Final blog

Well, all things come to an end. Not exactly all things, but most that we know on this earth. I am switching back to a blog I was posting to earlier this year from March to May. I only posted 9 times in those three months, but I believe it is where I am going to hang out a while. I named the blog Truth Edited tongue-in-cheek as a reference to a constantly reoccuring statement I heard most of my life from the group in which I was raised. That statement was "We are the truth." The blog can be found here: http://truth-edited.blogspot.com/

It is there that I will continue to put into words my discoveries of truth about the world in which we live, how humans came to be, and how it all interfaces with what is known as "Holy Scripture."

I'd be delighted to have you stop in. Comments will be turned off, but you are welcome to comment to me directly at bwcatlett@comcast.net.

Cheers.

November

National Cathedral, Washington, DC. Central Nave looking towards the altar.















Potomac Eagle









I was on vacation last week, but stayed home except for two days. On Thursday, October 29th, a friend of mine, Scott, and I went to Washington. I wanted to visit the National Cathedral again. I try to about once a year. And I wanted to stand in the rotunda of the Capitol. We didn't get to stand in the rotunda, that is only allowed if you are on a 20 minute tour. 20 minutes does not allow one to really absorb the aura of the Capitol, but it has come to that in this age of threats and security.

On Sunday, November 1, Georgiann and I got up before daylight, in the rain, and left for Romney, West Virginia to take a train ride on the Potomac Eagle. A slower train I have never riden. The first leg of the trip was only a little interesting, the second leg, for me at least was quite interesting. I got to see 4 adult Bald Eagles sitting in three trees, and what I believe was 2 juvenile Bald Eagles in flight. The Potomac River was very pretty as well. Very scenic and a nice ride.

All in all, a pleasant vacation and a restful one. I enjoyed my last vacation camping at the lake as well.

I have returned to my reading, and currently in the midst of three. I am reading "The Language of God" by Francis Collins. This book is pushing the envelope for me because I don't really understand genetics or DNA. But I am learning, and that is always good. In the middle of reading that I also picked up a classic that I had read in college some 30 years ago, Farewell to Arms" by Earnest Hemingway, and now a book titled "GOD According to God" by Gerald L. Schroeder. This last book I found while perusing the suggest reading list of the BioLogos website. If you haven't checked that site out, do yourself a favor and click here: http://www.biologos.org/

The family was over for Halloween and the three munchkins were all dressed up. Cute.

Speaking of Language

Not that we were, but if we had been. I submit these for your perusal.

"LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR" Doctor's Office, Rome

"SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES" Dry Cleaners, Bangkok

"DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR THE BEST RESULTS" In a Nairobi Restaurant

"CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER" On the main road to Mombasa, leaving Nairobi

"TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE." On a poster at Kencom

"ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO, WE CAN HELP." In a City Restaurant

"OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND WEEKENDS." In a Cemetery

"PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES." Tokyo Hotel's Rules and Regulations

"GUESTS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SMOKE OR DO OTHER DISGUSTING BEHAVIOURS IN BED." On the menu of a Swiss Restaurant

"OUR WINES LEAVE YOU NOTHING TO HOPE FOR." In a Tokyo Bar

"SPECIAL COCKTAILS FOR THE LADIES WITH NUTS." Hotel, Yugoslavia

"THE FLATTENING OF UNDERWEAR WITH PLEASURE IS THE JOB OF THE CHAMBERMAID." Hotel, Japan

"YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAMBERMAID." In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox Monastery

"YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS, AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY EXCEPT THURSDAY." A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest

"IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN ON OUR BLACK FOREST CAMPING SITE THAT PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT SEX, FOR INSTANCE, MEN AND WOMEN, LIVE TOGETHER IN ONE TENT UNLESS THEY ARE MARRIED WITH EACH OTHER FOR THIS PURPOSE." Hotel, Zurich

"BECAUSE OF THE IMPROPRIETY OF ENTERTAINING GUESTS OF THE OPPOSITE SEX IN THE BEDROOM, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THE LOBBY BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE." Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE ON YOUR OWN ASS?" In a Swiss Mountain Inn

"SPECIAL TODAY - NO ICE-CREAM." Airline Ticket Office, Copenhagen

"WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS." A laundry in Rome

"LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME."

