31 December 2007
End of Year Review 2007
Cap turned 3
Amy Turned 31
I turned 33
Ella Mae arrived in August (2 1/2 weeks early).
I purchased my first "Artificial Tree" which looks surprising good considering I have not watered it.
The pressure plate in the mustang went out again.
I Purchased the Nikon D80 SLR camera, that's right it is a sweet camera.
I transferred out of the refinery!!!!
I was taking to my sister the drug-dealer in training (don't worry it is all legal) about the group called the Decemberist. She had not ever heard of them, and I kind of like some of their stuff. They have one song that is or was on the radio titled O Valencia!
We took Ella to the doctor today, she has a cold and an ear infection (I hope I am not violating HIPPA), while she and Amy were at the Doctors office, Cap and I went to Barns and Noble. I was going to purchase a few books, but I left my wallet at home. I felt a bit embarrassed buy the situation, because I realised I had no money after she said, "That will be 20.19." It did remind of my aunt Dorthy, who spilled the entire contents of the hospital cafeteria tray onto the floor.
29 December 2007
Cap Shoveling Snow
Yule
The Funeral was the second one that I have attended this month. Today it was Max Nuttall's funeral. Max was always at Church, the first one there on Sunday morning and he locked the doors once the service had completed. He was always happy and a pleasure to talk to. When I was learning how to play golf, I got to play with him a few times. There was a group of retirees that would hit the links at sun-up and he was usually there.
A few weeks ago I attend the funeral of Dorthy Fahle, who was a neighbor on the street that I grew up on. In the summer she and her husband (Mark) would sit on their front porch for a couple of hours each night. As a kid I would usually find my way down to visit. They were both wonderful people. The first few years that I lived on the block during the winter, Dorthy would have a bible study on Monday evenings for all the kids on the block.
On a side note, the word Yule means: Christmas or the Christmas Season. In case you wanted to know.
27 December 2007
Merry Christmas
12 December 2007
Snow, Ice and Rain
I watched an interview with Mike Huckabee on Sunday morning, and I noticed two major points about all of his responses. He did not criticize the other opponents on anything and he actually answered the questions. I was quite impressed. He seemed genuine, especially when you pit him against some other politicians (Ted Kennedy for example.)
This week Jerry Jones (the owner of the Dallas Cowgirls) and some NFL guy testified to the Texas House Regulated Industries Committee about the cowgirls not being on normal cable. I read a report in the paper that quoted Jones as saying, “As America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys have millions of fans outside the home market who are being kept in the dark by Big Cable."
Of course, on the other side Todd Baxter, general counsel for the Texas Cable Association, said, "The billionaire NFL owners have every right to make more money, but they need to be intellectually honest about it and stop blaming the cable companies."
In my opinion, the state government should not be involved. This should be dealt with as most business deals are dealt with. If the cowgirl fans want to watch them play on the NFL network, the cough up the money and pay, or protest professional football all together. My vote is for college football or even Baseball. Also, I think someone should really tell Jerry Jones that the Cowgirls are not America's team.
30 November 2007
Life in the Fast Lane
The wind has been blowing strongly yesterday and is forecast to blow hard today as well. During the night it switched from the North to the South, and is part of mother nature's plan to de-leaf all trees in the Texas Panhandle.
The Christmas lights are going up all over town, along with the environmentally friendly policy of cutting healthy trees down and sticking them inside a house for a month. Where the trees become a fire hazard and cleanup mess. On the other hand you can purchase a plastic tree, where you will save a tree. If you think about it, instead of having a nice biodegradable tree to dispose of, the plastic tree will be around for the next thousand years, if not more. Of course if your name is Clark W. Griswold, you will drive out to the county and pull your tree up. Note: This house has not decided on a tree this year.
An interesting article that I ran across in the Newspaper. I find the first few paragraphs the most amusing.
Local couple receives a sweet homecoming
Three Amigos
27 November 2007
On the Fast Track
The caption is to small to read so I have written it below.
