Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Snow Day

We had a blizzard warning today.  I couldn't tell you the last time we had one.
I was supposed to go to work today.  I left early, stopping to get gas so that it didn't matter how long I had to sit in traffic.  I got on the interstate, which didn't appear to have been touched by the salt trucks that were out all night.  I got about 10 miles.  The roads weren't improving.  Every time a truck or SUV passed me the spray went across my windshield blinding me.  I knew I was approaching accidents and if I couldn't see them...  I turned around and went home.  A couple times the road seemed better, but then it would get worse again.
I spent the day here cleaning up.  I'm off tomorrow, so I should feel better about where I stand by Sunday.
Pray for some of my youth kids, from what I pick up on Facebook, a girl at one of the schools was in an accident with a snowplow and killed.  So horrible - and the day after Christmas.

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Christmas

Christmas is nice around here.  We have four adults.  While the gifts are nice, there's no one flipping out at getting what they always wanted.  Well, scratch that.  I got my Dad Celtic Women tickets this year.  He is very, very happy.
Me?  I enjoyed church and the gifts and the cookies, but I want more.  And it's not really the kids on Christmas opening their toys though I would probably love that.  But it's more all the movies and books and all the people falling in love.  Christmas and New Year's are supposed to have some romance in them and I have none.  I would like some at least once.


And I think I figured out the Brady and Kristen thing on Days.  Brady beat up EJ, and this is her revenge.

Monday, December 24, 2012

Ryan Freel


I know it's Christmas, but I keep thinking about this.  It probably didn't make many headlines outside of here and Jacksonville, but a former Red killed himself on Saturday.  One of the things that caught my attention as well was the fact that he was only a year older than me.  It just brought it all the closer to home.
He was the guy who thought he could and played all out.  He was on the cover of the newspaper one Opening Day with a comparison to Pete Rose - and yes, that's the highest compliment a baseball player can receive here.  He knocked himself out one game running after a ball.  As fans don't we love the one who's willing to sacrifice their body for the win.  The Reds came out with a commemorative CD when Great American Ballpark opened from Blessid Union of Souls.  I bought it the next season, one of the songs was called "Guys like Me" My first comment was this is Ryan Freel's song.
You might not see me on the All Star team /Or posing for the cover of a magazine / I might not win the Cy Young Award, yeah / You might not see me in the Hall of Fame / I might not have a cool nick name / I might not ever go four for four / But when the game is on the line / Two outs two on in the ninth / You can count on a base hit from 
 Guys like me who may not be / The brightest star shining on the team / But when you need that two run lead /Then I'm  your man / Cause it's guys like me that you will need / When our biggest star's gone 0 for three / And there'll I'll be with all my team doing the victory dance
I might not ever win the batting crown / Or ever get recognized in town / There may not ever be a street named 
for me / I'm probably batting seventh, eighth or nine / Batting average barely two fifty five / But with runners on base 
it's four-o-three, yeah / So when the game is on the line / That's when it's my time to shine / And you can count on a 
clutch hit from
Guys like me who may not be / The brightest star shining on the team / But when you need that two run lead / 
Then I'm  your man / Cause it's guys like me that you will need / To hold 'em to a one run lead / To give our team a
chance to beat them in the ninth

I know this means sometimes that I / Have to sacrifice some pride / Cause when it's all said and done
Everybody just can't be number one

Guys like me who may not be / The brightest star shining on the team / But when you need that two run lead
Then I'm  your man / Cause it's guys like me that you will need / When our biggest star's gone 0 for three
And there'll I'll be with all my team doing the victory dance

I was sad to hear that he had killed himself.  What demons couldn't he shake off?  Was it money?  He never one of the highly paid guys.  Was it the lack of fame?  Was it realizing that his dream was over?  Then there's the realization that two days before Christmas a man with a wife and three little girls shot himself in the head - forever ruining Christmas for those little girls.  How selfish was that?  
I remembered the knocking himself out and as I read a couple tributes it came back that he knew of 6 or 7 concussions and figured there were a few he didn't remember.   I don't know if that's a convenient excuse for an athlete "the concussion made me do it" or if these injuries are causing serious damage.  I can't think that shaking your brain and skull up ever leads to good things.
I think we need more research on it.  We owe it to his little girls, and we owe it to all the kids that play sports - how will this effect them down the road?  Does better equipment need to be developed?  
I don't know, but I hate to think that his life and death were in vain when he brought such joy to fans.

Friday, December 21, 2012

Honest?


I started a Thursday, but didn’t get very far before a project came up.  I’ll restart it again.  It might be a little better anyhow.  A couple friends gave me some encouragement last night.  It was nice to hear.  Of course now I’ve swung back in the other direction.  The friend has most of the same influences that I have, so of course she would end up with the same conclusions I did.  I decided on a theme song this morning.  Superchik’s One Girl Revolution.  It’s actually the ringtone I used when I knew I was losing my job.  That sounds depressing, but it was to pump myself up.  I’d put the music video here, but of course YouTube is blocked at work.

