Since I was busy yesterday, I figured that I would make up Happy Hump Day today. This week, with the 4th of July around the corner, I figured a Fireworks laden story is a must.
The year was...let's just say a few years ago and leave it at that. The setting was my home. I was young...er than I am now. We had made a trip down to Missouri and picked up the most fireworks we had ever gotten. We actually filled dad's trunk. It was impressive. We had firecrackers, bottle rockets, mortars, you name it, dad had it. We also figured that in order to do it safely we should have a bit of extra fuse. Turns out, dad ended up with 500 yards of cannon fuse. We had a great fourth and used almost every piece of fireworks we had (I think we had 3 bottle rockets and a couple strings of firecrackers left). What about the canon fuse, you ask? Yup, you guessed it, we had at least 450 yards of cannon fuse left as well. And that's where this story really begins.
The first thing you need to understand is that my dad had a memory like a rusty steel trap. By that I mean that it was usually stuck open, but would snap shut on the weirdest memories at the weirdest times. In other words, he would forget about a lot of irrelevant things and you could count on him forgetting things that held no day to day relevance (until he needed to remember it). This meant that us kids used it to our advantage. For instance, we knew that dad would forget that he had a dozen cookies and that thus we were clear to eat them. This worked most times. We just had to take note of how many dad had eaten and whether or not he might want more. And thus we knew he would forget about the roll of cannon fuse. Especially if he didn't see it every day. Thus about a month later I pulled it out from the back of the shed so my friends and I could experiment.
After determining that it was near useless as a fire starter, and that its burn rate was consistent (I can't remember what it was), we decided to use it for more interesting experiments. About that same time, my friend John found an old piece of sewer pipe in our local junkyard. It was about 3 ft long and a good 6 inches in diameter. He also discovered a small cache of used bowling balls in the same junkyard. After parting with about $20 of our combined money, we had these in our possession. At first we just stared at our new acquisitions. We already knew the bowling balls were a snug fit in the pipe, but other than that we had no idea why we bought them. That was until our friend Tom came along.
"Buildin' a cannon?" He asked innocently.
I saw John's eyes go wide just as the light came on in my head. "Yes...Yes we are." We said simultaneously.
At that point things began to happen rapidly. We decided to build the cannon in the back of John's truck as we figured we wouldn't want to lift it after it was built (we couldn't fire it at home for obvious reasons). Thus it was that with a lot of careful planning and thought (mainly a lot of guess work and nodding), we had a cannon sitting in John's truck. Allow me to describe this work of 4 teenagers with limited resources (namely what we were able scrounge up or "borrow"). The base was a 3 ft by 3 ft square of concrete 12 inches thick (turns out dad had a few scrap 2x12's sitting in the barn) with a hunk of sewer pipe sticking out of it at roughly a 45 degree angle. We had drilled a hole slightly larger than the cannon fuse we had into the pipe using a borrowed drill and drill bits. As we stared at our creation while the cement dried we discussed where to go to test fire the cannon and what to use as propellant. More precisely, whose father would unknowingly supply the propellant, since all of our fathers had black powder rifles at home. We decided that since it was a group effort, we would all contribute equally. Thus it was that we ended up in the middle of a field overlooking a pond with 6 one pound cans of black powder, 5 bowling balls, 450 feet of cannon fuse, and our homemade cannon.
The next debate which reared its head was how much powder to use. We argued for what must have been an hour before John insisted that we remove the cannon from the back of his truck prior to firing it. He used the tried and true method of getting up a bunch of speed in reverse then slamming on the brakes. The cannon managed to land upright and bury itself 4 inches into the soft field aimed in the general direction of the pond. After John had moved his truck a good 50 ft from the cannon we commenced to load it. As we poured in the powder we decided to fill it enough to cover the fuse hole and hide the concrete bottom. This amount was approximately 1 can. For those of you not familiar with black powder, a typical rifle uses less than 1/2 ounce of black powder and most cannons use maybe 1/2 pound to launch a 12 pound ball. Our bowling balls were about 11 pounds and we used a full pound of black powder. Because our fathers used black powder to hunt, we were familiar with how to load a black powder rifle and used those principles on the cannon. Thus we used newspaper as wadding between the bowling ball and the powder. After packing it in we shoved in the fuse and fed out enough so that we were behind Johns truck for the launch (turns out we were just chicken enough not to kill ourselves), and lit the fuse.
Turns out, when you are waiting for an explosion, fuses burn really slow. They also have a bad habit of reaching the explosive at the exact same time as you poke your head up to make sure it is still burning. Thus I was able to witness the 6 ft flame as the bowling ball left the cannon with a roar. It took me a few minutes to realize why the world was silent and an hour for the sound (ringing though it was) to return. The bowling ball cleared the pond which was at least a quarter mile away and landed in a cloud of dust. I observed my friends jump up and down for a few brief minutes in what I could only assume was celebration. It was then that they realized they couldn't hear either. As we inspected our cannon, we noticed that the based was not only cracked, but broken and buried in the field. The barrel still smoking with remnants of burning newspaper hanging out of it. When our hearing returned, we decided that the cannon should be returned to the junkyard from whence it came and that it was Tom's dad who lost a pound of black powder to "random events."
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
If I drew a blank, Why are there words?
I am kinda stuck on what to write today. I think I hurt something yesterday with all my thinking. Anyway, I realized that I failed to give my weekend update. Turns out that I managed to finish the case I was working on Friday. It turned out wonderfully. Now I need to finish the roof. In fact the rest of this week is going to be pretty busy. I need to move the camper, which means stowing it then moving it. Tomorrow, we are taking John out. The roof needs done, still. I really need to mow the yard, and Saturday is shot with doing the fireworks stand. This is why I dislike swings. By the time you wake up, you have less than 6 hours to eat 2 meals, get dressed, work, and spend time with the family, before you go to work. It really does shorten the day. At least working day shift, you only have to eat one meal and you don't have to wait on everyone to wake up and the day to warm a little before you go out to work. Mowing dew soaked grass takes twice as long as waiting for the afternoon to mow. Oh well.
The really sad thing in all this is that I have no idea what we are doing with John tomorrow. Since it will be over lunch and we have put ridiculously tight restraints on what we are spending, I really have no clue how to make it special. It really shouldn't be a McDonald's then home thing, but I am really stuck on what to do. We'll figure it out I suppose.
Well, I really don't have much to say so I will end this with the usual. May you have a wonderful evening.
The really sad thing in all this is that I have no idea what we are doing with John tomorrow. Since it will be over lunch and we have put ridiculously tight restraints on what we are spending, I really have no clue how to make it special. It really shouldn't be a McDonald's then home thing, but I am really stuck on what to do. We'll figure it out I suppose.
Well, I really don't have much to say so I will end this with the usual. May you have a wonderful evening.
Monday, June 27, 2011
New feature: Manic Monday. (warning political and religious content) The Bible VS. Gay Marriage.
I've decided that I've avoided hot button issues long enough. So I give you Manic Mondays. Once a week I will go ahead and rant on whatever happens to be bothering me at the time.
Today I am going to talk about gay marriage VS The Bible. This is a quick rundown on what I believe. It is not all inclusive, but the basis of my beliefs. This is probably the hottest issue we have today and it continues to haunt us. The catalyst for this discussion today, is the fact that New York state just recently passed a law allowing gay marriage. The thing that really disgusts me is the arguments used against us Christians.
I recall having this discussion with one of my FB friends a while ago. At the time I was not as well read on the subject and was unable to effectively counter his arguments as I always operate on the rule that if I can't back it up with my own research, then I shouldn't say it. His argument was that the bible doesn't expressly forbid gay marriage nor homosexuality and thus Christians had no basis for argument. To further compound this is the fact that I continue to see time and again where the bible has been skewed with the gay community stating that God loves them and thus it's OK. While it is true that God loves them, God loves all sinners and will readily forgive and love any sinner who confesses his sin and honestly seeks to come to him. So yes, in that sense, God loves gays, just as he loves all sinners, this doesn't mean that he will ever condone the sin. As for the argument that the bible doesn't forbid homosexuality, that too is wrong. I give you:
8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
There are other examples but that is the clearest. As for Gay marriage the answer isn't as clear. The bible doesn't come out and say directly no gay marriage. It does, however, point directly to marriage being between a man and a woman. Every passage I have ever read in the bible that refers to marriage (and I have read nearly all of them), refers to husband and wife. Since the idea that any sex can be husband or wife is a recent development (I would guess the 1960's at the earliest), the argument that this can mean gay marriage is OK is invalid. That would be like implying that when Shakespeare said to light the fags in one of his plays he was meaning to burn the gays. It's just silly. To retroactively apply a modern (albeit twisted) definition of a term to a past document to attain a desired meaning is not only dishonest, but blatantly wrong. Thus, the arguments that the bible is not against gay marriage and homosexuality is flawed at it's most basic sense.