Short Bike Ride

Decided to take a bike ride on a beautiful September day today. I chose Burketown as my starting point. Burketown is about midway between Weyers Cave and Mount Crawford on Route 11.




Burketown Road is the name of the country road I chose, but what I didn't know was the road immediately runs west over a ridge. 3 consecutive hills, one long and relatively shallow, the second long and quite steep, the third short but steep. So after only 2.2 miles I was whipped. I had ridden about 45 minutes at that point. Turned around and was back to the truck in about 10 minutes. Thought someone might enjoy the pics.



Just off Route 11 in Burktown is a wonderful, beautiful horse farm. I thought, wow, this must have cost someone a lot. A sign. What does it say? Bridgwater College Equestrian Center. Oh, well. That explains a lot.

Fixin' things

In one of those modes of fixing things lately. I saw my wheelbarrow was suffering from being in the weather and use so I decided to clean it up. After investing what might have bought a new one I had replaced the hardware, cleaned and painted the tub and struts, and replaced the handles.





The handles I cut from a 2X6 piece of pressure treated lumber I already had. Cut and sanded the handles.

I am currently saving a drawer to one of Georgiann's old dressers. Not sure I can call them antique or not. I know with the work I just did I pretty much ruined any antique value they may have had.

And the last picture is of a Yellow Garden spider that lives at the east side of our house. Yellow Garden spiders are not harmful to people or pets, but are deadly on mosquitoes, aphids and other bugs and things we as homeowners don't like. If you see a Yellow Garden spider, please leave it alone, or if it is in a place you would rather it not be, do your best to relocated it to another place of equal habitat.

Imagine Part II

Funny I have all this running through my mind at 2 am. Worked until 11 pm last evening and was sleeping very well until I woke up needing some Zincum Metallicum for my RLS. You can look all that up if you are that interested.

As I reread my post on Imagine to make sure it was all spelled correctly and made grammatic sense I thought of another line of Imagination. Imaginary playmates. I often wondered if generations more recent than mine had imaginary playmates. Our children didn't seem to have any. They were all close in age so it might have been they didn't ever sense the need for imaginary friends.

But the other day we were informed that Gannon had joined Jill's family thanks to an invitation and the imagination of Mari. What a hoot it was to learn of Gannon. I haven't spoken to or visited with Arky in about 52 or 3 years now. I trust he is doing well. The last time I can actually remember speaking with him was in Tulsa on North Main street. We lived in a rented 2 story house on the west side of the street. It's the house where Yvonne experimented with flight from the second story window while mom watched in horror from her ironing board.

I don't know if Yvonne's imaginary friend, Duty, went along on her short but direct flight or not. I know she was seldom without Duty in those days. I think we moved from North Main to West 8th street and it must have been around the move that Arky drifted off to other regions. I don't recall him coming by after that.

As I said, Arky and I had our last adventure of my recollection on North Main. I can pretty clearly remember what we were doing on a very warm, cloudless day. We were pulling dandilion flowers out of the yard and splitting the bottom of the stem with a fingernail and then dropping them into the open holes of blocks along the edge of the cement driveway where the water captured in the holes would cause the stems to continue splitting as they absorbed the water until the stems were two long, curled legs joined at the flower.

I always regarded that as a true natural phenomon. One I was proud to share with Arky as I enlightened him on most rare and wonderful things in and around us in our back and front yards.

I miss you Arky. You never questioned me but was always in total awe of my scientific powers and insight. No one has been since then. Did you really have to go?

Imagine

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

John Lennon of the Beatles. Thank you John for your thoughts on peace. But I humbly submit you missed the most important part about peace. You missed the Prince.

