with the SOX audit and training all this week. I am not looking forward to it, but I will leave it in God's hands where it belongs.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Time to Catch Everyone Up...
We all know that I am horrible at updates, but it I doubt it will get any better any time soon. I will explain later on. Now, on with the updates.
Today: I was able to bless another person (as well as being blessed myself) be delivering PC #2 to a displaced New Orleans family. I delivered the PowerMac G4 Cube to a family in Allen, TX. She almost cried when I set it up. I think I got 2-3 hugs from here and several handshakes from her grandkids and her son. Very nice people.
Previous Week: I started my new position (this is not a promotion, unfortunately) on Tuesday. I am now assisting our Unix group with day to day activities and projects. This is something that is very foreign to me. I know almost nothing about Unix or Sun workstations or the Solaris operating system. I am somewhat familiar with Linux (a variant of Unix) thanx to my sandbox at home.
This job is going to be a challenge technically as well as from a manager/subordinate perspective. My boss and team lead both are tough cookies. Their style conflicts with mine and that will take some time on my part to adjust to. It is not anyone's fault, but the employee should adjust to the mgr's style, not vice versa. They both are very smart, but they are overworked. I do not want to slow them down, but I told them ahead of time what they were getting and they seemed ok with it then. I can learn almost anything when given the tools.
2 Weeks Ago: I went on a job interview outside my company (on my own time) for a position that did not even have a title or classification. I thought I did well, but I am sure that I must have said something wrong (I was nervous, I was a little interviewing with the Director of Help Desk Services) because I have not heard from them other than a terse, but polite e-mail and a card that was snail mailed to me.
Outside of that, nothing much has happened out of the ordinary. I have been helping my wife keep the house clean since our son moved out a month ago. I vacuum and do the dishes and she keeps the laundry and cooking caught up (plus a bazillion other things she does). I was surprised how much our son did around here.
Well, I need to go mow grass today, most likely for the last time this year.
Today: I was able to bless another person (as well as being blessed myself) be delivering PC #2 to a displaced New Orleans family. I delivered the PowerMac G4 Cube to a family in Allen, TX. She almost cried when I set it up. I think I got 2-3 hugs from here and several handshakes from her grandkids and her son. Very nice people.
Previous Week: I started my new position (this is not a promotion, unfortunately) on Tuesday. I am now assisting our Unix group with day to day activities and projects. This is something that is very foreign to me. I know almost nothing about Unix or Sun workstations or the Solaris operating system. I am somewhat familiar with Linux (a variant of Unix) thanx to my sandbox at home.
This job is going to be a challenge technically as well as from a manager/subordinate perspective. My boss and team lead both are tough cookies. Their style conflicts with mine and that will take some time on my part to adjust to. It is not anyone's fault, but the employee should adjust to the mgr's style, not vice versa. They both are very smart, but they are overworked. I do not want to slow them down, but I told them ahead of time what they were getting and they seemed ok with it then. I can learn almost anything when given the tools.
2 Weeks Ago: I went on a job interview outside my company (on my own time) for a position that did not even have a title or classification. I thought I did well, but I am sure that I must have said something wrong (I was nervous, I was a little interviewing with the Director of Help Desk Services) because I have not heard from them other than a terse, but polite e-mail and a card that was snail mailed to me.
Outside of that, nothing much has happened out of the ordinary. I have been helping my wife keep the house clean since our son moved out a month ago. I vacuum and do the dishes and she keeps the laundry and cooking caught up (plus a bazillion other things she does). I was surprised how much our son did around here.
Well, I need to go mow grass today, most likely for the last time this year.
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
The Gift of Blessing
When you give something to someone, who is blessed, the giver or the recipient? If Tuesday night is any indication, then the giver is the one who is blessed. Let me tell you my story...
Our church has adopted 4 family's who were evacuated from New Orleans during Katrina. One of the families has been very active seeking jobs (they are both employed now), getting in touch with disaster aid, getting their son in school and making a new home and life for them. As you can imagine, money is tight. I was asked if I would deliver a set of box springs to them on Tuesday (the only free night I had) evening. I agreed. I was wanting to meet the family and besides, I had a surprise for them.
My wife and I drive out to Frisco, Texas with the box springs, bed frame and my surprise. We called them to let them know we were coming and when we got there, I enlisted the help of their teenage son. He helped me maneuver the items up the steps. When we were done, I asked him if I could give him a present. Just as I was about to go down and get it, I notice a laptop on the table. "Oh, I see you have computer. Looks nice!", I said.
The mother replied, "It is just a loner, we cannot keep it." I smiled. "Have your son help me at my truck, I have a present for him."
We went to the truck and I told him I built him a little inexpensive computer out of donated parts. I told him it was not a power house, but it did have a DVD player, word processor and was able to surf the web, once he got internet access. His eyes got big and he and I carried it up to his room. I asked him if he new how to set it up (it was already loaded with Linspire) and he said he was sure he could. He looked very happy.
I left their apartment feeling very blessed to have been the one to deliver those items to them. I wonder how I feel when I deliver the Apple Mac G4 Cube and the other PC's (when they are finished). I hope I feel half as good as I do now.
Our church has adopted 4 family's who were evacuated from New Orleans during Katrina. One of the families has been very active seeking jobs (they are both employed now), getting in touch with disaster aid, getting their son in school and making a new home and life for them. As you can imagine, money is tight. I was asked if I would deliver a set of box springs to them on Tuesday (the only free night I had) evening. I agreed. I was wanting to meet the family and besides, I had a surprise for them.
My wife and I drive out to Frisco, Texas with the box springs, bed frame and my surprise. We called them to let them know we were coming and when we got there, I enlisted the help of their teenage son. He helped me maneuver the items up the steps. When we were done, I asked him if I could give him a present. Just as I was about to go down and get it, I notice a laptop on the table. "Oh, I see you have computer. Looks nice!", I said.
The mother replied, "It is just a loner, we cannot keep it." I smiled. "Have your son help me at my truck, I have a present for him."
We went to the truck and I told him I built him a little inexpensive computer out of donated parts. I told him it was not a power house, but it did have a DVD player, word processor and was able to surf the web, once he got internet access. His eyes got big and he and I carried it up to his room. I asked him if he new how to set it up (it was already loaded with Linspire) and he said he was sure he could. He looked very happy.
I left their apartment feeling very blessed to have been the one to deliver those items to them. I wonder how I feel when I deliver the Apple Mac G4 Cube and the other PC's (when they are finished). I hope I feel half as good as I do now.
Another Angel
It is with great sadness that I compose this. Baby Benjamin, the first born child of the youth ministers at our church passed away yesterday. Benjamin was born 3 months early and was doing well until he developed an infection and passed away.
I am very sad. The youth ministers (a couple) are dear to me. They have prayed for me and with me and I cannot fathom their loss.
When this baby was born, I had a vision that it would survive, that God had a greater plan in mind than what we can understand. The only person I told was my wife, who had a similar feeling. What makes that odd is that the baby wa doing quite well until 2 days ago, which was contrary to what I had felt. This was a mixed feeling. Glad at the progress of the child and concerned that my feelings were that strong and incorrect. However, in the end my fears came true as we learned of his passing.
I am very sad. The youth ministers (a couple) are dear to me. They have prayed for me and with me and I cannot fathom their loss.