D 1942 Willys MB Junior Replica On the road again, this time in an authentic replica of a real Willys, sized for kids. Just as tough as its grown-up version, the 2/3 scale model has a 5.5 hp engine that goes up to 20 mph on private property (no streets, please!). Detailed with a cushioned canvas seat with room for two, plus working headlights, seat belts, side mirror, rollbar, and all-terrain tires, including a spare. This set of wheels is also designed with an additional brake pedal on the passenger side that parents can use to teach about safety and the responsibility of driving. Includes steel roll bar (not shown) as a safety feature and a removable canvas top for covered driving. Gasoline powered. 7' x 3'. SPECIAL ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW TWO WEEKS FOR DELIVERY GIFT WRAP NOT AVAILABLE. AGES 12 AND UP. $9,900 EACH ($900)
26 November 2007
Thanksgiving
22 November 2007
Happy Thanksgiving
16 November 2007
Where is the Fall
The kids are doing well, they are both growing, and it has been quite a change having Ella around. She has been responding alot lately to funny faces that I make, which is exciting. I should not that Cap has also been responding to the funny faces that I make.
If you have a chance you should listen to "Breathe" by Michael W. Smith.
21 October 2007
New Concrete
Ella slept through the night last night, or at least she did not need a snack like I did. I have never really been good at sleeping through the night, I can remember as a kid waking up in the middle of the night, going downstairs and eating Goldfish crackers while watching CNN. (It was in the day after cable, but only 13 channels.)
Cap helped me in the backyard yesterday, we go an area ready to cement in. Once it was ready I began the process of making the cement on sack at a time. Ten sacks (800 lbs) later I had a nice little slab pour over an area that is always overgrown and difficult to maintain. Everyone, but Cap, (including Mazie the Wonderdog) put their hand or foot print in the wet concrete. For some reason Cap did not want to put his hand in.
Amy called on Thursday to inform me that the people were going to put in the new patio door. I said that i would have cleaned off the porch if they would have given us more notice. It looks nice, slides easy and locks. It is a much needed improvement.
10 October 2007
Digging
As of late, I have had no major revelations about life, or the world around me. However, I do want to interject that the Red Sox will be playing the Indians in the ALCS, and once again the Cubs lost out in the playoffs. The Curse of the Billy Goat lives on.
07 October 2007
Fall
20 September 2007
Life on the Front Porch
Bear came over to see everyone one, he had been busy, one of their doggies danced with a skunk this morning and had to have the old tomato bath.
19 September 2007
Changes
27 August 2007
Pretty In Pink
Cap has an identity crisis when it comes to the BIG 12, he wears a Texas Tech Hat and a Nebraska Shirt.
A Random Smattering
It is not just limited to the writing routine being upset or upended. I am also in a funk about spending lots of time with the family or working hard on all of these extra curricular activities. Lately I have put aside the extra curricular activities. I do not see how some people do it. Work, family, community, they a focused on all of these areas of life. I think that some people, and culture in general pushes people to run on the ragged edge. Once you examine the list again you will find, work, family, community. There are a few things missing, one is self, the other is God. I think that everyone needs to devote energy to themselves from time to time. If you do not you will break at some point.
If you are not focused on God you will glorify something else. It could be work, it could be sports, it could be gambling, or worse. (It is the nature of humans to rank everything. From hurricanes to sins, of course, sin is just turning your back on God. This can be done just as much by sports, work or gambling, as it can the love of the "Building" that a church is housed in.)
Ezekiel 46:19-20 -- " In my vision, the man brought me through the entrance beside the gateway and led me to the sacred rooms assigned to the priests, which faced toward the north. He showed me a place at the extreme west end of these rooms. He explained, “This is where the priests will cook the meat from the guilt offerings and sin offerings and bake the flour from the grain offerings into bread. They will do it here to avoid carrying the sacrifices through the outer courtyard and endangering the people by transmitting holiness to them.”
In the temple at Jerusalem there was a special kitchen built so that the people in the court yard would not be endangered with what we should be seeking today, holiness. For if we are seeking holiness, then we will be searching for Christ and his will for our lives.
Are we as Christians searching for holiness? Is the church searching for holiness or are we just trying to get by?