If there is one thing where the bible is most clear, it is the issue of sex. Throughout the entire bible, sex is reserved for marriage. The bible is very clear that, within the confines of marriage, sex is a beautiful and wonderful thing that should be shared intimately and often. Since the bible states that marriage is between a husband and wife (male and female), this means that sex should only be between a man and a woman who are married. Note that I didn't say married couple, I said man and woman who are married. Since sex outside of marriage is wrong and only a man and woman can be husband and wife and husband and wife are male and female, not only is gay marriage wrong so is gay sex. For these reasons, I cannot and will not condone gay marriage. Sorry if this has offended anyone, but it is how I feel on this issue. If you have an argument that is biblical based, please present it. I do not do this out of hate nor will I come and protest at your wedding. I will not preach hate to get my message across, I will simply pass on God's love for you. May god bless and watch over you.
Today I am going to talk about gay marriage VS The Bible. This is a quick rundown on what I believe. It is not all inclusive, but the basis of my beliefs. This is probably the hottest issue we have today and it continues to haunt us. The catalyst for this discussion today, is the fact that New York state just recently passed a law allowing gay marriage. The thing that really disgusts me is the arguments used against us Christians.
I recall having this discussion with one of my FB friends a while ago. At the time I was not as well read on the subject and was unable to effectively counter his arguments as I always operate on the rule that if I can't back it up with my own research, then I shouldn't say it. His argument was that the bible doesn't expressly forbid gay marriage nor homosexuality and thus Christians had no basis for argument. To further compound this is the fact that I continue to see time and again where the bible has been skewed with the gay community stating that God loves them and thus it's OK. While it is true that God loves them, God loves all sinners and will readily forgive and love any sinner who confesses his sin and honestly seeks to come to him. So yes, in that sense, God loves gays, just as he loves all sinners, this doesn't mean that he will ever condone the sin. As for the argument that the bible doesn't forbid homosexuality, that too is wrong. I give you:
1 Timothy 1:8-11
New International Version (NIV)
There are other examples but that is the clearest. As for Gay marriage the answer isn't as clear. The bible doesn't come out and say directly no gay marriage. It does, however, point directly to marriage being between a man and a woman. Every passage I have ever read in the bible that refers to marriage (and I have read nearly all of them), refers to husband and wife. Since the idea that any sex can be husband or wife is a recent development (I would guess the 1960's at the earliest), the argument that this can mean gay marriage is OK is invalid. That would be like implying that when Shakespeare said to light the fags in one of his plays he was meaning to burn the gays. It's just silly. To retroactively apply a modern (albeit twisted) definition of a term to a past document to attain a desired meaning is not only dishonest, but blatantly wrong. Thus, the arguments that the bible is not against gay marriage and homosexuality is flawed at it's most basic sense.
If there is one thing where the bible is most clear, it is the issue of sex. Throughout the entire bible, sex is reserved for marriage. The bible is very clear that, within the confines of marriage, sex is a beautiful and wonderful thing that should be shared intimately and often. Since the bible states that marriage is between a husband and wife (male and female), this means that sex should only be between a man and a woman who are married. Note that I didn't say married couple, I said man and woman who are married. Since sex outside of marriage is wrong and only a man and woman can be husband and wife and husband and wife are male and female, not only is gay marriage wrong so is gay sex. For these reasons, I cannot and will not condone gay marriage. Sorry if this has offended anyone, but it is how I feel on this issue. If you have an argument that is biblical based, please present it. I do not do this out of hate nor will I come and protest at your wedding. I will not preach hate to get my message across, I will simply pass on God's love for you. May god bless and watch over you.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Weekends: time to relax by keeping busy.
So, after a full week on swings, I can officially say, thank God it's Friday. This week has been interesting to say the least. I realize more and more why I dislike swings. It seems that just as you get going on a project, you have to stop to go to work. Take today for example. The grill for my camper has a case that is falling apart, so I decided to make a new one. I went out yesterday and dropped $18 on materials (denim, zippers, etc.). Today I cut the pieces and started putting it together. I got about 1/2 done before I had to stop for lunch and then get ready to leave for work. So, now I have to figure out when I can finish it between our plans for Saturday and Sunday and still get the other chores around the house done. This makes 2 half finished projects at my house (De-mossing the roof is the other one).
On the bright side, I got the word that the sermons I missed last year are going to be ready for me to pick up soon. I so enjoy listening to the series over again on my way to and from work. It really helps me to focus and gives me something to think about. I finished "CSI: Iran, a Look into the book of Esther" yesterday and I have nothing to listen to until I get the new series. I may start one of the old ones over again, but I don't know.
This weekend is looking pretty busy as well. We have reservations to see Cars 2 in the morning and then in the evening Laura is heading out with friends. Sunday of course is Church followed by an afternoon of whatever (we are still unsure of what to do). At first I was thinking of doing a pork loin for supper Sunday, but now that I think on it, I really want to grill something. What I am not sure of right now, but I will most definitely look into what I want to do and plan for it for Sunday. To bad my wife doesn't know it yet, she could help decide (Yes, dear I know you read this and this is a not so subtle hint). Oh well. Maybe tomorrow won't be as busy as I think.
Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy what you have.
On the bright side, I got the word that the sermons I missed last year are going to be ready for me to pick up soon. I so enjoy listening to the series over again on my way to and from work. It really helps me to focus and gives me something to think about. I finished "CSI: Iran, a Look into the book of Esther" yesterday and I have nothing to listen to until I get the new series. I may start one of the old ones over again, but I don't know.
This weekend is looking pretty busy as well. We have reservations to see Cars 2 in the morning and then in the evening Laura is heading out with friends. Sunday of course is Church followed by an afternoon of whatever (we are still unsure of what to do). At first I was thinking of doing a pork loin for supper Sunday, but now that I think on it, I really want to grill something. What I am not sure of right now, but I will most definitely look into what I want to do and plan for it for Sunday. To bad my wife doesn't know it yet, she could help decide (Yes, dear I know you read this and this is a not so subtle hint). Oh well. Maybe tomorrow won't be as busy as I think.
Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy what you have.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
What?
So, today I got everything I needed to make a new case for my camper's outside grill. Then, when I got home, I got sidetracked by my wife reminding me that we needed to demoss the roof. I got my 2 older boys up there along with my wife and we went to work. After 2 hours of clearing moss, we found we were about a third of the way done. To make it even more interesting, my oldest inherited his dad's fear of heights. Anytime I said or did anything that remotely involved how high we were, he immediately would yelp and lay flat. While it was slightly annoying, it was also rather hilarious as he was never near the edge and the roof has a very gentle slope. Luckily I was able to keep from laughing. I just had to remember how scared I was of heights at his age.
Speaking of my oldest, I have decided it is time that he cook on his own. I decided that he would make us Chocolate chip cookies on his own for us tomorrow. I told him that he can ask, but he is in charge of doing it. He is nervous, but I am confident he can do it.
We have decided to try something this summer. We are going to take each of our kids out one at a time. Just the kid, mom, and dad. To make it fair, we have decided to go from oldest to youngest. Thus, we are trying to line up baby sitting for our 3 youngest for Saturday afternoon. I left it up to Laura.
As you can probably tell by now, I really don't have much for a train of though right now. There really isn't much I on which I wish to comment so I will just call it a day. Have a good night.
Speaking of my oldest, I have decided it is time that he cook on his own. I decided that he would make us Chocolate chip cookies on his own for us tomorrow. I told him that he can ask, but he is in charge of doing it. He is nervous, but I am confident he can do it.
We have decided to try something this summer. We are going to take each of our kids out one at a time. Just the kid, mom, and dad. To make it fair, we have decided to go from oldest to youngest. Thus, we are trying to line up baby sitting for our 3 youngest for Saturday afternoon. I left it up to Laura.
