Snapshot

I was pleasantly surprised to be invited to dinner on Friday night by the owners of the rental property across the street from us. We met them when we moved in and immediately liked them. They are from Mexico City and have two children. Both work for one of my company's competitors but I try not to hold that against them. Amazing it has taken seven years to have dinner together.

Dinner was nice. It was far from extravagant but it was homemade Mexican food. The children were very well behaved. We stayed for a couple of hours (the women talked in the kitchen while the men watch the Olympic opening ceremony in the living room.

Saturday morning I had coffee with a BiC. We caught up and talked about his web site that he wants to start. He is a good guy and has a huge heart. I had mentioned that I wanted to do hike near 901 (North of Bonham) that includes several geocaches and he was vey excited to come along when we get the details worked out.

I left from the coffee shop and went to get my hair cut. Having thinning hair and a balding head means the visit is not very long. Next thing on my list...go home and vacuum.

I managed to get most of the house vacuumed before my wif's good friend came over. They chatted for a good while and my wife told me that she (my wife) would finish the final room, the kitchen. I took her up on the offer and headed out to do some caching. I had a great time.

When I got home I ate a quick dinner and then walked the dogs. I really needed to cut grass (it was not high but the window to cut it was slowly closing) but I was just too tired. I figured I would just cut it on Sunday. God had other plans!

Sunday arrived and we made it to church as usual. My wife chatted with the associate pastor regarding leading a care grouup this year and at first I was against it. I do not have time to create a curriculum. But then the AP told me that his plan was for me and my wife to facilitate a video series that we are doing now (The Truth Project), we both agreed.

We went to lunch at Fuddrucker's in Plano. As usual,the burgers are great. I just wish the service was better. I had the manager run into me in the aisle and while he did say he was sorry, it did not sound very sincere.

We got home and I realized I needed to cut grass, but my voice of reason (my wife) asked me to not labor on Sunday. I told her that with me being on call the upcoming week and having a few other things to do as well, it was going to be hard to get it cut. She told me not to worry, so I just put it aside. I sat down to read yet another Tom Clancy thriller when I dozed off. I was asleep for two hours when I finally got up. I guess I really was tired.

We got ready for the once a month Sunday evening service at church after we both grabbed a light bite to eat. After the service we came home and as we were taking the dogs out for their evening walk, I noticed a rabbit on the sidewalk...laying on his side not moving. When I got closer it attempted to get away but it's back legs were not moving. It was attempted to crawl away on it's front legs only. There was not blood, so I suspected my neighbor had been shooting at rabbits again with his pellet gun. He hit one once before and crippled it and I had to perform a mercy killing on it to keep it from suffering.

Well, I had to do the same for this one as well. This one was a lot more active than the last one so it was a bit harder to perform the act, but at least it went quicker this time. I took the creature around back, laid him on the ground against a brick wall and gently placed my foot against him. I took my air rifle and pumped it up 15 times, chambered a BB, and fired into the back of the rabbit's skull. It immediately went limp. To make sure he was out, I fired another round into the back of his skull. When I was reasonably sure he was gone, I wrapped him up and placed him in a double plastic bag.

When I caught up with my wife she asked me if it was over and I said yes. She has a soft spot for critters and did not want to be around when I did what I had to do.

I was once asked, "Why kill, it? It will die eventually."

I consider leaving a creture to die a lot less humane than my alternative. A couple of rounds in the back of the creatures skull is quick and mostly painless. Leaving an injured animal on a sidewalk only invites cruelty from ignorant teens and children not to mention dogs, cats, or coyote's not being as merciful as I would be.

Well, after the walk, went to watch the Olympics for a while, but decided to read a bit more before I went to bed. Monday starts a new round of on call for me. To make things even more interesting, I am working solo this week while my colleague is on vacation. w00t!