When this baby was born, I had a vision that it would survive, that God had a greater plan in mind than what we can understand. The only person I told was my wife, who had a similar feeling. What makes that odd is that the baby wa doing quite well until 2 days ago, which was contrary to what I had felt. This was a mixed feeling. Glad at the progress of the child and concerned that my feelings were that strong and incorrect. However, in the end my fears came true as we learned of his passing.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Mega Update
I know I really should post more often. I would love to. I just seems I never have the time. I need to make more time, But it seems so hard with all that goes on with church, work, family, chores...
The weekend of October 15 I was so busy/tired I thought I would crash. It started at 6 AM with my normal dog walk, coffee, and breakfast. I then washed dishes and disassembled my son's old desk that he did not want. I was huge and heavy, so I had to take it apart to get it out. 50 screws and several hammer blows later it was in 10-12 pieces. I loaded the pieces in the truck and hauled them to the dump. On the way to the dump I dropped my wife off at her aerobics class. I was going to pick her up when I got done at the dump but it did not take me as long as I thought so I went to How Depot and got fertilizer for my neighbors lawn (and ours). After killing 30 minutes, I went to pick up my lovely wife.
After a quick lunch, I started mowing the yards, getting done about 3:30. I exhausted so I got a shower and then stripped the bed and vacuumed the house. At 4:30 or so I was done with that chore. Of course I was hungry and the dogs needed a walk...so I did that and was done by 6:30. Full day! After so computer time and TV/wife time, we hit the hay.
Sunday of that weekend we had church and then a picnic afterwards with about 2 hours of sand court volleyball. Our team only lost once. Go team!
Got home and showered and ate a quick light dinner and walked the dogs. It was almost time for Sunday TV (Law and Order: CI) then bed.
The next week was busy with normal activities (work, care groups, walking dogs, dishes, vacuuming, and church) with the added bonus of me working on a computer to give to a hurricane evacuee family. I got it done, fully operational with Linspire (A form of Linux that is very Windows like and easy to use). I also collected some more computer parts from friends, and even managed to get an Apple Mac G4 cube. I just need a keyboard and mouse for it, reload it and then I can give it to another family. w00t!
Saturday I drove to Rockwall to pick up a NEW box spring for a family who needed it. I went with a woman from our church. She is a black belt so I felt safe ;-). That took about 2 hours or so (after a small detour). After getting that done I came back and did my normal chores.
Sunday we were busy with church, dinner with another one of our church sisters, and a visit back too the home of the black belt (to pick up even more stuff for the evacuees). Her black belt fiance was there and we chatted about the pain I am having in my left leg. After describing it to him, he is very sure it is the major nerve that runs from the lower back down my leg. He gave me some books to read about back health. Nice guy.
Ran some errands after that and talked to mom on the phone while we were out and about. Finally got home and walked one of the dogs. The other was not feeling too well. We had a cold snap with some rain and it was not agreeing with her.
Movies this weekend were "Hellboy" (not a great movie, but "OK") and Gladiator. Gladiator was pretty darned good. One to buy!
On the work front, my boss has offered me one of 2 new positions and I nave researched and prayed and talked with others and I have finally picked the one I am taking. This is a leap of faith for me, since I do not have the skills required to do this job. Once I make my selection known to my boss, I will post it.
Oh, I almost forgot...I saw my son yesterday for a few minutes. He had been in San Antonio for Cadre training for the National Guard. I fully expect that by this time next year, he will be a corporal. I am proud of him, even though I am still hurt he moved out.
Well, that should be enough for now. I will try to offer more goodies this week as time permits.
The weekend of October 15 I was so busy/tired I thought I would crash. It started at 6 AM with my normal dog walk, coffee, and breakfast. I then washed dishes and disassembled my son's old desk that he did not want. I was huge and heavy, so I had to take it apart to get it out. 50 screws and several hammer blows later it was in 10-12 pieces. I loaded the pieces in the truck and hauled them to the dump. On the way to the dump I dropped my wife off at her aerobics class. I was going to pick her up when I got done at the dump but it did not take me as long as I thought so I went to How Depot and got fertilizer for my neighbors lawn (and ours). After killing 30 minutes, I went to pick up my lovely wife.
After a quick lunch, I started mowing the yards, getting done about 3:30. I exhausted so I got a shower and then stripped the bed and vacuumed the house. At 4:30 or so I was done with that chore. Of course I was hungry and the dogs needed a walk...so I did that and was done by 6:30. Full day! After so computer time and TV/wife time, we hit the hay.
Sunday of that weekend we had church and then a picnic afterwards with about 2 hours of sand court volleyball. Our team only lost once. Go team!
Got home and showered and ate a quick light dinner and walked the dogs. It was almost time for Sunday TV (Law and Order: CI) then bed.
The next week was busy with normal activities (work, care groups, walking dogs, dishes, vacuuming, and church) with the added bonus of me working on a computer to give to a hurricane evacuee family. I got it done, fully operational with Linspire (A form of Linux that is very Windows like and easy to use). I also collected some more computer parts from friends, and even managed to get an Apple Mac G4 cube. I just need a keyboard and mouse for it, reload it and then I can give it to another family. w00t!
Saturday I drove to Rockwall to pick up a NEW box spring for a family who needed it. I went with a woman from our church. She is a black belt so I felt safe ;-). That took about 2 hours or so (after a small detour). After getting that done I came back and did my normal chores.
Sunday we were busy with church, dinner with another one of our church sisters, and a visit back too the home of the black belt (to pick up even more stuff for the evacuees). Her black belt fiance was there and we chatted about the pain I am having in my left leg. After describing it to him, he is very sure it is the major nerve that runs from the lower back down my leg. He gave me some books to read about back health. Nice guy.
Ran some errands after that and talked to mom on the phone while we were out and about. Finally got home and walked one of the dogs. The other was not feeling too well. We had a cold snap with some rain and it was not agreeing with her.
Movies this weekend were "Hellboy" (not a great movie, but "OK") and Gladiator. Gladiator was pretty darned good. One to buy!
On the work front, my boss has offered me one of 2 new positions and I nave researched and prayed and talked with others and I have finally picked the one I am taking. This is a leap of faith for me, since I do not have the skills required to do this job. Once I make my selection known to my boss, I will post it.
Oh, I almost forgot...I saw my son yesterday for a few minutes. He had been in San Antonio for Cadre training for the National Guard. I fully expect that by this time next year, he will be a corporal. I am proud of him, even though I am still hurt he moved out.
Well, that should be enough for now. I will try to offer more goodies this week as time permits.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
"Hi Kettle, You're black."
This is what I think of when I read Madonna's upcoming documentary, "I'M GOING TO TELL YOU A SECRET". She says we are all going to Hell and this world is the Beast. Oh, all priests are gay, too. All this from the woman who has exemplified sinful behavior just a few short years ago. (Matt Drudge at www.drudgereport.com) .
Madonna has, if you were not aware, converted to a mystical form of Judaism known as Kaballah.
Now we all sin and we all fall short of the Glory of God. However, it always seems odd to me when people who live a openly sinful lifestyle, are telling the world how bad the world (and its occupants) really are.
One thing I have always struggled with is people that are convicted of horrible crimes, go to prison, and then become Christians. The human side of me does not want to accept this, even though the Spirit in me is thrilled that another soul has been saved. I guess because I am a doubter, I do not 100% believe the person is sincere. That is judging and that is a sin. See how this wonderful circle goes on and on?