As you can probably tell by now, I really don't have much for a train of though right now. There really isn't much I on which I wish to comment so I will just call it a day. Have a good night.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Boy's VS. Bulls: Sometimes when you win, you lose.
It's happy Hump Day! So, this is a story from my teenage years. Yes, I had them and survived them...barely. As you all should know, I am an avid fisherman. What that has to do with this story is anyone's guess, but I thought I'd throw that out there. Anyway, until I got my drivers license, I was stuck fishing ponds that I could either walk to, bike to, or that my dad drove me to. Thus, my experience in fishing until I was 16 was limited to about a 5 mile radius. The problem with this was that the largest pond within 5 miles was in the middle of a pasture with one of the meanest bulls I have ever had the pleasure of running from. Let me correct that, it should read displeasure since it is kind of hard to be happy about trying to outrun 2 tons of angry beef while carrying 40 pounds of fishing tackle and poles. This probably explains why the fishing was so darn good. The good thing about the pond was that, once you got there, it was protected. There was a fence around it and the cattle weren't allowed near it. The pond was visible from the highway and we could see the fence around it. That was the reason we were determined to fish it.
I remember the first time we were actually able to fish it. It took us 3 days of trying before we were actually able to reach the pond. The first day was spent learning the speed of an angry bull. Fast, darn fast. From that data, we were able to determine just how far away the bull had to be for us to reach the fence before the bull could use us as horn ornaments. We figured that if we added on a few yards as a "safety" margin we'd be fine. The problem? All of our calculations were done while we were unladen. Turns out, we couldn't run near as fast when loaded down with the proper fishing gear. We managed to forget this until we were 100 yards into the field on the second day.
"Does he seem to be gaining on us a bit quicker than yesterday?" John managed to ask between wheezes.
"Yup," was my reply as I did a U-turn and headed back to the highway.
I still remember the how glad I was when I was finally clear of the fence and couldn't smell the stench of chewn grass. I never realized just how bad bull breath could be. I was also unaware just how easy it could be to clear a 5 foot tall barbwire fence with 40 pounds of fishing gear at full speed. When I finally caught up with John a mile down the road, we decided we had to throw out the previous days data and recalculate. Thus we spent the better part of the day on research. We were later accused of teasing the bull, in our defense, neither of us were that stupid.
Our final conclusion was that we would just have to wait until the bull was at the far side of the pasture before we attempted the crossing. That moment finally arrived about mid morning. We decided that rather than starting at an all out sprint we would make our way in a controlled fashion until the bull decided to move toward us. Thus we were halfway to the pond when we noticed the freight train en route. Within 2 steps we were at top speed and we managed to clear the fence quite quickly. We were elated, we were finally going to be able to fish this beautiful pond.
Only 2 things ruined that day of fishing. First off, after about an hour and 10 fish later, we realized the bull wasn't leaving the fence and we had no way to get back to the highway and our bikes. The second thing occurred when we were finally able to get the farmers attention and have him save us. As he was driving us out of the field, he taught us both a valuable lesson.
"You know, if you'd of asked," he said calmly, "I'd have moved ol' Brutus into the north pasture for the week. Next time just call me before you head out there."
At least we got our exercise.
I remember the first time we were actually able to fish it. It took us 3 days of trying before we were actually able to reach the pond. The first day was spent learning the speed of an angry bull. Fast, darn fast. From that data, we were able to determine just how far away the bull had to be for us to reach the fence before the bull could use us as horn ornaments. We figured that if we added on a few yards as a "safety" margin we'd be fine. The problem? All of our calculations were done while we were unladen. Turns out, we couldn't run near as fast when loaded down with the proper fishing gear. We managed to forget this until we were 100 yards into the field on the second day.
"Does he seem to be gaining on us a bit quicker than yesterday?" John managed to ask between wheezes.
"Yup," was my reply as I did a U-turn and headed back to the highway.
I still remember the how glad I was when I was finally clear of the fence and couldn't smell the stench of chewn grass. I never realized just how bad bull breath could be. I was also unaware just how easy it could be to clear a 5 foot tall barbwire fence with 40 pounds of fishing gear at full speed. When I finally caught up with John a mile down the road, we decided we had to throw out the previous days data and recalculate. Thus we spent the better part of the day on research. We were later accused of teasing the bull, in our defense, neither of us were that stupid.
Our final conclusion was that we would just have to wait until the bull was at the far side of the pasture before we attempted the crossing. That moment finally arrived about mid morning. We decided that rather than starting at an all out sprint we would make our way in a controlled fashion until the bull decided to move toward us. Thus we were halfway to the pond when we noticed the freight train en route. Within 2 steps we were at top speed and we managed to clear the fence quite quickly. We were elated, we were finally going to be able to fish this beautiful pond.
Only 2 things ruined that day of fishing. First off, after about an hour and 10 fish later, we realized the bull wasn't leaving the fence and we had no way to get back to the highway and our bikes. The second thing occurred when we were finally able to get the farmers attention and have him save us. As he was driving us out of the field, he taught us both a valuable lesson.
"You know, if you'd of asked," he said calmly, "I'd have moved ol' Brutus into the north pasture for the week. Next time just call me before you head out there."
At least we got our exercise.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Apologies, Fixing things, and QA: three things that go together but are mutually exclusive.
So, I was at home last night and it came to me that I came off as a bit of a whiny jerk in my early post on Monday. I need to apologize for that. I really didn't want to sound like I was whining, I know there are those out there who have it worse and that it could be worse for me. It was an undesirable situation, but it was still my job.
Now that that is done, what to write on today? How about I just update you all on current events. A few weeks ago I mentioned fixing the camper. Well, I got it done. It cost $400 dollars, but it is fixed. Now we just need to load it out for camping and hope the weather holds out. We are going to try for this weekend, but we'll see.
Now for the fun part. I just finished a 30 minute discussion with a surface Chief about the use of QA signs. I think he was more confused when he left than when he arrived. The sad thing is, he was right and wrong at the same time. It just goes to prove that you should never get into an argument on QA with people who do it for a living. Whether you are right or wrong, you'll never know because we'll never tell you. And when we do, it will be with so many caveats that you're sure to mess one up, then you're wrong again. The saddest part of all this is, QA changes so quickly and so often understanding it is like trying to hold on to warm jello with oil covered latex gloves while hanging upside down, darn near impossible (although I am sure there is at least one joker out there who can do it and make it look easy.) Sometimes I love my job.
Anyway, I think that about covers it for today. Have fun and I'll see you tomorrow for Happy Hump Day.
Now that that is done, what to write on today? How about I just update you all on current events. A few weeks ago I mentioned fixing the camper. Well, I got it done. It cost $400 dollars, but it is fixed. Now we just need to load it out for camping and hope the weather holds out. We are going to try for this weekend, but we'll see.
Now for the fun part. I just finished a 30 minute discussion with a surface Chief about the use of QA signs. I think he was more confused when he left than when he arrived. The sad thing is, he was right and wrong at the same time. It just goes to prove that you should never get into an argument on QA with people who do it for a living. Whether you are right or wrong, you'll never know because we'll never tell you. And when we do, it will be with so many caveats that you're sure to mess one up, then you're wrong again. The saddest part of all this is, QA changes so quickly and so often understanding it is like trying to hold on to warm jello with oil covered latex gloves while hanging upside down, darn near impossible (although I am sure there is at least one joker out there who can do it and make it look easy.) Sometimes I love my job.
Anyway, I think that about covers it for today. Have fun and I'll see you tomorrow for Happy Hump Day.
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Trio of faith miracles, science, and knowledge.
So There has been a recent discussion that has been weighing on my mind. A friend of mine on Face book, who is a staunch Atheist, called the bible a fable and fairy tale based on a few of the stories (Jonah and the whale for example). He automatically dismissed them and thus the entire bible. Normally, this wouldn't bother me that much as I believe that people have the right to believe as they wish and that it is better to lead by example rather than by pushing. Anyway, this time it really irked me. I now realize why. It wasn't so much the unbelief, it was the fact that he was willing to dismiss the entire bible out of hand.
For those of you who have chosen not to believe in God, here is my issue. You claim that there is no evidence of God. Then, when a writing that has been verified through archeology and other non religious texts (yes, I am describing the bible) to be accurate in many details, it is dismissed out of hand for several passages that have no naturalistic explanation and thus "could not have happened".