Have had this song running through my mind lately. Imagine peace. John saw peace coming about as a result of no religion. And I see his point. It seems most of our major conflicts somehow go back to deep beliefs. Instead of no religion, what if everyone was Christian? No one tied to a religion, or a denomination, or a sect or a creed, but Christian. Imagine that! Would we even need heaven then? Well, yes. We would. Otherwise the preparation would be in vain. And nothing divine is ever in vain.

'Bout time I reckon

If you need names, let me know at bwcatlett@comcast.net. I figure most everyone who views this blog will know.

Abigail turned 1 on Friday September 4. This is her birthday party with her family and friends. Mark and Mary, Abigail's maternal grandparents were there as well as all of her paternal family and neighborhood friends. As I said in a letter it was a SCREAM. Literally. Get the two older girls together and something at some point will trigger the screaming. All a part of being girls I think.

Been working around the house getting several projects taken care that have needed attention for a while. Took my wheelbarrow completely apart in order to refinish the handles and repaint the barrow only to find the handles were in serious decay and the bolts had rusted. I have so far spent roughly what a new one would cost, but I have cut and formed my own handles which I am quite proud of, and hope to be putting it all back together shortly.

Had a large concrete front step, 30" by 52", that had sunk down on the outer edge by 4 inches that I raised back into place with the help of my good friend Scott Harvey and his tractor. Got the bushes trimmed around the front and have been cleaning up little landscaping odds and ends. Maybe I'll post pictures of some of that later. I will definitely post pictures of my wheelbarrow handles.

Happy Labor day to one and all. I really get confused at our language sometimes. Shouldn't it be Unlabor day for most? Me? I'm working. Capitalism has to be tended by someone.

Steer here

I know one of you got that. I won't go into it's etimological background, but for you whom were not raised from birth in this fair valley, just substitute STILL for STEER. You'll be OK. No, I was not raised here either, but someone that I know uses that word was. I would also bet the same person eats sammitches.

As for me. Not OK. Job has become a major trial. Looking for ways to change that. Talked with someone today who may be able to help in the not too distant future. Until then, just hang in and try to learn all I can about my job. Seems to be moving faster than I, at 60, want to move.

Speaking of moving at 60, why in the name of goodness does my driving 60 mph on the Interstate which has a posted MAXIMUM speed limit of 65mph make me a target for the loonies including the mega-ton trucks who miss my rear bumper by inches seemingly TRYING to prove a point?

The Interstate used to be posted at 55 as a minimum speed limit. And that was when the maximum was 70. The feds gave us at one time a 15 mph window in which to drive. I am only 5 mph below the posted limit and you'd think I was a terrorist.

And for you loonies who want to drive well after dark without your lights, I hope what ever hits you because it can't see you is softer than your head. Evidently a brain is not a prerequisite for a drivers license. Just because you can still see the outlines of the road does not mean we can see you. Duh!

And for the Facebook comment on having a dictionary at hand when following my various writing outlets, just think of it as stretching your mind. Twang.

About done with the cedar clothes closet in the basement for off season clothes. Just finished (for the third time) plumbing the new water heater. I hadn't quite tightened the cold water connection tight enough and it was slowly leaking. All done now, no leaks. Hot water. What more could you ask of a water heater plumbing job?

Two more sessions with a guest evangelist at church. Deep, deep stuff. Speaking on Pentecost and the concept, or reality really, that Christianity without Pentecost is not Christianity at all. The key point in all of the Christian belief system is Pentecost. Everything prior led to and everything post followed. Obvious I know when it is written out, but not so obvious in practice of many who call themselves Christians. They want to point to other important events as key. Christmas in celebration of the birth of Christ, Easter in celebration of the Resurrection of Christ, etc. Sorry. Secondary. Means absolutely nothing to anyone without Pentecost.

Lake Anna on party day

We took the boat to Lake Anna today with intentions of fishing. No, the first picture is not our boat. Todd, or Todd and Chad, or Todd & Diana and Chad & Lesa, however it is, have a bass boat. The one in the picture is a ski boat I think. Just one of the very large number of boats on the water with us today. The weather was so perfect, and being a Saturday late in the summer, we found the water packed with party boats of all sizes, mostly huge, and a ton of jet skis and related water craft. The water was very choppy due to so many high power boats and other water toys and fishing was just not happening. But, it was fun if somewhat scary for me. I still am not totally comfortable in a high power boat at speed. Just haven't had much experience on the water in anything but a very slow Jon boat or flat bottom river boat.