I honestly should have a bit more compassion and faith, since I was in the category of those who were "bad" and decided to turn my life over to Christ. I guess since walking the Christian walk is hard I have my doubts. No one said that it would be all flowers and sunshine. I have had my share of storms (with more to come, I am sure) that I have weathered.
I once joked that if thinking about breaking any of the 10 Commandments was a sin, then I had most all of them covered (broken). That was the old me. I am glad the new me does not think like that anymore.
I was reflecting on Madonn's comments and I guess depending on what you believe, this world could be considered the "Beast". The Enemy definitely has his hand in our lives, if we give him a chance. Her other comment about priests troubles me. I do not like to characterize people in general, sweeping ways. I am sure not all priests are gay. Maybe she has some baggage she needs to unload?
Madonna has, if you were not aware, converted to a mystical form of Judaism known as Kaballah.
Now we all sin and we all fall short of the Glory of God. However, it always seems odd to me when people who live a openly sinful lifestyle, are telling the world how bad the world (and its occupants) really are.
One thing I have always struggled with is people that are convicted of horrible crimes, go to prison, and then become Christians. The human side of me does not want to accept this, even though the Spirit in me is thrilled that another soul has been saved. I guess because I am a doubter, I do not 100% believe the person is sincere. That is judging and that is a sin. See how this wonderful circle goes on and on?
I honestly should have a bit more compassion and faith, since I was in the category of those who were "bad" and decided to turn my life over to Christ. I guess since walking the Christian walk is hard I have my doubts. No one said that it would be all flowers and sunshine. I have had my share of storms (with more to come, I am sure) that I have weathered.
I once joked that if thinking about breaking any of the 10 Commandments was a sin, then I had most all of them covered (broken). That was the old me. I am glad the new me does not think like that anymore.
I was reflecting on Madonn's comments and I guess depending on what you believe, this world could be considered the "Beast". The Enemy definitely has his hand in our lives, if we give him a chance. Her other comment about priests troubles me. I do not like to characterize people in general, sweeping ways. I am sure not all priests are gay. Maybe she has some baggage she needs to unload?
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Reflecting
Our son came by yesterday (1/2 hour before we needed to leave) to pick up the rest of his stuff. He seemed in a good mood. My wife has been talking with him off and on and appears to be handling him moving out better than I am, but for different reasons.
My wife was upset because she took his moving out personally, which I did not. I was not upset at first, but I am now. I am not taking this personally, I am upset I do not tolerate people who react in illogical ways. Our son is doing that, in my opinion.
I broke down and told my wife this and, being the wise woman she is, asked me if I had prayed for God to soften my heart. I hadn't at that time, but made time to do it as soon as I got to the office. I do not want to be mad at him, nor do I want his relationship with me to be like my relationship with my father. My son deserves, better than that.
He managed to take everything but the desk. It is huge, old and HEAVY. It is in bad shape, so I think I am just going to break it down into pieces and take it to the dump, unless someone wants it on freecycle.
When I arrived at work today, I was informed (via e-mail from a colleague) that the support job that I took on as a favor (and was supposed to stop doing in December) is NOT going away. This is frustrating because I support the America's (North, Central, and South) Mon-Fri 8-5 Central time. I usually work holidays, but was hoping to have Christmas break off this year. My part-time helper is going to Belize this Christmas, so I am stuck doing this myself. It becomes more frustrating since I have customers who speak French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese and I can only speak English. Many of my customers cannot speak English well enough (not that I blame them) for me to be able to help them, so a third party has to be recruited to assist. This is time consuming and aggravating...I am not a patient person by nature. However this may be God's way of teaching me some.
My wife was upset because she took his moving out personally, which I did not. I was not upset at first, but I am now. I am not taking this personally, I am upset I do not tolerate people who react in illogical ways. Our son is doing that, in my opinion.
I broke down and told my wife this and, being the wise woman she is, asked me if I had prayed for God to soften my heart. I hadn't at that time, but made time to do it as soon as I got to the office. I do not want to be mad at him, nor do I want his relationship with me to be like my relationship with my father. My son deserves, better than that.
He managed to take everything but the desk. It is huge, old and HEAVY. It is in bad shape, so I think I am just going to break it down into pieces and take it to the dump, unless someone wants it on freecycle.
When I arrived at work today, I was informed (via e-mail from a colleague) that the support job that I took on as a favor (and was supposed to stop doing in December) is NOT going away. This is frustrating because I support the America's (North, Central, and South) Mon-Fri 8-5 Central time. I usually work holidays, but was hoping to have Christmas break off this year. My part-time helper is going to Belize this Christmas, so I am stuck doing this myself. It becomes more frustrating since I have customers who speak French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese and I can only speak English. Many of my customers cannot speak English well enough (not that I blame them) for me to be able to help them, so a third party has to be recruited to assist. This is time consuming and aggravating...I am not a patient person by nature. However this may be God's way of teaching me some.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Disturbing Trend
We have had several natural disasters over the past 2 years (a tsunami, several killer hurricanes, and many devastating earthquakes). Many lives have been lost. However, a more disturbing trend has become evident in the past few days: bombs found on university campuses.
Today, and "IED" (Improvised Explosive Device) was found at UCLA and 3 explosive devices were found at Georgia Tech. You may remember that in Oklahoma, a "depressed student" blew himself up in a parking lot during a football game. I am wondering why this is not getting more coverage. The bloggers are covering it, but MSM is not. Why? Are they worried that a panic may set in and people will act irrationally?
If this is not the start of a major terrorism wave, then it will only be a matter of time. "Soft" targets are easy to hit because people just are not aware of their surroundings. When my wife and I were dating, my wife used to really get frustrated because I never had my back to a door when we went out. Library, restaurant, coffee shop...it did not matter. I would sit where I could see the door. She does not pick on me anymore. She has learned. I am positive that my awareness of my surroundings will save a life some day. I am also suspect mine will not be it. I keep having a vision of a bomb blast going off and I am between the blast and innocent bystanders. My body creates a "blast shadow" where the damage is lessoned considerably. Do I want this to happen? Absolutely not. However, I have the desire to preserve life. Sacrificing mine to save another is acceptable in my eyes.
Keep your eyes open. Our enemy wants to hurt us in the worst possible way.
Today, and "IED" (Improvised Explosive Device) was found at UCLA and 3 explosive devices were found at Georgia Tech. You may remember that in Oklahoma, a "depressed student" blew himself up in a parking lot during a football game. I am wondering why this is not getting more coverage. The bloggers are covering it, but MSM is not. Why? Are they worried that a panic may set in and people will act irrationally?
If this is not the start of a major terrorism wave, then it will only be a matter of time. "Soft" targets are easy to hit because people just are not aware of their surroundings. When my wife and I were dating, my wife used to really get frustrated because I never had my back to a door when we went out. Library, restaurant, coffee shop...it did not matter. I would sit where I could see the door. She does not pick on me anymore. She has learned. I am positive that my awareness of my surroundings will save a life some day. I am also suspect mine will not be it. I keep having a vision of a bomb blast going off and I am between the blast and innocent bystanders. My body creates a "blast shadow" where the damage is lessoned considerably. Do I want this to happen? Absolutely not. However, I have the desire to preserve life. Sacrificing mine to save another is acceptable in my eyes.