Think on this. If every act of God had a Naturalistic explanation, what kind of God would he be? On the other hand, if an event has no naturalistic explanation and can be proven that no naturalistic explanation exists, would this not prove the existence of a supernatural event? In other words, the supernatural events that you dismiss as false because they couldn't happen naturally are proof to the believer of God's existence. When you dismiss the supernatural explanation, you dismiss God. I guess the meat and potatoes is this, if you can't accept that a God exists, then you can't accept the existence of the supernatural. Thus, the supernatural never happened and any mention of it nullifies anything associated with it.
Now for the flip side. Not everything is a supernatural event. What this means is that there is much that science can explain and should. All to often, we as Christians are to willing to jump on the God did it band wagon and dismiss all scientific research. There is ample scientific evidence for many things and thus a supernatural explanation is not required. To try and apply a supernatural explanation to things that science has adequately explained and proven is to live in ignorance.
Just because you are a scientist, doesn't mean you have to give up God. And just because you are religious, doesn't mean you have to give up science. The two are not mutually exclusive. In fact they enhance each other. God encourages us to ask questions and seek answers. " 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. " Matthew 7. This applies to many things, not just the search for God. I have found that when I study the sciences, I find God more and more. This doesn't mean that when I find something I don't understand, I stop and say "God did it." It just spurs me on to find out more. How can I believe that random chance is responsible for all the increasing complexities I see in nature. The balance that exists is awe inspiring. Then there is the fact that I can appreciate the beauty that is in nature and that nature is in fact beautiful. More beautiful than is necessary for naturalistic functions. God and science are not mutually exclusive and do not cancel each other, they only enhance each other.
In all, I guess that my real problem with his remarks wasn't so much with his disbelief, as with how I reacted. I allowed myself be angered by it and rather than studying up on what I should say, I ignored the post and let it stew. This was wrong and it I apologize for it. He is entitled to his beliefs and I only hope that he can forgive me my attitude. Than you for allowing me to rant on this. I look forward to any comments you may have.
For those of you who have chosen not to believe in God, here is my issue. You claim that there is no evidence of God. Then, when a writing that has been verified through archeology and other non religious texts (yes, I am describing the bible) to be accurate in many details, it is dismissed out of hand for several passages that have no naturalistic explanation and thus "could not have happened".
Think on this. If every act of God had a Naturalistic explanation, what kind of God would he be? On the other hand, if an event has no naturalistic explanation and can be proven that no naturalistic explanation exists, would this not prove the existence of a supernatural event? In other words, the supernatural events that you dismiss as false because they couldn't happen naturally are proof to the believer of God's existence. When you dismiss the supernatural explanation, you dismiss God. I guess the meat and potatoes is this, if you can't accept that a God exists, then you can't accept the existence of the supernatural. Thus, the supernatural never happened and any mention of it nullifies anything associated with it.
Now for the flip side. Not everything is a supernatural event. What this means is that there is much that science can explain and should. All to often, we as Christians are to willing to jump on the God did it band wagon and dismiss all scientific research. There is ample scientific evidence for many things and thus a supernatural explanation is not required. To try and apply a supernatural explanation to things that science has adequately explained and proven is to live in ignorance.
Just because you are a scientist, doesn't mean you have to give up God. And just because you are religious, doesn't mean you have to give up science. The two are not mutually exclusive. In fact they enhance each other. God encourages us to ask questions and seek answers. " 7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. " Matthew 7. This applies to many things, not just the search for God. I have found that when I study the sciences, I find God more and more. This doesn't mean that when I find something I don't understand, I stop and say "God did it." It just spurs me on to find out more. How can I believe that random chance is responsible for all the increasing complexities I see in nature. The balance that exists is awe inspiring. Then there is the fact that I can appreciate the beauty that is in nature and that nature is in fact beautiful. More beautiful than is necessary for naturalistic functions. God and science are not mutually exclusive and do not cancel each other, they only enhance each other.
In all, I guess that my real problem with his remarks wasn't so much with his disbelief, as with how I reacted. I allowed myself be angered by it and rather than studying up on what I should say, I ignored the post and let it stew. This was wrong and it I apologize for it. He is entitled to his beliefs and I only hope that he can forgive me my attitude. Than you for allowing me to rant on this. I look forward to any comments you may have.
Good morning and Good night
It's 6:00am, do you know where your brain is? If you're me, the answer is not really. I have been up for almost 24 hours and now I get to go home and sleep for 6 then return here to work. So this may be the only post you get today. Not that this is much of a post. Anyway, I hope everyone had a decent father's Day. Mine was going good until about 9:30 last night when I left home to come to work. Then it went rapidly down hill. I have yet to have more than a single job on most nights I've worked overtime (I had one night when I had 3 jobs, otherwise one would be the most). Tonight I had none. Not one. I don't mind working if I am here for a reason, but I hate coming in and doing nothing for 8 hours because a shop "might" have something. It pretty much ruins my day. And due to the current policy, I will be dead tired when I come in this afternoon. Yup, off at 06:30 only to return at 13:30 (1:30pm for you non military types). Well, I ought to sign off before I say something I will regret later. Remember, there are 2 times when you shouldn't write your feelings, when you're exhausted or drunk. That's it for now, have a wonderful day.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Summary of the week.
So, I got switched to swing shift which is why this is late today. Now that that bit of business is done, on with the tribute.
As I close out the week long Honoring of my father, I can only hope that this week has given you some food for thought. I know it has for me. It has brought up a lot of memories, good and bad. It has also helped me to realize just how much my father means to me, a said in yesterday's post. I really can't add much more to what I have already written over the past week. I remember sitting and listening to dad's tales of hunting, camping, and fishing growing up and wanting so much to be as adventurous and wild as he was. I realize now that it shaped my life such that I want to do those things with my boys. I look forward to camping with them. I remember the pride I felt when my boys brought in their first fish. I look forward to many more. While being a father is a tough job, I find that the joy outweighs any pain or suffering that is associated with it. Raising children is also one of the greatest learning experiences you'll ever have. It teaches you patience, how to clean and dress a moving target, what foods stain the worst, and most importantly, what your breaking point is. At some point in every parents life, your kids will find the button that gets you the most angry and then beat on it until you snap, just to see what happens. They usually do it at a young enough age that they can use their cuteness to calm you before any permanent damage is done.
Thanks again, dad, for all you taught me and instilled in me. Thanks for all you do. Oh, and Happy Father's day.
As I close out the week long Honoring of my father, I can only hope that this week has given you some food for thought. I know it has for me. It has brought up a lot of memories, good and bad. It has also helped me to realize just how much my father means to me, a said in yesterday's post. I really can't add much more to what I have already written over the past week. I remember sitting and listening to dad's tales of hunting, camping, and fishing growing up and wanting so much to be as adventurous and wild as he was. I realize now that it shaped my life such that I want to do those things with my boys. I look forward to camping with them. I remember the pride I felt when my boys brought in their first fish. I look forward to many more. While being a father is a tough job, I find that the joy outweighs any pain or suffering that is associated with it. Raising children is also one of the greatest learning experiences you'll ever have. It teaches you patience, how to clean and dress a moving target, what foods stain the worst, and most importantly, what your breaking point is. At some point in every parents life, your kids will find the button that gets you the most angry and then beat on it until you snap, just to see what happens. They usually do it at a young enough age that they can use their cuteness to calm you before any permanent damage is done.
Thanks again, dad, for all you taught me and instilled in me. Thanks for all you do. Oh, and Happy Father's day.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Lessons from Dad.
You can say what you want, but I can think of a million reasons why my dad is great. OK, maybe not an actual million, but I can think of a lot of them. I think the main reason is what he gave us that we never realized he gave. As a dad I now realize just how much it takes to raise a family (at least the preteen years, I am dreading the teens).
To start it off he gave patience. He gave us more than we could ever deserve. As I look at my boys, I realize just how much they try my patience. Take meals for instance. I love cooking for my family. The boys however have decided that if they can't immediately figure out what it is, it must taste horrible. Add on to this my oldest's fear of anything new and you get for some very interesting meal times. I try so hard to to get angry at them when they refuse to try something or call it "yucky" after a single nibble. Then I reflect back and realize I did the same thing. At this point I must apologize to my father. I now understand that look, the clenched jaw and laser eyes. I also realize what it took for you to remain as calm as you did for as long as you did.