Most of the pictures I took were not good because the camera failed to focus on time or the boat was high or lower than I expected.

We had fun, and enjoyed ourselves immensely. Got home in time for Georgiann and me to have steamed crabs at Todd & Diana's home with Abigail as live entertainment. We have a family picnic planned on the Skyline drive for tomorrow minus Jill and Mari who have previous plans. I'll try to post pics of that.

BioLogos Foundation

Those of you who know me best know I love to share information, especially when it pertains to my beliefs and belief system. In searching for an email address last evening late I discovered this site and believe it may be one of my best finds in the Internet.

The site is called The BioLogos Foundation, and was formed by a number of scientists who are devout Christians. One in particular, Francis S. Collins, I mention in recent blogs here.

You can find this amazing site at http://biologos.org/. Of great interest to me is the resource section where one can find books, article, papers and videos written by scientist whose faith in a creator/God is profound and unshakable.

I suddenly, at 60, am finding the answers I really believed were out there since the eighth grade. My hope now is to find more people who I can share these new concepts with that won't drop my friendship like a hot potato. One such person is my true friend, Arnold. Arnold has always been able to immerse himself and walk with people of a number of fundamental groups but hold their concepts and beliefs at arms length so as to provide a certain distancing for himself. All without antagonizing or alarming anyone. A true peace maker among fundamental Christians.

In a conversation with another so called Christian, a man who was close friends with my deceased brother, was so shocked and apparently in risk of being poisoned when I told him I didn't believe in inherited sin he nearly made a new door in the back of his delivery truck distancing himself from me. At least that is what it seemed to me.

Check out the site, if your religion can stand some enlightenment. If it can't, go ahead and turn your light off. No one wants to ride in your taxi anyway. We'll walk, thank you very much.

Another site you will enjoy if you believe in dualism of a divine Creator and evolution (now called evolutionary creationist) is http://www.beliefnet.com/. Go there and take the quiz, Belief-O-Matic. Highlight this phrase, Belief-O-Matic, and paste it into the search window of belief.net. You may be surprised at how well the quiz pegs your religious leanings. It found I am 100% compatible with the Quakers. I wouldn't have known. I will have to look more into that. Just to see.

Current Reading List

The books below my screen are the books in progress at the moment. I haven't gotten much past the forwards in a few, well into some others, and essentially done with others but refer back to them from time to time to reseat some of the more interesting parts in my brain.

The Colin Tudge book on the far left, "The Engineer in the Garden," is a book that considers the role of genes and genetics in the creation of life. Tudge is a Brit scientist who has widely written about biological systems, food systems and famine throughout the world. I have not examined this book enough to speak of it as yet.

My two road biking books are next, one on Virginia and one on Wash DC, then a book titled "Doctrinal Standards in the Wesleyan Tradition" about the growth of the Methodist church in England and into the colonies.

"Reasonable Enthusiast" is another book about the rise of Methodism and John Wesley. "Doctrines that Divide" is a book about the major points of contention among Christian denominations and churches. Pretty much to the point. "Are Men Born Sinners" by A.T. Overstreet pretty much blows the Inherited sin dogma away. How anyone can believe we are created in God's image with sin in our hearts after reading this is beyond me.

"When Christians Roamed the Earth" is a book given to me my my theological checkpoint man, Arnold. I haven't been able to get to it yet.

"The Language of God" by Francis S. Collins is going to be another one of my SELECT books in my reading experience. Collins is the new NIH (read that National Institute of Health) director just recently having been appointed by President Obama. Collins grew up in Staunton, Virginia, on a farm just a few miles from where I live now. His parents were the founders of the locally famous Oak Grove Theater which is still in continuous production. Even more interesting to me, his parents were on site and instrumental in the Eleanor Roosevelt Arthurdale Project. Georgiann and I lived in one of the original Arthurdale Project homes and restored it 1979 to 1986. Small world. Collins is also the geneticist that unraveled the DNA code. He is equating the DNA code to the language God used in creation. I think this book will become my lifetime pinnacle book.