19 August 2007
The BIg Swim Party
Tonight the church had a family fun night at a local (within 15miles) swimming pool. (On a side note, I find it interesting that Borger has had the same pool with little improvements since the 50's or 60's while a smaller community is able to build an entire new pool with slides and a great place for small kids to swim and play.) It was fun, Cap and I went, as well as many of the other young families. Honey, Bear, Crash, and Natalie came too. Cap went down the big slide by himself after numerous trips with me, Bear, and Natalie.
Crash riding solo...
Cap and Dad
(Dad is smiling behind Cap's head)
Brandon's "Big Splash"
18 August 2007
The Backyard
So now, I sit in the backyard on the porch in a chair...
14 August 2007
Norman Rockwell
09 August 2007
First Bath
Last night Amy and I also watched a documentary on Stax Records, a recording company based out of Memphis that I had never heard of. They put out some of the great hits of the 60's including Otis Reading. It aired on PBS between 3:00 am and 5:00 am.
07 August 2007
Early Arrival
26 July 2007
Names
Joseph: (Hebrew) God will add, God will increase.
Conlan: (Irish) hero.
Henry: (German) ruler of the household.
As D-Day approaches for the launch of number 2 a certain amount of anxiety is rising because a name has not been selected yet. Amy and I have decided on Cathrine Mae "Katie" for a girl. In the event that we have a boy, no name has been selected. I do not quite grasp why it has been difficult to come up with a name for number 2. Perhaps it is that we do not spend as much time talking about it because we have Cap to keep up with. I have read a book that has 30,000 names, and highlight all the names that I liked. We, or at least Amy, actually has a book with 100,000 names. I did not know that the world had that many names, of course they are not all American names.
Alas it is time to start the water in the backyard. Hopefully without any tractor sprinkler incidents.
20 July 2007
Stomach Issues
This is me running the rig. Stuck pump...
Again, this is Bear and me. I am not entirely sure what we are doing.
17 July 2007
15 July 2007
Return from Lubbock
Saturday morning we went to the Science Spectrum. We all had a good time, I think that Cap and I had more fun that Amy. Cap enjoyed all the exhibits, and was enamoured with the model RR that they have along with the fish exhibits. It was a tiring trip, as Cap did not go to sleep early. Tonight he did go to sleep at his normal time which is a good thing. I took a few pictures of where I used to live and work in Lubbock, they are at the bottom, along with one of 126 picture I took tonight.
This is where I lived in Lubbock, not to shabby...
Central Heating and Cooling Plant 1
Blowing Bubbles
13 July 2007
Random Thoughts on July 13, 2007
I feel rather distracted by life and work, and have had a difficult time connecting with anything other than work and working on the house. Both of which are tiring enterprises. I have come to realize that I am most likely an introverted person. This is particularly true in the warm summer evenings when I sit on the back porch with Mazie (she is not a person, only the wonderdog) and read a book. Or perhaps I chersih the time I get to spend alone because there is not much of it...
On a side note, I still have a cold and a cough, I have had these for about 3 weeks. It is really getting old. Also, it is fun coming to a place that you once lived and seeing the changes that have occurred. Tomorrow we get to attend a wedding, one of Amy's cousins. It is the Annual family wedding. I am sure that we will all have a good time.
10 July 2007
Closet Cleaning
The Korean War Memorial
Arlington
08 July 2007
More Books
Books
The original one was the first picture.
04 July 2007
4th of July
Tonight I cooked some hamburgers and bratwurst for Amy, Cap, Father and Bear. They came over and we had a good meal and a good time. We watched some of the show that took place on the mall at Washington DC. I always liked going to Washington. I think it is a neat city. Father and Marian took me and my cousin Loa when we were 12. It was a blast, we looked all over town and rode the subway. Amy and I went a few years ago for three days after a wedding. It was also a great time, we managed to get an almost private tour of the Capitol building with a congress persons' staff.
30 June 2007
Invasion of the June Bugs
25 June 2007
Hey There Delilah
Back to the Music...
I have heard several songs that I really like, and would like to purchase on the radio, but I have not caught the title or artist. It is a bummer, I would try to sing them but this is a blog... ...and as everyone knows, you cannot sing in a blog. I also purchased "Spiderweb" by No Doubt, which is my favorite song that they did. It came out and was popular one winter, I remember sitting in a condo after skiing all day watching the video for the song and wondering why she was dating the drummer in the band. Some things you just never figure out.