Keep your eyes open. Our enemy wants to hurt us in the worst possible way.
Sunday, October 09, 2005
Serenity and Such
Work was light the past few days and that has been a good thing. It has allowed me to remain a lot more positive than when we go full throttle 5 days a week. I would like to get into more substantial work, but I am employed and that is important.
Since our son has moved out the house has been rather quiet. Seems a bit odd not having him come home at 1 AM from work. My wife has talked to him a few times the past week, but I have only talked to him once. He has not picked up all his things and he says he does not have room for them at his place. We are waiting on him to come and get the stuff he can take (bookshelf and chest of drawers, plus the contents of his desk). He was supposed to call but has not. He has also not given us the key back so I guess I am going to have to change the locks.
We want him to get as much as he can so we can begin turning that room in to a guest room. Being forming occupied by a teen-age boy, it is filthy. It needs cleaned from top to bottom.
My wife and I (plus two other couples) went to go see "Serenity" last night. We all enjoyed it. It was very well made and according to reports, was made for less than 40 million dollars, which is very low by today's standards. There was a lot of killing and a few surprises, a couple which saddened me greatly. I will not offer any spoilers. E-mail me if you want to discuss opinions.
My wife also wants to go see "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" when it is released. Not her genre of movie, but it is a Christian story...and a good one none the less. The effects look great and the guy who did Shrek and Shrek 2 is doing this one as well. COOL!
My wife and I were invited over to a friends house for brats and such for dinner. We are supply the green beans and rolls. We like these two people a lot. They are so humble. They do not worry about "keeping up with the Jones'" at all.
I an answered an ad in the Allen Freecycle Web Board for some old computer parts and software. I wish the guy would have told me that the thing was a 486-66, was broken and FILTHY (caked on dirt). I took it only because I told him I would. I never would offer something that gross without describing it as such. I e-mailed the guy and asking him and he responded in a very vague way. Oh well. No harm. It had a few usable cables and an old video card. It is not much, but it may be of some use later on. The rest I will just take to work and recycle in our PC recycle bin. The software I will put out for someone to take if they want it.
My hip has been bothering me more and more lately. At first the pain was isolated to my hip, but now it shoots down my entire leg. The pain is so bad that I have to sit down sometimes. I need to get to the doctor and see what can be done.
I still have not heard from my estranged brother. My friend Keith saw him walking to work and offered him a ride and my brother accepted. Keith gave my brother my phone number but he has not called. I do not suspect I will here from him anytime soon. My mom says he lost yet another job. I pray for him. He is such a lost soul.
Music - I have discovered a couple of great Christian rock bands. First is Disciple. They kinda remind me of Linkin Park. Raw and energetic. Powerful lyrics.
Day of Fire is a group that I can relate to. The lead singer was in the band "Full Devil Jacket" and was your typical sex/drugs/rock and roll guy. When the tour was over and it was time to write the next album, he couldn't write anything. He was a heroin addict and a eventually found Christ. He prayed to God to make a difference in his life and to use him to make a difference in other peoples lives as well. After that prayer, the songs just erupted out of him. My favorite tracks are "Cornerstone", "Rain", and "To Fly". Good stuff.
Maybe I will post more later, but I need to call my mom and chat. I also have to put some stuff away.
Since our son has moved out the house has been rather quiet. Seems a bit odd not having him come home at 1 AM from work. My wife has talked to him a few times the past week, but I have only talked to him once. He has not picked up all his things and he says he does not have room for them at his place. We are waiting on him to come and get the stuff he can take (bookshelf and chest of drawers, plus the contents of his desk). He was supposed to call but has not. He has also not given us the key back so I guess I am going to have to change the locks.
We want him to get as much as he can so we can begin turning that room in to a guest room. Being forming occupied by a teen-age boy, it is filthy. It needs cleaned from top to bottom.
My wife and I (plus two other couples) went to go see "Serenity" last night. We all enjoyed it. It was very well made and according to reports, was made for less than 40 million dollars, which is very low by today's standards. There was a lot of killing and a few surprises, a couple which saddened me greatly. I will not offer any spoilers. E-mail me if you want to discuss opinions.
My wife also wants to go see "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" when it is released. Not her genre of movie, but it is a Christian story...and a good one none the less. The effects look great and the guy who did Shrek and Shrek 2 is doing this one as well. COOL!
My wife and I were invited over to a friends house for brats and such for dinner. We are supply the green beans and rolls. We like these two people a lot. They are so humble. They do not worry about "keeping up with the Jones'" at all.
I an answered an ad in the Allen Freecycle Web Board for some old computer parts and software. I wish the guy would have told me that the thing was a 486-66, was broken and FILTHY (caked on dirt). I took it only because I told him I would. I never would offer something that gross without describing it as such. I e-mailed the guy and asking him and he responded in a very vague way. Oh well. No harm. It had a few usable cables and an old video card. It is not much, but it may be of some use later on. The rest I will just take to work and recycle in our PC recycle bin. The software I will put out for someone to take if they want it.
My hip has been bothering me more and more lately. At first the pain was isolated to my hip, but now it shoots down my entire leg. The pain is so bad that I have to sit down sometimes. I need to get to the doctor and see what can be done.
I still have not heard from my estranged brother. My friend Keith saw him walking to work and offered him a ride and my brother accepted. Keith gave my brother my phone number but he has not called. I do not suspect I will here from him anytime soon. My mom says he lost yet another job. I pray for him. He is such a lost soul.
Music - I have discovered a couple of great Christian rock bands. First is Disciple. They kinda remind me of Linkin Park. Raw and energetic. Powerful lyrics.
Day of Fire is a group that I can relate to. The lead singer was in the band "Full Devil Jacket" and was your typical sex/drugs/rock and roll guy. When the tour was over and it was time to write the next album, he couldn't write anything. He was a heroin addict and a eventually found Christ. He prayed to God to make a difference in his life and to use him to make a difference in other peoples lives as well. After that prayer, the songs just erupted out of him. My favorite tracks are "Cornerstone", "Rain", and "To Fly". Good stuff.
Maybe I will post more later, but I need to call my mom and chat. I also have to put some stuff away.
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
Time For Me to Fly...
That is what our son said yesterday after we had finished eating dinner and finished up the dishes. Today he turned 18 and decided it was time for him to move out. Part of me is happy for him, the biggest part of me is sad.
Our son has been talking about this for a few weeks and my wife and I knew it was coming. I figured he would wait until he finish his senior year of high school and completed AIT (he is in the National Guard) before venturing out on his own, but I was wrong. My wife is very upset, but I understand why. Men and women are wired differently. Where I am disappointed, she is hurt.
Our son came by today (he is on fall break) while my wife and I were at work and packed up a large part of his stuff. He still has to get his furniture, but 95% of his small stuff is gone. We went up into the attic to get him the stuff that had saved for him (pots, pans, glasses, flatware, etc).
He left a note that he plans on coming by Thursday (again while we are at work) and picking up the rest of it. I think he is avoiding a confrontation with us, or so he believes. I have nothing derogatory to say to him...I wish him well.
He has a punch list still that he needs to do. He needs to sign up for auto insurance, health insurance, and get the cell phone switched over to his name.
As a parent, I know that we have trained him up well. The choices he makes are because of peer pressure (as far as I can tell). As a Christian MAN, he must make his own choices. The covering he had with us is gone, he is on his own. No one forced him out the door. We naturally tried to get him to reconsider, but he would have none of that.