"Jungle Pilot" is about the missionary work of Nate Saint in Ecuador where he was killed in 1956. That book has been turned into a docudrama that you may have seen. "Salvation on Sand Mountain" is a book about snake handling Pentecostals in Georgia. Not my cup of tea for sure, but having been exposed to the snake handlers of West Virginia during my WVU days, Arnold knew I'd be interested.

The last book, one I finished in KY a couple of weeks ago, "Angles and Demons" by Dan Brown I wrote about in an earlier blog.

And you want me to add WHAT to my reading list? Call me in 2012. I may have caught up by them.

Of course, the book I wrote mostly about in one of my theology blogs, "How to Read the Bible" by James L. Kugel is always beside my keyboard. The pinnacle book for me unless replaced.

New glasses?

Yes, they are. Thanks for asking.

My old ones decided to commit Harakiri. Well, after the fashion of the WWII Japanese suicide pilots at least. Only these didn't hit the boat. They totally missed the boat. But at the speed the boat was running I can see how that would have been easy to do. Misjudge the point of impact.

Another day of drama on the dark waters of the Shenandoah River. Before launch we had electrical problems that with some urging on our part nearly esculated into a full blown maritime disaster with smoke and all kinds of special effects.

But we managed to launch and fish, or pretended to fish since fishing often brings along with it the expectation of catching fish. Then just before heading back to the slip we ran the boat hard up and down the river a few times. In one of the high speed turns I rotated to get a glimpse of the wake just created when the glasses reached their launch window and were down range so fast we never found them.

So, hope these will do.

A couple of pictures of the river just to "prove" we were there.

A bad day fishing...

...well you know the rest. Actually the fishing started out with a bang. Todd hooked a small large mouth but didn't land it. I almost immediately hooked a large mouth about a pound or so and landed it. Then put him back into his own neigborhood with a change of clothes, some money in small bills and a warning about hanging out with hookers. Then Todd hooked another small large mouth which gave him the slip before he was able to cuff him.

But it was fun. Got to drive the boat a little. Less than we expected, but I'll let the master mariner explain all of that. Something to with wimply electrons and high voltage requirments of big motors. Not sure I followed it all.

But did we have fun? No it was not love, but it's not bad.

Facebook

So if you are not on Facebook, why not? If you surf and read blogs, then you'll like Facebook. I like it because it is so easy to upload pictures. So if you want to see more of the pictures I take join in. www.facebook.com.

See you there. Ask to be my friend. The most I can do is ignore you, right?

It's me, it's me, it's Ernest T.

This is a picture from a while ago. I have since shaved the face and filled the walls behind me. And lost a couple of fingers on my left hand as well.

This picture was taken July 4, 2009 by my very sweet daughter-in-law, Lesa, at her and Chad's house in Staunton. The guy in the middle is a very large stunt double of me. He looks a LOT like me only I'd guess him to be at least 30 pounds more than me!! I WISH.

I was thinking of all the new/old friends I have been encountering lately whose only reference to me may be an old yearbook photo (again, a stunt double only 50 pounds lighter) or a vague memory of what I used to look like. And those would probably be only a ghost image of who I am today. No pun there.

Check out Facebook for other pics.

Just fishin'

Been fishing with the boys lately. I have yet to catch anything, Todd does some, but Chad reels them in. But it is fun. We are tentatively planning to fish Claytor Lake in September. I am hoping to camp out from Tuesday through Sunday, with the Todd and Chad coming down Thursday or Friday. I won't take a boat with me, but will be able to fish off the dock. Will take reading material and my bike. And maybe sleep some. Or a lot.

Donkey Watch is King

Not finding my normal cheap Timex this morning Georgiann found this watch in my dresser drawer. I haven't worn it in a while, and do not wear it often. I believe it was either a Christmas gift or birthday gift to me from my parents when I was about 5. Which makes it about 55 years old. My mother found it among her things perhaps 10 or 15 years ago and gave it to me again. It was in the hands of a local horologist for nearly a year (look it up, my word of the day to you) but it was returned to me in wonderful shape.