Next, through in the lessons in work ethics. Man did I hate all the work you made me do at home. Mowing the yard (hey it was an acre and we only had a push mower), cleaning out the barns (hog, goat, chicken, and rabbit), and taking care of the garden (sure the food was fresh, but isn't a quarter acre a bit excessive?) Now I realize just what it gave me. I have an appreciation for hard work and a nice lawn. I understand what it takes to care for animals and a bit more of how nature works (I can also stand smells that would make most people puke). I know how to grow a garden and what it takes so I can feed my family as I get older. It took me years to learn that the sooner I got started the sooner it was done. It also took me years to learn that once you start, don't stop till you're done, momentum is hard to get back. I may forget your lessons sometimes dad, but thank you for teaching them to me.
I also have to thank dad for what he gave up for me. As most of you know, my mother died when I was 13. Dad never gave up on us and remained as a single parent until after I had left home and was in the Navy. He never complained about being lonely or wanting to go out on dates. I realize now that dad gave up adult companionship to raise us kids. I can't imagine what it would be like to have nothing but teenagers and grade schoolers to talk to night after night. thanks again dad.
If I were to sum up my dad in a single phrase it would be generous to a fault. Eve today, he continues to give of himself. He currently has at his house, a lot of kids, many of whom he adopted. Did I mention he is in his late 60's. When he should be out enjoying his retirement and relaxing, he is giving of himself to raise a bunch of kids that aren't his by blood, but are his through love and caring. The only word I can think of to describe this is selfless. My admiration and awe of my dad only continues to grow. I wish that I could be half as selfless as he.
As you can probably tell, I have the deepest love and respect for my dad. Even if I haven't told him, I do. I know I don't call him as often as I should. He was always hard to talk to for me. I am only beginning to realize now why that is. He is my idol, the one human I wish to be most like as I grow older. I fear his rebuttal so much, and yet I only feel encouraged after I talk to him.
I hope that someday dad can read these words and understand just what it is he means to me. Thanks dad. Thanks for caring enough to raise me and teach what it means to not just be a man, but to be a dad. Thanks for not just telling me how to get along with other, but being a shining example of it. Thanks for showing me what it means to care for and help others. Thanks for being my dad. Just thank you.
To start it off he gave patience. He gave us more than we could ever deserve. As I look at my boys, I realize just how much they try my patience. Take meals for instance. I love cooking for my family. The boys however have decided that if they can't immediately figure out what it is, it must taste horrible. Add on to this my oldest's fear of anything new and you get for some very interesting meal times. I try so hard to to get angry at them when they refuse to try something or call it "yucky" after a single nibble. Then I reflect back and realize I did the same thing. At this point I must apologize to my father. I now understand that look, the clenched jaw and laser eyes. I also realize what it took for you to remain as calm as you did for as long as you did.
Next, through in the lessons in work ethics. Man did I hate all the work you made me do at home. Mowing the yard (hey it was an acre and we only had a push mower), cleaning out the barns (hog, goat, chicken, and rabbit), and taking care of the garden (sure the food was fresh, but isn't a quarter acre a bit excessive?) Now I realize just what it gave me. I have an appreciation for hard work and a nice lawn. I understand what it takes to care for animals and a bit more of how nature works (I can also stand smells that would make most people puke). I know how to grow a garden and what it takes so I can feed my family as I get older. It took me years to learn that the sooner I got started the sooner it was done. It also took me years to learn that once you start, don't stop till you're done, momentum is hard to get back. I may forget your lessons sometimes dad, but thank you for teaching them to me.
I also have to thank dad for what he gave up for me. As most of you know, my mother died when I was 13. Dad never gave up on us and remained as a single parent until after I had left home and was in the Navy. He never complained about being lonely or wanting to go out on dates. I realize now that dad gave up adult companionship to raise us kids. I can't imagine what it would be like to have nothing but teenagers and grade schoolers to talk to night after night. thanks again dad.
If I were to sum up my dad in a single phrase it would be generous to a fault. Eve today, he continues to give of himself. He currently has at his house, a lot of kids, many of whom he adopted. Did I mention he is in his late 60's. When he should be out enjoying his retirement and relaxing, he is giving of himself to raise a bunch of kids that aren't his by blood, but are his through love and caring. The only word I can think of to describe this is selfless. My admiration and awe of my dad only continues to grow. I wish that I could be half as selfless as he.
As you can probably tell, I have the deepest love and respect for my dad. Even if I haven't told him, I do. I know I don't call him as often as I should. He was always hard to talk to for me. I am only beginning to realize now why that is. He is my idol, the one human I wish to be most like as I grow older. I fear his rebuttal so much, and yet I only feel encouraged after I talk to him.
I hope that someday dad can read these words and understand just what it is he means to me. Thanks dad. Thanks for caring enough to raise me and teach what it means to not just be a man, but to be a dad. Thanks for not just telling me how to get along with other, but being a shining example of it. Thanks for showing me what it means to care for and help others. Thanks for being my dad. Just thank you.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Dad's 2 ton Gun
Happy Hump Day! Continuing with the theme this week, I will now regale you with more dad. The fact that my father is a plumber, electrician, and generally good guy has led to many interesting encounters. Dad has many acquaintances through this line of work and nearly all of them have the same opinion of him. This has led to a host of connections that has helped dad throughout his life. One of the most interesting to me, is his relationship with the district DNR agent.
For those of you unfamiliar with this term, the DNR agent is the person responsible for enforcing the fish and wildlife laws. In other words he makes sure hunters and fishermen don't do anything illegal (which is why most hunters and fishermen avoid the DNR agent at all costs). It's kind of like when you are driving a fast sports care, you tend to avoid the police even if you aren't doing anything wrong. Well, because dad does all of his plumbing and electrical, they know each other well.
The best example of this relationship occurred my freshman year in high school. At the time, dad had a 60 something ford truck. To say this truck was interesting, is to be kind. The previous owner had hand painted it with house paint a bright blue with a white cab. From a distance (a mile is about right) it looked OK, up close, the brush strokes really came out, which is fine on a work of art, not so much on a truck. Anyway, since the truck was built in the 60's, it was made with steel. Now-a-days safety is based on safety features (airbags, seat belts, crumple zones, etc.), but back then, it was generally believed that what made a car safe was how much damage it could drive away from. Trucks from the era could probably have taken on a bulldozer and won. Knowing this, and adding in the fact that we were usually scraping by, you can understand dad's philosophy when it came to what to do when a deer decided to step onto the road in front of him. Most people slam on the brakes and brace themselves. Not dad. When he was in that truck, he would down shift and step on the gas (if he wasn't already at top speed).
"More humane to hit 'em at high speed and go for the instant kill," was the reasoning. So it came as no surprise when dad came home with an 8 point buck in the back of the truck the night before deer season opened.
Any other day of the year, dad probably would not have informed the DNR. Since Deer season started the next day and his friend might decide to stop by and see what was being butchered, dad figured he ought to call. So he called his friend, the DNR agent. This is the only time I can ever remember him showing up at our place in an official capacity. He walked around the truck and looked over the deer on all sides. Did a lot of frowning and finally asked his first question.
"Any damage to the truck?"
Dad simply smiled and said, "Think I need to realign my head lights, but they may have been like that before I hit the darn thing."
"How fast were you going?"
"Don't really know, I was speeding up at the time."
"How many is that now?"
"I don't know, about one a year a suppose, say 5."
At this point, the DNR agent just shook his head and said, "Alright, I can tell you didn't shoot him, but I really ought to classify that truck as a hunting implement."
Dad just smiled and shook the agents hand as he left. From that day on, though, the Truck was called the 2 ton gun.
Enjoy your day and have a wonderful week.
For those of you unfamiliar with this term, the DNR agent is the person responsible for enforcing the fish and wildlife laws. In other words he makes sure hunters and fishermen don't do anything illegal (which is why most hunters and fishermen avoid the DNR agent at all costs). It's kind of like when you are driving a fast sports care, you tend to avoid the police even if you aren't doing anything wrong. Well, because dad does all of his plumbing and electrical, they know each other well.