Of course we will always be here, but the training wheels are off...he rides solo now.
Our son has been talking about this for a few weeks and my wife and I knew it was coming. I figured he would wait until he finish his senior year of high school and completed AIT (he is in the National Guard) before venturing out on his own, but I was wrong. My wife is very upset, but I understand why. Men and women are wired differently. Where I am disappointed, she is hurt.
Our son came by today (he is on fall break) while my wife and I were at work and packed up a large part of his stuff. He still has to get his furniture, but 95% of his small stuff is gone. We went up into the attic to get him the stuff that had saved for him (pots, pans, glasses, flatware, etc).
He left a note that he plans on coming by Thursday (again while we are at work) and picking up the rest of it. I think he is avoiding a confrontation with us, or so he believes. I have nothing derogatory to say to him...I wish him well.
He has a punch list still that he needs to do. He needs to sign up for auto insurance, health insurance, and get the cell phone switched over to his name.
As a parent, I know that we have trained him up well. The choices he makes are because of peer pressure (as far as I can tell). As a Christian MAN, he must make his own choices. The covering he had with us is gone, he is on his own. No one forced him out the door. We naturally tried to get him to reconsider, but he would have none of that.
Of course we will always be here, but the training wheels are off...he rides solo now.
Monday, October 03, 2005
Everybody Wants Some
Money, that is. We have a rule that we live by in our home. We tithe (give 1/10 of or pay) to charity. We take care of our church first and then we see what we can give above and beyond to other charities. In the past we donated a bit of money or material items to many charities, but the problem with that was that they called, e-mailed, or snail mailed us donation requests EVERY MONTH. Some charities we only contribute to 1-2 times a year.
With all the natural disasters and the price of fuel skyrocketing, we have had to slow down our charitable giving outside our commitments to church. EVERYONE wants to collect for Katrina/Rita relief. We just cannot afford it. We want to get ourselves out of debt and it is going to be hard enough with gasoline at $3.00 a gallon and the price of natural gas expecting to double, (just in time for the cold season...glad it is not a long one here in Texas!).
I have already talked to my boss about working from home 1-2 days a week when my job role changes. I hope it does. It will save me a ton of money if I do not have to drive to work everyday. I already carpool with my wife 2 days a week and that has helped. I try not to take an out of the way trips unless they are necessary and we already have trimmed down our bills a great deal. About the only thing left to do is have my wife work full time and we do not want to do that. I like having her stress-free (ok, less stressed. No one is stress free).
Am I being unfair with my choices?
With all the natural disasters and the price of fuel skyrocketing, we have had to slow down our charitable giving outside our commitments to church. EVERYONE wants to collect for Katrina/Rita relief. We just cannot afford it. We want to get ourselves out of debt and it is going to be hard enough with gasoline at $3.00 a gallon and the price of natural gas expecting to double, (just in time for the cold season...glad it is not a long one here in Texas!).
I have already talked to my boss about working from home 1-2 days a week when my job role changes. I hope it does. It will save me a ton of money if I do not have to drive to work everyday. I already carpool with my wife 2 days a week and that has helped. I try not to take an out of the way trips unless they are necessary and we already have trimmed down our bills a great deal. About the only thing left to do is have my wife work full time and we do not want to do that. I like having her stress-free (ok, less stressed. No one is stress free).
Am I being unfair with my choices?
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Update - Shotgun Style
Less what goodies do we have?
* John Roberts has been confirmed as the new Chief Justice of the SCOTUS. That should be good news to all of us who are Originalists. He is smart and knows what he is doing. At least that is the impression he's giving.
* Area near Los Angeles is on fire. I do not envy those people at all. I know people in SoCal that have to deal with this every year and I do not know how they do it.
* More bombings in Iraq. Will this EVER stop? The terrorists are not wanting the US out as much as they want their own way, which is right back to the stone ages.
Thanx to breitbart.com for the news.
On a personal note, I was priviledged to help some of the hurricane evacuees last night (as well as later tonight) by picking up and delivering some items we found on Freecycle in our area. If you are interested in joining, go to www.Freecycle.com and click on your area. Lots of groups!
I guess owning a truck (even when gas is expensive) is helpful. I put a huge couch in mine last night. I am picking up a crib and some baby stuff tonight.
I may post more later, but I am a little short on time. More later, OK?
* John Roberts has been confirmed as the new Chief Justice of the SCOTUS. That should be good news to all of us who are Originalists. He is smart and knows what he is doing. At least that is the impression he's giving.
* Area near Los Angeles is on fire. I do not envy those people at all. I know people in SoCal that have to deal with this every year and I do not know how they do it.
* More bombings in Iraq. Will this EVER stop? The terrorists are not wanting the US out as much as they want their own way, which is right back to the stone ages.
Thanx to breitbart.com for the news.
On a personal note, I was priviledged to help some of the hurricane evacuees last night (as well as later tonight) by picking up and delivering some items we found on Freecycle in our area. If you are interested in joining, go to www.Freecycle.com and click on your area. Lots of groups!
I guess owning a truck (even when gas is expensive) is helpful. I put a huge couch in mine last night. I am picking up a crib and some baby stuff tonight.
I may post more later, but I am a little short on time. More later, OK?
Monday, September 26, 2005
Who's Your Daddy?
While reading the John Eldredge book "Wild at Heart", I finally realized why I have trouble connecting with God sometimes. God is our "abba", our daddy. He wants an intimate relationship with each of his children an he wants us to come to him, to depend on him fully, just like a small child depends on his earthly father. If you do not have a good role model with your biological father, then you just might be hesitant to try to connect with your Heavenly Father. I think that is where my problem lies.
I grew up in an secular home. My father was a hard working man. He was a strong provider who worked hard (one full time job and he did plumbing work on the side), but he also drank hard. He had a temper and I saw that many times. I do not think he knew how to show affection to us. He kept to himself and was mostly quiet unless he became upset or angry.
During my teenage years I wanted to gain my fathers approval more than anything. I kept a 3.5 GPA in school, I was in the chess club, the track team, and was in a few school plays and musicals. While I was never a stellar performer in any one category, I was not bad. However I cannot remember my father giving me much encouragement. By the time my senior year in high school came around, I was ready to prepare for college. I even had a school accept me where I only had to pay abut $500 semester to attend. My father was not very enthusiastic and talked me out of going. He never had much use for "college boys" in his life. I am sure he felt threatened (he only had an 8th grade education) by them.
I got married and had a son rather early in life, living across the street from my parents. Shortly after that, I moved to NC and my father told me it would be the biggest mistake of my life. I admit I was chasing a chance to get my life back on track and the odds were against me, but I wanted reassurance. I did not get it.
I was so hurt by his lack of confidence, that when I separated from my ex-wife and moved out (with no place to go and no money), I purposely did not tell them how bad things were because I figured I would get the "I told you so" speech.
When things got really bad and custody of my son was in question, I could hear my father (in my mind that is) criticizing me on the way things had gone in my life. He never said much to me, good or bad around that time. Maybe it was for the best. A few years later, I was remarried and I (nor my new bride) ever heard joyous words from my dad. He did give us $1000 toward the purchase of our first house, but I would not have asked if we had not been in very dire straits (that is a story unto itself).