It is not battery driven or even self winding. But I love it. The donkey constantly shakes his head no while the watch is running. Kids love it.

Nothing like it appears on Ebay. There are many "Vintage" Donkey Kong watches, games, etc dating from 1983. You have got to be kidding me. VINTAGE? I'll show you Vintage. Try 1954 for vintage. 1983 is vintage like trips to Mars maybe. Shut up already, youse thinking 1983 is vintage. Youse still in diapers 1983. Cloth diapers.

July 4th 2009. Happy 233rd birthday America. Youse is changing, but you are still the most comfortable place to live. I'd like to live some other places, but not because they are better. Because I believe I could be of more help. But you still are a beautiful lady, America. You must be, so many people want to be a part of you they are sneaking in day and night. To those who hate us so much they want to tear us down I say, "Go away kid. You might get your nose bloody."

Lean Time Management

When I left for vacation on the afternoon of June 17th I was manager of Tool World. Coming back on June 25th I found I was manager of Hardware as well. I can't go into the details here of how or why all this came about, I don't believe that I am allowed, and it isn't interesting enough to be made public anyway. Just moves that companies do to hold on to employees and make themselves better stores to the public. It was all good.

But becoming manager of a suddenly larger department will be a challenge for me. I think I am up to it, but I have to focus and learn as fast as I can. The two departments compliment each other in product. The personnel that we have in both departments currently have always worked closely together, and continue to do so.

Not a lot of visible change, but some reorganization of employees. All of which keeps our jobs from becoming monotonous or boring. A good thing. Maybe a great thing. And we all have an opportunity to accomplish more than we could have before.

Once again I am up in what many call the wee hours of the morning. I am guessing that comes from the numbers we assign to the hours being very small . Not much weeer (hows that for a word?) in real numbers than 1. I am not as wee at this hour of 5. And in fact, many mornings I am already clocked in at this hour. I like getting to work at 5 on the mornings I open so I can get a jump on the freight. If there is no freight left it doesn't make good sense to go in at 5 since customers are not in the store until 7.

I am off today and tomorrow, but have two important appointments. One is to check on my financial well being and the other is to check on my health well being. I need the former to be in as good of shape regardless of how good the latter is. I have more issues with the latter which I need to iron out with our family physician.

I turned 60 just over 3 1/2 hours ago. I was sleeping. Just like my dad was doing when I entered into this world. But in his defense the doctor had sent him home for rest because it didn't appear I was shortly forthcoming. I recently heard from my mother's sister closest in age to her who told me she, Aunt Dolly, was the first Aunt to see me. I don't know if she might have been first in the family to see me. Mothers in those days were often put completely to sleep when birthing, and with Dad at home, well I don't know. I was the first grandchild on the Catlett family side, and the first grandchild of my Grandma Newberry's, but the second grandchild and first grandson on the Newberry side. Granddad Lum Newberry had two daughters from a prior marriage one of which had a girl older than me. Barbara is 3 years older than me. Her family moved to California before I was old enough to even remember them, so I have had little interaction with them over the years. I wish I could get to know them.

July 1st is the start of the government's fiscal year. I hope they have a better year than last. One thing I am wondering about; if the government mostly owns GM now can a GM purchase be tax deductible? And what are all of those Chevy fans going to call Ford now? You can't say "Found On Road Dead." Ford weathered this thing and as far as I can find has never had to be bailed out or claim bankruptcy. Got to mean something or someone is doing something right.

Cheers.