The best example of this relationship occurred my freshman year in high school. At the time, dad had a 60 something ford truck. To say this truck was interesting, is to be kind. The previous owner had hand painted it with house paint a bright blue with a white cab. From a distance (a mile is about right) it looked OK, up close, the brush strokes really came out, which is fine on a work of art, not so much on a truck. Anyway, since the truck was built in the 60's, it was made with steel. Now-a-days safety is based on safety features (airbags, seat belts, crumple zones, etc.), but back then, it was generally believed that what made a car safe was how much damage it could drive away from. Trucks from the era could probably have taken on a bulldozer and won. Knowing this, and adding in the fact that we were usually scraping by, you can understand dad's philosophy when it came to what to do when a deer decided to step onto the road in front of him. Most people slam on the brakes and brace themselves. Not dad. When he was in that truck, he would down shift and step on the gas (if he wasn't already at top speed).
"More humane to hit 'em at high speed and go for the instant kill," was the reasoning. So it came as no surprise when dad came home with an 8 point buck in the back of the truck the night before deer season opened.
Any other day of the year, dad probably would not have informed the DNR. Since Deer season started the next day and his friend might decide to stop by and see what was being butchered, dad figured he ought to call. So he called his friend, the DNR agent. This is the only time I can ever remember him showing up at our place in an official capacity. He walked around the truck and looked over the deer on all sides. Did a lot of frowning and finally asked his first question.
"Any damage to the truck?"
Dad simply smiled and said, "Think I need to realign my head lights, but they may have been like that before I hit the darn thing."
"How fast were you going?"
"Don't really know, I was speeding up at the time."
"How many is that now?"
"I don't know, about one a year a suppose, say 5."
At this point, the DNR agent just shook his head and said, "Alright, I can tell you didn't shoot him, but I really ought to classify that truck as a hunting implement."
Dad just smiled and shook the agents hand as he left. From that day on, though, the Truck was called the 2 ton gun.
Enjoy your day and have a wonderful week.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
My dad was cool?
Day two of the Dad honorarium. Don't worry, He's still kicking and I hope he still is for years to come. Anyway, I was stuck for a bit on what to write today. I really haven't came up with anything substantial. I figure I'll just share a few of the things I slowly learned over the years. Stuff he never told me until I either discovered it and asked, or someone else mentioned it. For instance, it wasn't until I was almost 30 that I discovered that dad's first new car was a Hemi Cuda he bought while in the Air Force. I discovered this when we were going through a stack of old pictures we had while I was home on leave. I pull out this picture of dad in front of this shiny new car.
"Who's car is this?" I asked.
Dad simply looked at it and said, "Mine."
No elaboration, just the simple declaration that at one time, dad was cool. I already had an inkling of that from looking at his year books from High school that Grandma so nicely provided us kids. Turned out, that dad was a stud in high school. He may not have played sports, but he and his friends ran the school. The notes left in the aforementioned yearbooks ranged from the simple miss you, to the elaborate remembrances and nearly tear filled good byes. And nearly every single girl in his class had something to say beyond the compulsory nice miss you note. Needless to say, finding out dad was cool was one of the many things we found out. The few things he volunteered were innocuous and safe. Reflecting on what I tell my boys, I can only imagine just what kinds of things he got into.
Now I know some of you are wondering, "what about the Cuda? He obviously didn't have it when you were growing up. What happened to it?" In the same conversation that we discovered he owned it, he admitted that he had to sell it during the 70's fuel crisis since he couldn't afford gas for it. He admitted to missing it. and regretting selling it.
His response when I asked if he would have let me drive it in high school? "Are you serious?!" Thanks dad. I love you too.
Well, I think that about covers it. Just remember, every dad may have been cool at one time. Mine still is, it just took me 30 years to realize it. Have a wonderful day.
"Who's car is this?" I asked.
Dad simply looked at it and said, "Mine."
No elaboration, just the simple declaration that at one time, dad was cool. I already had an inkling of that from looking at his year books from High school that Grandma so nicely provided us kids. Turned out, that dad was a stud in high school. He may not have played sports, but he and his friends ran the school. The notes left in the aforementioned yearbooks ranged from the simple miss you, to the elaborate remembrances and nearly tear filled good byes. And nearly every single girl in his class had something to say beyond the compulsory nice miss you note. Needless to say, finding out dad was cool was one of the many things we found out. The few things he volunteered were innocuous and safe. Reflecting on what I tell my boys, I can only imagine just what kinds of things he got into.
Now I know some of you are wondering, "what about the Cuda? He obviously didn't have it when you were growing up. What happened to it?" In the same conversation that we discovered he owned it, he admitted that he had to sell it during the 70's fuel crisis since he couldn't afford gas for it. He admitted to missing it. and regretting selling it.
His response when I asked if he would have let me drive it in high school? "Are you serious?!" Thanks dad. I love you too.
Well, I think that about covers it. Just remember, every dad may have been cool at one time. Mine still is, it just took me 30 years to realize it. Have a wonderful day.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Dad's wisdom
So I missed posting on Saturday. It wasn't really that busy, I just never got around to it. Sorry. Anyway, I am now back at work and I have a bit to do so I will keep it short today. I got the camper in to the shop Friday and it looks like it will cast me in the neighborhood of $300 to get it up and running for the camping season. I should hear from the shop this afternoon. All in all, it wasn't a bad weekend.
Now to let you in on my theme for the week. With Father's Day coming up on Sunday (yes, it is that close), I have decided that this week will be dedicated to posts on my dad. Either I will tell a story about him, or share a lesson I learned from him. Today, I share a quick lesson.
The lesson is basic and can be summed up in one phrase. "It is better to have a little to much, than not enough." At the time, he was referring to cutting lengths of wire for rewiring a house, but I have found that this simple philosophy applies to many parts of our lives. Meals for example. Every time, I try to make the exact right amount so I don't over cook, I end up with to little. The only time I have enough for everyone consistently is when I throw in a little extra, just in case. It can also apply to your saving account and expense planning. Think about it, which is worse, over estimating how much something will cost, or convincing yourself that something is cheaper than it actually is.
There is a flip side to this. You can find yourself going beyond what is prudent, into the realm of excess. As my dad said, just a few inches extra is all you really need, otherwise it's just waste. In other words, use a little bit of self control when getting that little extra. Don't make a five course meal for 20 when you're expecting 10. Don't overestimate the cost by doubling it. Don't add an hour onto a 15 minute commute.
Now I know some of you are thinking that there are areas where to much is just to much like alcohol. I agree, but I wasn't referring to that. The whole premise behind the philosophy is planning. This isn't about consumption or implementation, it's about planning. If you try to apply this to the activity currently in progress, you may find yourself in hot water. As always, prudence is necessary when implementing a plan.
Well, that's it for today. I look forward to tomorrow. Thanks Dad for all your wisdom and lessons taught.
Now to let you in on my theme for the week. With Father's Day coming up on Sunday (yes, it is that close), I have decided that this week will be dedicated to posts on my dad. Either I will tell a story about him, or share a lesson I learned from him. Today, I share a quick lesson.
The lesson is basic and can be summed up in one phrase. "It is better to have a little to much, than not enough." At the time, he was referring to cutting lengths of wire for rewiring a house, but I have found that this simple philosophy applies to many parts of our lives. Meals for example. Every time, I try to make the exact right amount so I don't over cook, I end up with to little. The only time I have enough for everyone consistently is when I throw in a little extra, just in case. It can also apply to your saving account and expense planning. Think about it, which is worse, over estimating how much something will cost, or convincing yourself that something is cheaper than it actually is.
There is a flip side to this. You can find yourself going beyond what is prudent, into the realm of excess. As my dad said, just a few inches extra is all you really need, otherwise it's just waste. In other words, use a little bit of self control when getting that little extra. Don't make a five course meal for 20 when you're expecting 10. Don't overestimate the cost by doubling it. Don't add an hour onto a 15 minute commute.
Now I know some of you are thinking that there are areas where to much is just to much like alcohol. I agree, but I wasn't referring to that. The whole premise behind the philosophy is planning. This isn't about consumption or implementation, it's about planning. If you try to apply this to the activity currently in progress, you may find yourself in hot water. As always, prudence is necessary when implementing a plan.