After we bought our new house, I had to twist my fathers arm to get him and mom to come down to visit us. That one time was the only time he or my mother ever visited. To be honest, it was the last time he was healthy enough to travel. He became sick after that and slowly got worse. God blessed me with a visit from my dad and mom.
During that visit, they seemed to enjoy themselves somewhat. Both of them told me they liked our house. It was a starter home, but it really was a good starter home for us. We still miss it. We had a good visit, but Dad seemed a bit upset I would not let him smoke his pipe in the house. He grumble about it, but I told him that the house was smoke-free and I wanted to keep it that way. I think that is why they left a day early. He was not happy that he had to follow the house rules.
Dad and I never really got close. Over the next 3-4 years, he was in the hospital 1-2 times a year. Each time the doctors were sure he would die. I would get a call saying Dad was in the hospital and wanted to see me. I knew he loved me, he just had a hard time showing it.
In the spring of 2002, Dad finally passed away. Every time I called he was too weak to talk or he was asleep. He was in constant pain. I did manage to talk to him about a week or so before he passed.
I guess you can see why some people have trouble connecting to God.
I grew up in an secular home. My father was a hard working man. He was a strong provider who worked hard (one full time job and he did plumbing work on the side), but he also drank hard. He had a temper and I saw that many times. I do not think he knew how to show affection to us. He kept to himself and was mostly quiet unless he became upset or angry.
During my teenage years I wanted to gain my fathers approval more than anything. I kept a 3.5 GPA in school, I was in the chess club, the track team, and was in a few school plays and musicals. While I was never a stellar performer in any one category, I was not bad. However I cannot remember my father giving me much encouragement. By the time my senior year in high school came around, I was ready to prepare for college. I even had a school accept me where I only had to pay abut $500 semester to attend. My father was not very enthusiastic and talked me out of going. He never had much use for "college boys" in his life. I am sure he felt threatened (he only had an 8th grade education) by them.
I got married and had a son rather early in life, living across the street from my parents. Shortly after that, I moved to NC and my father told me it would be the biggest mistake of my life. I admit I was chasing a chance to get my life back on track and the odds were against me, but I wanted reassurance. I did not get it.
I was so hurt by his lack of confidence, that when I separated from my ex-wife and moved out (with no place to go and no money), I purposely did not tell them how bad things were because I figured I would get the "I told you so" speech.
When things got really bad and custody of my son was in question, I could hear my father (in my mind that is) criticizing me on the way things had gone in my life. He never said much to me, good or bad around that time. Maybe it was for the best. A few years later, I was remarried and I (nor my new bride) ever heard joyous words from my dad. He did give us $1000 toward the purchase of our first house, but I would not have asked if we had not been in very dire straits (that is a story unto itself).
After we bought our new house, I had to twist my fathers arm to get him and mom to come down to visit us. That one time was the only time he or my mother ever visited. To be honest, it was the last time he was healthy enough to travel. He became sick after that and slowly got worse. God blessed me with a visit from my dad and mom.
During that visit, they seemed to enjoy themselves somewhat. Both of them told me they liked our house. It was a starter home, but it really was a good starter home for us. We still miss it. We had a good visit, but Dad seemed a bit upset I would not let him smoke his pipe in the house. He grumble about it, but I told him that the house was smoke-free and I wanted to keep it that way. I think that is why they left a day early. He was not happy that he had to follow the house rules.
Dad and I never really got close. Over the next 3-4 years, he was in the hospital 1-2 times a year. Each time the doctors were sure he would die. I would get a call saying Dad was in the hospital and wanted to see me. I knew he loved me, he just had a hard time showing it.
In the spring of 2002, Dad finally passed away. Every time I called he was too weak to talk or he was asleep. He was in constant pain. I did manage to talk to him about a week or so before he passed.
I guess you can see why some people have trouble connecting to God.
Friday, September 23, 2005
"Natural" Disasters?
Maybe not. Now I am not going to pass judgment on this guy. He is (was) a professional meteorologist. Scott Stevens is pretty passionate about weather. He thinks that the major hurricanes are not natural in origin.
His pages on contrails / chemtrails is very informative. He has some theories that are a bit extreme, but interesting reading nonetheless. Check it out.
His pages on contrails / chemtrails is very informative. He has some theories that are a bit extreme, but interesting reading nonetheless. Check it out.
Gasoline ... What a Racket / Rita Update
I find this a bit annoying. Oil prices and gas futures DROP and the price of gas in my area goes UP .10 a gallon. I smell a conspiracy...
When Katrina hit, the price of gas went up .50 a gallon in 2 days. It got back to normal for almost a week and now it is slightly above "pre-Katrina" levels. My guess is that we will see it go up again although oil prices may drop. Amazing how BEFORE the impact is felt, the prices increase. Also amazing is that oil companies made a 3 billion dollar PROFIT last year. Wow, not 300 million but 3 BILLION. What if we used some of that profit and ... I don't know ... LOWER THE FRIGGIN' Price of a gallon of gas? I do my part. I walk/ride my bicycle/carpool when possible. I know I own a truck with a V8, but I only drive it 2-3 days a week. Less once I get to start telecommuting some next year. I would buy a new vehicle that is easier on gas, but since we still have a loan on the family van, I cannot afford it yet...
Just in...
The first Hurricane Rita fatalities are not from flood or wind...but fire. Painful and sad.
It looks like the damage may not be as severe to the TX coast as once predicted, but the amount of rain the area will get is going to be massive, methinks.
When Katrina hit, the price of gas went up .50 a gallon in 2 days. It got back to normal for almost a week and now it is slightly above "pre-Katrina" levels. My guess is that we will see it go up again although oil prices may drop. Amazing how BEFORE the impact is felt, the prices increase. Also amazing is that oil companies made a 3 billion dollar PROFIT last year. Wow, not 300 million but 3 BILLION. What if we used some of that profit and ... I don't know ... LOWER THE FRIGGIN' Price of a gallon of gas? I do my part. I walk/ride my bicycle/carpool when possible. I know I own a truck with a V8, but I only drive it 2-3 days a week. Less once I get to start telecommuting some next year. I would buy a new vehicle that is easier on gas, but since we still have a loan on the family van, I cannot afford it yet...
Just in...
The first Hurricane Rita fatalities are not from flood or wind...but fire. Painful and sad.
It looks like the damage may not be as severe to the TX coast as once predicted, but the amount of rain the area will get is going to be massive, methinks.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
No Breaks At All...
...for our President. Hurricane Katrina rolled through, doing BILLIONS of dollars in damage, displacing hundreds of thousands of people (1/2 of them in Texas, my current home). State and Local government had a plan to evacuate, but did not implement it (This is obviously Bush's fault), leaving tens of thousands in a leaky sports arena guarded by the US Army. No preparation, slow response (again, all Bush's fault).
Now, Rita (which may be one of the most powerful storms EVER to hit US soil) is heading towards the Texas coast (again, Bush's fault) and the people who live there are evacuating...and it is all Bush's fault! Cut the man some slack. Liberal minded people will find any reason to give a person a hard time. Is Bush perfect? No. Has he made mistakes? Yes. Did I vote for him? Yes. Am I a Republican? No (Libertarian). Does he appoint the wrong people to their positions? Sometimes.