So my start of a post was questioning what I had posted on Wednesday.  How honest can one be in their blog?  Because I’m not sure if I was too honest.  OTOH, why should I hide my feelings completely?  I think the balance is in knowing that what you are saying is only your opinion.  Acknowledging that you may be emotional in some way.  As well, I think we need to be careful in our words.  Not saying “I’m going to kill him.”  If you know, that’s not what we intend at all, so that are words can be taken at face value.

Does that make sense?

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Wednesday

Hump Day?
I realize how much I dwell on things.
When I'm ready to explain; you'll know for now, I know I'm being vague.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Secret Santa


Good Morning!
I’ve received my first Christmas present over the weekend.  It was from the Idita-Support list.  Saturday night I received a box of goodies.  A couple books, seeds, calendar, and candy.  Yesterday, I received a second copy of one of the books.  The books and calendar are so nice – I know that I will love them.  The seeds look like very pretty flowers, though I’m afraid I’ll kill them.  I think I’m going to email the woman in charge of the gift exchange and ask her what to do.  Or who I should send the book to…  I feel awkward about it though.  How would you handle it?

Monday, December 10, 2012

sunday sermon


Worship leader - exec preaching
The road to Bethlehem 
Joseph
A Baby Changes Everything 
5 love languages
Service?
Nothing from him- mentioned 6 times
Probably never saw Jesus preach
Farmers bakers shepards carpenters where Ruth was from Joseph was there
Mary in Nazareth 
They meet at Elizabeth's house
Matthew 1:18-24
Merciful but angry
Both Joseph's have dreams
How do you define greatness?
Excitement over a gift giving (gag gifts are stupid)
Blog about Friday night
Compare Herrod and Joseph

_______________________________________________

I know, I haven’t done a sermon reaction in awhile.  I blame it on having on going computer issues.  I have to type it out instead of talking through it.  But I dropped the computer off to be fixed on Saturday.  Hopefully, it will be fixed soon.
I enjoyed it and that last night’s youth group discussion touched on it.
I really liked the part, where he talked about seeing the excitement in someone’s eyes over a gift they just know someone is going to love.  That’s one of the things I think we need to be teaching.  It’s one of the reason white elephant gift exchanges tick me off so much.  We need to be focusing on other people.  Not how to make ourselves look good.
I, also, liked how Joseph probably had his life planned out until the angel appeared to him – and then it all went nuts.  How often does that happen to us?  It happens to me a lot

Friday, December 7, 2012

Countdown to Christmas


Next step in getting ready for Christmas.
How are you doing on your Christmas gifts?
I thought I was doing well.  Then I started placing items on my spreadsheet.  I have some holes.  Yes, I am the nerd who has a spreadsheet to track everything.  It helps because I buy things through out the year.
Now after lunch…. (Okay so that was Thursday)
There’s a restaurant in the building across the street that I go to fairly often.  I went there today.  Today they had a group of local artists that make glass beads and create jewelry.  I pretty much took care of three gifts.
I still have to wrap my St. Nicholas presents.  I know we should have opened the presents yesterday, but I didn’t get a chance to wrap them and my parents never remember what day he comes.  So I didn’t point it out.  And okay, I probably did have time, but something happened…..
I took time to just snuggle in a blanket and watch Hulu.  YouTube suggested I watch a clip from Castle.  Well, it has Joey Buchanon in it for those others who used to watch One Life to Live.  It amused me, so I went to Hulu and watched the past several episodes.  Do you ever do that – know that you need to do something, flake, but realize you needed the downtime?  I think we all need it from time to time.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Christmas Card


I’m hoping to have exciting news soon, but you’ll have to wait until I find out more.  Terrible, aren’t I?
I sent out the list yesterday for the LIW Christmas Card exchange.  I find it a lot of fun.  I don’t really get that many cards mailed to me.  Not sure why.  I think because the Bible Study I was in for a number of years has disbanded.  Since I go to the extension campus now, I’ve lost touch with some.  However, these cards more than outnumber them.  They are also from around the country.  I think they show everyone’s personality a little as well.  I know that’s a cheesy comment.  Are you really surprised though?  I know I’m cheesy often on this blog.
How many Christmas Cards do you usually get a year?  How many do you send?

Monday, December 3, 2012

Anyway, yeah


So the vague thing that I was going on about?  I did something about it.  And it turned out, eh.  I just don’t think it’s understood where I’m coming from.  There was one point that I understand though I think it goes back to not realizing it doesn’t begin to mitigate the created situation.  I don’t know if its age or skills or gifts, but it remains that my points can’t be grasped.  A friend asked what I’m going to do now.  I don’t think I can do anything – I would be upset with myself if something happened while I watched.  So it leaves me frustrated and back where everything started, though I guess voicing my concerns was good.