Well, that's it for today. I look forward to tomorrow. Thanks Dad for all your wisdom and lessons taught.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Friday randomness and ranting
So it's Friday. The end of the week for most, just one more day for me. The reason? I have duty tomorrow. 24 hours of fun (not sarcasm) and running in circles. Looks like you may get a bonus edition this week. Oh well. Today, I need to weed eat and stop at the RV shop to set an appointment for my trailer. If it doesn't cost to much, I will set it for after next payday, otherwise, I will set it for as soon as I can. I am afraid that it going to cost me more than I really hope, but I can't do the work myself (I have no clue what I am doing) so I will have to pay an expert to do it.
Anyway, it looks as though it will be an interesting weekend. Hopefully, I can get enough sleep on my duty day, so I don't have to miss church. It has been a long week. Then again the first week back after leave always is. Especially if you are used to going non stop and you have a desk job that is 99% waiting for someone to need you and 1% watching other people work. The only excitement in my job is trying to figure out which websites to visit that are 1. interesting, 2. safe, 3. allowed, and 4. not overly repetitive. The only problem is, that for some reason, when you become the boss, you forget that you have nothing to do except search the Internet and you aer expected to keep busy. About every 3 or 4 months we get told that we are wasting to much time on the Internet and we need to stop. They then tell us that we can't read non work related material (if they said books, we'd read newspapers and magazines) or do puzzles. "If you're bored, read the tech manual." Try reading the manuals for all you electronic equipment at home for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and see how long you last. Oh, and sleeping at work is definitely not allowed. After a week of everyone in the office congregating in one location and have a large and loud conversation about nothing, they tend to change their stance and allow "limited" surfing. In other words, go back to what you were doing. It always amazes me that this continually repeats.
Wow, I really went off there didn't I? Guess I should just relax and let it go. Anyway, You all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy yourselves. Keep a stiff upper lip and all that jazz.
Anyway, it looks as though it will be an interesting weekend. Hopefully, I can get enough sleep on my duty day, so I don't have to miss church. It has been a long week. Then again the first week back after leave always is. Especially if you are used to going non stop and you have a desk job that is 99% waiting for someone to need you and 1% watching other people work. The only excitement in my job is trying to figure out which websites to visit that are 1. interesting, 2. safe, 3. allowed, and 4. not overly repetitive. The only problem is, that for some reason, when you become the boss, you forget that you have nothing to do except search the Internet and you aer expected to keep busy. About every 3 or 4 months we get told that we are wasting to much time on the Internet and we need to stop. They then tell us that we can't read non work related material (if they said books, we'd read newspapers and magazines) or do puzzles. "If you're bored, read the tech manual." Try reading the manuals for all you electronic equipment at home for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week and see how long you last. Oh, and sleeping at work is definitely not allowed. After a week of everyone in the office congregating in one location and have a large and loud conversation about nothing, they tend to change their stance and allow "limited" surfing. In other words, go back to what you were doing. It always amazes me that this continually repeats.
Wow, I really went off there didn't I? Guess I should just relax and let it go. Anyway, You all have a wonderful weekend and enjoy yourselves. Keep a stiff upper lip and all that jazz.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Random Thursday Thoughts
So today is change of command. Conveniently, I forgot bits and pieces of my uniform so I didn't have to participate. I did however have to sit in the office and work, which makes me the late guy today. Oh well. So I was thinking that there has got to be a better way to do yard work. I decided it was time my kids started doing it. So tonight I get to see my 9 year old push the mower for the first time. I hope he can do it. That way he can get it done while I am at work this summer. If not, I will give him other things to do. There is so much that I need to to do. Especially since I need to put the house up for sale so I can have it sold before I retire. The backyard has holes and hills and needs a bit of smoothing. Both the front and back need re-seeding. I have a strip of yard under the front window that needs landscaped (namely weeded, matted, and rocks put down). Not to mention I need to put gravel down in my parking space and fill some holes there as well.
Enough of my yard woes. I am so looking forward to doing stuff with my boys this summer. I need to get my fishing license so I can take them fishing. I really do want to do some fishing with them. The ponds here on base are stocked and I know the boys will love it. They have been bothering me to let them practice casting. Mathew is getting pretty good and John and David are already pretty decent at it and are working on accuracy vice distance now. I so look forward to it. I also think Laura will enjoy the experience of camping at new places this summer. We have already decided that we have to go to Mt Rainier this summer. Not sure when we will start as I still have a lot to do to the camper to get it ready. I think the boys would try to sleep out in the backyard in their tent if Laura would let them. I don't know whether they would last the night or not, but it would be interesting. I don't know if I could resist trying to scare them (Laura might be able to stop me, but I would probably try anyway). At least the weather is turning nice now. Oh well. Not much else is going on. I will continue to write daily when I can. If you have ideas for topics, please write it in the comments. I have started to notice that I am quickly running out of ideas. Thanks and enjoy.
Enough of my yard woes. I am so looking forward to doing stuff with my boys this summer. I need to get my fishing license so I can take them fishing. I really do want to do some fishing with them. The ponds here on base are stocked and I know the boys will love it. They have been bothering me to let them practice casting. Mathew is getting pretty good and John and David are already pretty decent at it and are working on accuracy vice distance now. I so look forward to it. I also think Laura will enjoy the experience of camping at new places this summer. We have already decided that we have to go to Mt Rainier this summer. Not sure when we will start as I still have a lot to do to the camper to get it ready. I think the boys would try to sleep out in the backyard in their tent if Laura would let them. I don't know whether they would last the night or not, but it would be interesting. I don't know if I could resist trying to scare them (Laura might be able to stop me, but I would probably try anyway). At least the weather is turning nice now. Oh well. Not much else is going on. I will continue to write daily when I can. If you have ideas for topics, please write it in the comments. I have started to notice that I am quickly running out of ideas. Thanks and enjoy.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Drivers and the odd stuff.
So it's happy hump day and I have yet to decide on a topic. I guess it just isn't coming to me. The blank is deep and wide and I just can't seem to find a way across it. Anyway, the fact is that I usually do this at work during a lull in the action (there tends to be a lot of those here), but that also means that I get interrupted and sometimes derailed by other conversations. Unfortunately, today is one of those days where the conversation is either unrepeatable and Thus I am distancing myself as much as possible, or it is on a subject I care nothing about. Either way, it isn't helping much other than to give me something to cite as unhelpful.
Let's talk about cars and the people who drive them. Seems to me that the instant someone gets a driving license they suddenly get a second personality. That nice girl who is always considerate of others becomes a rage filled speed demon that has to take the entire highway. The punk, who is always trying to find new and interesting ways to skirt the laws, is now the highway vigilante that drives at the speed limit next to the grandma who can't find the gas pedal. The law abiding neighbor suddenly finds that the horn has a nice ring to it and is trying to determine exactly the sex of the fly that died on your bumper by using his brights and getting as close as possible.. And it turns out that you are the only one on the road that knows how to drive. You commonly hear yourself saying things like, "the gas is the pedal on the right!" "Look at that speed demon!" "Get off my bumper!" Etc. The funny thing is, everyone is driving with the exact same attitude, "My way is right, your way is wrong, and get off the road." No one is immune. I like to call it, the I-Am-Right syndrome.
I believe it can be traced back to high school. This is that age where you discover that your parents are old and uncool, teachers don't know everything, the world is out to get you, and the opposite sex is worth staring at (among other things). And for some reason, we decided that this would be an appropriate time to introduce these confused, self absorbed, and egotistical beings to an automobile. Who is the idiot who thought of that. Let's put someone who thinks that they know it all, have no fear, and think they will live forever in command of a 2000 pound piece of metal and flammable materials that can go 100 mph. Who else thinks this is a bad Idea. What makes this even more absurd is that we expect people who can barely pay attention to a teacher for 10 minutes to be able to concentrate enough to operate these deathtraps on the road with other people who are the exact same way. So let me see if I got everything. Large metal object with a combustible fuel, traveling at highway speeds, requiring concentration and coordination to operate. Give it to a person that: Has no concept of courtesy, has a 30 second attention span, believes him/herself immortal, and believes that they know it all. Granted, not all kids are this way, but let's be honest, most are. If you think otherwise, try this little test. Give your kid a tennis ball and a golf ball. Have them balance them on the backs of their hands and watch a movie of your choosing. Tell them they have to keep the balls balanced on their hands and that you are going to ask 10 questions about the movie at the end. Make them watch 15 minutes of the movie and then ask them questions about the movie. Make the questions simple like what is the name of the secondary character, or what color car were they driving. This is equivalent to what you have to do while driving. I'm willing to be they can't get all 10 questions right or that they failed to keep the balls balanced. Now for the fun part. Let them do it to you. I am kind of afraid to find out how I do. Especially since I just made all of this up and have no clue how well this works. Sounds interesting though doesn't it. Have a wonderful day.