Instead of saying that the government learned their lesson, the liberal minded want to yell at him for being prepared. Had the Texas coast not evacuated in the manner in which it has, Bush would have been called an idiot. But the simple fact is you cannot blame all the world's ills on one man. He is not the anti-christ (sorry to disappoint some of you), he is a man. A human male who loves this country and will make mistakes.
So give the man a break. He is in his second term, his last, which pleases many people. In three years, you liberal minded people and Bush haters can elect some social democrat to the White House and that person (Ms. Clinton?) can start turning the US into a socialist state. STOP bashing socialist states, El Gee. I am not. I keep in touch with many people world wide in socialist countries and while they are not fans of the US Government, they wish they had a government a little bit more like ours. No they don't want to live here, but they like what we have to offer, at least part of the time.
Now, Rita (which may be one of the most powerful storms EVER to hit US soil) is heading towards the Texas coast (again, Bush's fault) and the people who live there are evacuating...and it is all Bush's fault! Cut the man some slack. Liberal minded people will find any reason to give a person a hard time. Is Bush perfect? No. Has he made mistakes? Yes. Did I vote for him? Yes. Am I a Republican? No (Libertarian). Does he appoint the wrong people to their positions? Sometimes.
Instead of saying that the government learned their lesson, the liberal minded want to yell at him for being prepared. Had the Texas coast not evacuated in the manner in which it has, Bush would have been called an idiot. But the simple fact is you cannot blame all the world's ills on one man. He is not the anti-christ (sorry to disappoint some of you), he is a man. A human male who loves this country and will make mistakes.
So give the man a break. He is in his second term, his last, which pleases many people. In three years, you liberal minded people and Bush haters can elect some social democrat to the White House and that person (Ms. Clinton?) can start turning the US into a socialist state. STOP bashing socialist states, El Gee. I am not. I keep in touch with many people world wide in socialist countries and while they are not fans of the US Government, they wish they had a government a little bit more like ours. No they don't want to live here, but they like what we have to offer, at least part of the time.
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Hurricane Pain
Hurricane Rita is currently a Level 4 storm (***UPDATE*** Level 5 at 5:32 PM Central time), heading for Galveston, TX. I previously blogged that Galveston was hit a little more than 100 years ago and the town was almost obliterated. At least 6K people died then. Needless to say Texans learn very quickly. With Rita chugging at a good click towards our coast, the town is evacuating. Smart move, methinks. I pray for the best, but it looks like thing may get ugly. New Orleans is expecting some surge which may top the levees and pour more water back into the city.
Yesterday my wife and I were talking about the humanitarian efforts going on for the Katrina victims. We have friends of ours who are sponsoring a family (a mother and 3 children) and they have offered to find her things for the apartment that has been acquired for them. Something odd, in my opinion, is that she has not expressed any desire to move into it. She is still staying at the Super 8 Motel, living off the $2000 debit card she was issued from the federal government.
Our friends also have acquired a twin bed for her (along with pillows, sheets, blankets, and comforter) but she stated she did not want it. It was too small. Someone is offering you a bed and all the accessories and you are turning it down because it is too small? You know why it is too small? She has her boyfriend living with her.
We also received some documentation on helping some of the families who are still in ravaged areas of the gulf who need some food and supplies. When I saw this I was a bit confused by it. It outlined what to put in the boxes (as well as what size box) and how to pack it. Now, that is not a bad thing, for the most part, since you do not want 50 million cans of green beans some rice with nothing else. This allows the boxes to be self contained meals, but I had two problems with that. First, it would make more sense to give money so the items could be bought in bulk by the Red Cross or some other organization and packaged up into individual meal packs. There are volunteers EVERYWHERE who would be glad to package up this in a warehouse style environment.
The second thing that bothered me was the list had preferred brands and types of food. If I am hungry, but used to living on crusty French bread, caviar, champagne and I was offered chili, rice, cornbread and sweet tea, I would take what I could get or I would starve. Being picky when you are hungry ... that is just plain stupid.
We have been hearing scattered reports of people who are taking their $2000 debit cards and buying frivolous things (expensive watches, clothes, electronics) and going to shelters to get fed and clothed. It reminds me of the painful years when my son was an infant and we (me, his bio-mom, and our son) were on food stamps. We did not get much (it was about $300 a month) but since we were good shoppers, we knew how to make it count. I would get in line at the local grocery store and see people buy LOBSTER, STEAK, and other expensive items and pay with food stamps. They figured if they were not paying for it, they could get what they wanted.
I know as Christians we are not supposed to grumble and we are supposed to give cheerfully. But are we not told to be good stewards of what we have? How can we be good stewards if what we give is used in vain? It will only turn off Christians from wanting to help because they image they have is one of people who need help, it is offered and the help is misused.
Lord, help me to understand this. I want to live in Your Word, but the world distracts me from it. Guide me and give unto me the desire to help those who need it and tell of Your Son's redeeming love.
Yesterday my wife and I were talking about the humanitarian efforts going on for the Katrina victims. We have friends of ours who are sponsoring a family (a mother and 3 children) and they have offered to find her things for the apartment that has been acquired for them. Something odd, in my opinion, is that she has not expressed any desire to move into it. She is still staying at the Super 8 Motel, living off the $2000 debit card she was issued from the federal government.
Our friends also have acquired a twin bed for her (along with pillows, sheets, blankets, and comforter) but she stated she did not want it. It was too small. Someone is offering you a bed and all the accessories and you are turning it down because it is too small? You know why it is too small? She has her boyfriend living with her.
We also received some documentation on helping some of the families who are still in ravaged areas of the gulf who need some food and supplies. When I saw this I was a bit confused by it. It outlined what to put in the boxes (as well as what size box) and how to pack it. Now, that is not a bad thing, for the most part, since you do not want 50 million cans of green beans some rice with nothing else. This allows the boxes to be self contained meals, but I had two problems with that. First, it would make more sense to give money so the items could be bought in bulk by the Red Cross or some other organization and packaged up into individual meal packs. There are volunteers EVERYWHERE who would be glad to package up this in a warehouse style environment.
The second thing that bothered me was the list had preferred brands and types of food. If I am hungry, but used to living on crusty French bread, caviar, champagne and I was offered chili, rice, cornbread and sweet tea, I would take what I could get or I would starve. Being picky when you are hungry ... that is just plain stupid.
We have been hearing scattered reports of people who are taking their $2000 debit cards and buying frivolous things (expensive watches, clothes, electronics) and going to shelters to get fed and clothed. It reminds me of the painful years when my son was an infant and we (me, his bio-mom, and our son) were on food stamps. We did not get much (it was about $300 a month) but since we were good shoppers, we knew how to make it count. I would get in line at the local grocery store and see people buy LOBSTER, STEAK, and other expensive items and pay with food stamps. They figured if they were not paying for it, they could get what they wanted.
I know as Christians we are not supposed to grumble and we are supposed to give cheerfully. But are we not told to be good stewards of what we have? How can we be good stewards if what we give is used in vain? It will only turn off Christians from wanting to help because they image they have is one of people who need help, it is offered and the help is misused.
Lord, help me to understand this. I want to live in Your Word, but the world distracts me from it. Guide me and give unto me the desire to help those who need it and tell of Your Son's redeeming love.
Things I Learned in Texas
Now, I cannot vouch for all these, but some I can. BtW, you can see this list duplicated for most any state, just by changing a few of the details :-)
Thanx to Triple A (An Anonymous Angel) for this list.