Let's talk about cars and the people who drive them. Seems to me that the instant someone gets a driving license they suddenly get a second personality. That nice girl who is always considerate of others becomes a rage filled speed demon that has to take the entire highway. The punk, who is always trying to find new and interesting ways to skirt the laws, is now the highway vigilante that drives at the speed limit next to the grandma who can't find the gas pedal. The law abiding neighbor suddenly finds that the horn has a nice ring to it and is trying to determine exactly the sex of the fly that died on your bumper by using his brights and getting as close as possible.. And it turns out that you are the only one on the road that knows how to drive. You commonly hear yourself saying things like, "the gas is the pedal on the right!" "Look at that speed demon!" "Get off my bumper!" Etc. The funny thing is, everyone is driving with the exact same attitude, "My way is right, your way is wrong, and get off the road." No one is immune. I like to call it, the I-Am-Right syndrome.
I believe it can be traced back to high school. This is that age where you discover that your parents are old and uncool, teachers don't know everything, the world is out to get you, and the opposite sex is worth staring at (among other things). And for some reason, we decided that this would be an appropriate time to introduce these confused, self absorbed, and egotistical beings to an automobile. Who is the idiot who thought of that. Let's put someone who thinks that they know it all, have no fear, and think they will live forever in command of a 2000 pound piece of metal and flammable materials that can go 100 mph. Who else thinks this is a bad Idea. What makes this even more absurd is that we expect people who can barely pay attention to a teacher for 10 minutes to be able to concentrate enough to operate these deathtraps on the road with other people who are the exact same way. So let me see if I got everything. Large metal object with a combustible fuel, traveling at highway speeds, requiring concentration and coordination to operate. Give it to a person that: Has no concept of courtesy, has a 30 second attention span, believes him/herself immortal, and believes that they know it all. Granted, not all kids are this way, but let's be honest, most are. If you think otherwise, try this little test. Give your kid a tennis ball and a golf ball. Have them balance them on the backs of their hands and watch a movie of your choosing. Tell them they have to keep the balls balanced on their hands and that you are going to ask 10 questions about the movie at the end. Make them watch 15 minutes of the movie and then ask them questions about the movie. Make the questions simple like what is the name of the secondary character, or what color car were they driving. This is equivalent to what you have to do while driving. I'm willing to be they can't get all 10 questions right or that they failed to keep the balls balanced. Now for the fun part. Let them do it to you. I am kind of afraid to find out how I do. Especially since I just made all of this up and have no clue how well this works. Sounds interesting though doesn't it. Have a wonderful day.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
It's been a few weeks since my last post. A quick run down of what has occurred since I last wrote. The wife and I spent 12 wonderful days in Italy (Sans Kids), The mother in law is in town and we have been forcibly pampering her to the best of our abilities despite her protests. The boys have been little hellions as usual, the grass has grown tremendously (I still haven't mowed and keep finding reasons not to), and we pulled the camper out to get it ready for the camping season. All in all, we have been busy.
The trip to Italy was awesome as previously noted. We probably averaged 5 to 6 miles of walking a day. The country was beautiful and even in the areas where English wasn't spoken, the people were friendly and tried to understand what we wanted. The food was out of this world. even the sandwiches at gas stations blew our minds. It was really a mostly trouble free trip. All of the problems occurred either on the way to, or coming from Italy. On the way there, we got to the airport in Seattle and realized we didn't have our international driving permits (turns out we didn't need them), then in Paris for our change of planes, we found out that we had to go through customs and then go through security again. We got to our gate and found out the plane was delayed by 45 minutes. When we finally boarded, we sat at the gate for 45 minutes before we were informed that someone failed to get on the plane but his luggage made it and they were looking for it. 1.5 hours and 3 times through the luggage and they still hadn't found his luggage, so they lined up all the luggage on the tarmac next to the plane and had us exit through the front door, identify our luggage, then re board the plane through the rear door. All this after Laura and I had been up about 24 hours. We finally got to Rome (3 hours late) and headed to the Hotel. We ended up getting separated on the subway. Laura (rather than take a return train to the appropriate station) walked to the Hotel and checked us in. We managed to meet up outside the proper station 45 minutes later. That was the last trouble we had until we went to leave. Turns out, our plane leaving was so early, that there was no train to the airport so we had to sleep in the airport or drop 50 euros on a cab. We slept at the airport. Then the plane was delayed by 30 minutes since the flight crew was late. Once again we had to go through customs and another security screening in Paris which meant we barely made our flight to Seattle. Since those were the only bad spots of the trip to Italy, it was a great trip. I will post a detailed blog on the trip once I am done typing it up (it's a work in progress since I am transposing the journal I kept with my wife). All in all, it has been a fun couple of weeks.
The mother in law has been a joy. We keep telling her that treating her as we do is the least we can do since she babysat our 4 boys (did I mention that they were boys and that there were4 of them) for us while we were in Italy. She constantly tries to slip us money and pay for meals, etc. We have thoroughly enjoyed having her here. The boys have loved having her here and we are all going to miss her. I loved having someone else to cook for.
As for the camper, we have a lot to do with it prior to camping. We have to get it in to get a new battery, a cable replaced, and the vent repaired (it got blown open during a snow storm and damaged as a result). We also have to do some major cleaning in it as the snowstorm that managed to damage the vent, also got some water inside and created a little mildew, not to mention that the outside managed to grow its own protective algae layer.
Well, that about covers it for today. Come back tomorrow for Happy Hump Day. See then.
The trip to Italy was awesome as previously noted. We probably averaged 5 to 6 miles of walking a day. The country was beautiful and even in the areas where English wasn't spoken, the people were friendly and tried to understand what we wanted. The food was out of this world. even the sandwiches at gas stations blew our minds. It was really a mostly trouble free trip. All of the problems occurred either on the way to, or coming from Italy. On the way there, we got to the airport in Seattle and realized we didn't have our international driving permits (turns out we didn't need them), then in Paris for our change of planes, we found out that we had to go through customs and then go through security again. We got to our gate and found out the plane was delayed by 45 minutes. When we finally boarded, we sat at the gate for 45 minutes before we were informed that someone failed to get on the plane but his luggage made it and they were looking for it. 1.5 hours and 3 times through the luggage and they still hadn't found his luggage, so they lined up all the luggage on the tarmac next to the plane and had us exit through the front door, identify our luggage, then re board the plane through the rear door. All this after Laura and I had been up about 24 hours. We finally got to Rome (3 hours late) and headed to the Hotel. We ended up getting separated on the subway. Laura (rather than take a return train to the appropriate station) walked to the Hotel and checked us in. We managed to meet up outside the proper station 45 minutes later. That was the last trouble we had until we went to leave. Turns out, our plane leaving was so early, that there was no train to the airport so we had to sleep in the airport or drop 50 euros on a cab. We slept at the airport. Then the plane was delayed by 30 minutes since the flight crew was late. Once again we had to go through customs and another security screening in Paris which meant we barely made our flight to Seattle. Since those were the only bad spots of the trip to Italy, it was a great trip. I will post a detailed blog on the trip once I am done typing it up (it's a work in progress since I am transposing the journal I kept with my wife). All in all, it has been a fun couple of weeks.
The mother in law has been a joy. We keep telling her that treating her as we do is the least we can do since she babysat our 4 boys (did I mention that they were boys and that there were4 of them) for us while we were in Italy. She constantly tries to slip us money and pay for meals, etc. We have thoroughly enjoyed having her here. The boys have loved having her here and we are all going to miss her. I loved having someone else to cook for.
As for the camper, we have a lot to do with it prior to camping. We have to get it in to get a new battery, a cable replaced, and the vent repaired (it got blown open during a snow storm and damaged as a result). We also have to do some major cleaning in it as the snowstorm that managed to damage the vent, also got some water inside and created a little mildew, not to mention that the outside managed to grow its own protective algae layer.
Well, that about covers it for today. Come back tomorrow for Happy Hump Day. See then.
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