* Armadillos sleep in the middle of the road with all four feet in the air.
* There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Texas.
* There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Texas, plus a few no one has ever seen before.
* Raccoons will test your melon crop, and let you know when they are ripe.
* If it grows, it will stick you. If it crawls, it will bite you!
* Nothing will kill a mesquite tree.
* There are valid reasons some people put razor wire around their house.
* A tractor is NOT an all terrain vehicle. They do get stuck.
* The wind blows at 90 mph from Oct 2 till June 25; then it stops totally until October 2. (Actually the wind never stops blowing here)
* Onced and twiced are words.
* Coldbeer is one word.
* People actually grow and eat okra.
* Green grass DOES burn.
* When you live in the country you don't have to buy a dog. City people drop them off at your front gate in the middle of the night.
* The sound of coyotes howling at night only sounds good for the first few weeks.
* When a buzzard sits on the fence and stares at you, it's time to see a doctor.
* Fix-in-to is one word.
* There ain't no such thing as "lunch". There is only breakfast, dinner and then there's supper.
* "Sweetened ice tea" is appropriate for all meals, and you start drinking it when you are two. (which I have never seen. Sweet Tea is a southern thing, not a Texas thing)
* "Backwards and forwards" means I know everything about you.
* "Jeet?" is actually a phrase meaning, "Did you eat?" and is usually followed with, "No, jew?"
* You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is.
* You work until you're done, or it's too dark to see.
* You measure distance in minutes or hours.
* You can switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
* Stores don't have bags. They have sacks.
* You see cars with the engine running in the Wal-mart parking lot with no one in them, no matter what time of the year.
* All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit or a vegetable. (I noticed this more in WV where I was raised than here in Texas)
* You install security lights on your house and garage, and leave both unlocked.
* You carry jumper cables for your own car.
* You know what "cow tipping" and "snipe hunting" are.
* You only have four spices in your kitchen: Salt, Pepper, Ketchup, and Tabasco. (Add salsa to that list. maybe to replace ketchup)
* You think everyone from north of Dallas has an accent.
* The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require six pages to cover Friday night high school football. (This is true)
* The first day of deer season is a state holiday.
* You know which leaves make good toilet paper.
* You find 100 degrees a "tad" warm.
* The four seasons are: Almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas. (This again is so true)
* You know whether another Texan is from East, West, North, or South Texas as soon as he opens his mouth.
* Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past-time known as "goin Wal-Martin" or "off to Wally-world."
* You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chili-eatin' weather.
* A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola, or pop....It's a Coke regardless of brand or flavor. (I saw this more in NC than in Texas)
Thanx to Triple A (An Anonymous Angel) for this list.
* Armadillos sleep in the middle of the road with all four feet in the air.
* There are 5,000 types of snakes and 4,998 live in Texas.
* There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Texas, plus a few no one has ever seen before.
* Raccoons will test your melon crop, and let you know when they are ripe.
* If it grows, it will stick you. If it crawls, it will bite you!
* Nothing will kill a mesquite tree.
* There are valid reasons some people put razor wire around their house.
* A tractor is NOT an all terrain vehicle. They do get stuck.
* The wind blows at 90 mph from Oct 2 till June 25; then it stops totally until October 2. (Actually the wind never stops blowing here)
* Onced and twiced are words.
* Coldbeer is one word.
* People actually grow and eat okra.
* Green grass DOES burn.
* When you live in the country you don't have to buy a dog. City people drop them off at your front gate in the middle of the night.
* The sound of coyotes howling at night only sounds good for the first few weeks.
* When a buzzard sits on the fence and stares at you, it's time to see a doctor.
* Fix-in-to is one word.
* There ain't no such thing as "lunch". There is only breakfast, dinner and then there's supper.
* "Sweetened ice tea" is appropriate for all meals, and you start drinking it when you are two. (which I have never seen. Sweet Tea is a southern thing, not a Texas thing)
* "Backwards and forwards" means I know everything about you.
* "Jeet?" is actually a phrase meaning, "Did you eat?" and is usually followed with, "No, jew?"
* You don't have to wear a watch because it doesn't matter what time it is.
* You work until you're done, or it's too dark to see.
* You measure distance in minutes or hours.
* You can switch from "heat" to "A/C" in the same day.
* Stores don't have bags. They have sacks.
* You see cars with the engine running in the Wal-mart parking lot with no one in them, no matter what time of the year.
* All the festivals across the state are named after a fruit or a vegetable. (I noticed this more in WV where I was raised than here in Texas)
* You install security lights on your house and garage, and leave both unlocked.
* You carry jumper cables for your own car.
* You know what "cow tipping" and "snipe hunting" are.
* You only have four spices in your kitchen: Salt, Pepper, Ketchup, and Tabasco. (Add salsa to that list. maybe to replace ketchup)
* You think everyone from north of Dallas has an accent.
* The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require six pages to cover Friday night high school football. (This is true)
* The first day of deer season is a state holiday.
* You know which leaves make good toilet paper.
* You find 100 degrees a "tad" warm.
* The four seasons are: Almost summer, summer, still summer and Christmas. (This again is so true)
* You know whether another Texan is from East, West, North, or South Texas as soon as he opens his mouth.
* Going to Wal-mart is a favorite past-time known as "goin Wal-Martin" or "off to Wally-world."
* You describe the first cool snap (below 70 degrees) as good chili-eatin' weather.
* A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola, or pop....It's a Coke regardless of brand or flavor. (I saw this more in NC than in Texas)
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Drive By...
Several years ago, back in the early days of instant messaging (back when PowWow and ICQ were the ONLY cool IM tools), it was common to get a random IM from someone you had never heard of. We called those "Drive By IM's". Some were cool, some were funny, some were down right offensive. I met a few people that way, but most people who send unsolicited instant messages are just kids. Maybe they are bored, maybe they just want to provoke, maybe they really wanted to meet new people. Who knows?
I have gotten a few drive by's in my life, but thankfully I don't get many of those any more. I have gotten one or two, but not like the bad old days. Still, it has been enough to keep me from posting my IM info on message boards.
A while back, I had blogged that at least one person has gotten an IM from someone who spoofed my IM nick. "Out of Balance" (the guy who said he got the IM) has not contacted me anymore, so I assume that the perp found no humor in sending "OoB" an instant message pretending to be me.
I got an IM today from someone claiming to be "Flute", but since I know that she is only interested in disparaging to my faith, I doubt it was her. What could she want to chat with me about?
Anyhoooo...I just deleted the message. Whoever the joker is can have their laugh. I won't fall for being baited. My name is not "Skippy".
I have gotten a few drive by's in my life, but thankfully I don't get many of those any more. I have gotten one or two, but not like the bad old days. Still, it has been enough to keep me from posting my IM info on message boards.
A while back, I had blogged that at least one person has gotten an IM from someone who spoofed my IM nick. "Out of Balance" (the guy who said he got the IM) has not contacted me anymore, so I assume that the perp found no humor in sending "OoB" an instant message pretending to be me.
I got an IM today from someone claiming to be "Flute", but since I know that she is only interested in disparaging to my faith, I doubt it was her. What could she want to chat with me about?
Anyhoooo...I just deleted the message. Whoever the joker is can have their laugh. I won't fall for being baited. My name is not "Skippy".
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)