Reading

VMI Cadets march to New Market, 2009. The original march, in May of 1864, consisted of about 257 VMI Cadets. The event is commemorated each May by a smaller contingent of Cadets who make the 85 mile march along Route 11 between Lexington and New Market. New Market is the oldest and some say most continuous US Civil War battle re-enactment. Then the cadets would have pretty much had the old dirt road to themselves a lot of the march. Now you can see how they need to cower on the edge hoping not to get killed by a motorized idiot prior to seeing the possibility of mock death on the battlefield

While we were in KY I finished Dan Brown's Angels and Demons. This mystery is set within the Vatican and surrounded by the tapestry of a conclave by the College of Cardinals. The pope had just died of what was thought was natural causes and a new pope was to be chosen. The "bad" characters were not only surprises but multi-leveled. The good characters brought out some great aspects in human qualities. One of the most striking parts of the book to me was one of the "bad" character's public defense of the church and of Christianity. A remarkable statement and one worth any one's time to read. Especially in light of the events, although fictitious, which preceded the announcement.

Do I recommend the book? I do. But cautiously and with explanation. The book is graphic. Graphic scenes of violence and sex. The sex is not over the top or vulgar, but depending on your background and self imposed limits of exposure you may find them a bit much. The violence is very graphic. Explicit in language and from the depths of cruelty.

The story line borders at times on the limits of what makes all mysteries good, the willful suspension of belief. If that is a new phrase to you I'd highly recommend you research it. It is a phrase introduced in the early 1800s and is a formula for author's. It sets boundaries to believability which separates good writing from ludicrous.

Well, that turned out to be more of a book critique than a recommendation.

Last evening before 7 pm I decided to take a walk. It was an exploratory walk to see if it might prove to be something I'd like to do on a regular basis. The last time I lost significant weight I cut back on what I was eating and took 6 to 7 mile walks about every night. I called it my "Push back walk out" diet. This route that I chose allows me a couple of small options along the route but mostly follows a loop of just under 7 miles.

I live just about a tenth of a mile from the lower terminus of Kezzeltown road where it ends, or begins I suppose, at Route 11 at the upper edge of Mount Sidney. Following it north brings one to the intersection of Weyers Cave Road in the village of Weyers Cave. No, you mispronounced it. It is pronounced Weirs, not wires. Turning left, or west, takes one back over I81 and to the intersection of Route 11. Left again, south, and 3 miles later end where you began at Eastover Blvd at the upper edge of Mount Sidney. Taking one of the short options along the way which goes past Todd, Diana and Abigail's house measures at 6.9 miles. A bit more than Todd and I guessed at 5. All three roads used are narrow and too busy. People believe they must speed at risk of life and limb so none of the roads are conducive to walking or biking. In my opinion a yet another tragedy we have allowed the automobile to bring us. And another very minus to rural living. Say what you want about living in the country, but in this country you better have enough land of your own to walk or take a drive to a very boring park or track of some kind. Leisurely walks in the country are dangerous.

I ran out of daylight because I under estimated the distance and because when I stopped to see the children and Abigail I stay a bit long. But seeing the granddaughters is always worth what extra time you can carve out.

Working 2 pm to 11 pm this evening, then two days off. Sweet days off.

Is it fishing if you don't catch fish?

Chad did catch 11 or 12, while Todd caught 1. I was zero for the day. But like they say, a bad day fishing is better than a good day working. Too bad I had to work as well.

I opened today after closing last night. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately. I have no idea why scheduling seems to be so difficult at my place of work. But I never hear anyone being happy with their schedules. Well, except one group that works M-F 5-2. I could stand a schedule like that as well. I normally only open after closing. I opened today, after closing yesterday, and will close again tomorrow. But then have two days off.

I put in my vacation requests for the rest of my vacation for the year. I am hoping on one of the short few days off to go fishing with the boys on Claytor Lake. We did that before and had a great time. They think they can only go late on a Thursday and come back on the next Sunday morning. I may go down on Tuesday afternoon if my schedule allows me and camp out a couple of nights before they get there. I love to camp. Just haven't done it enough since getting married. I wanted a space here between the last paragraph and this next one, but this piece of crap of a program won't allow me to insert one. So here is to run on writing. . . . . . . . . .Another one of the requests will be a few days biking somewhere flat within easy driving distance. Might be the eastern shore of MD or the colonial parkway. I’ll wait until the time gets closer to decide. The other short vacation I may work around the house.

My birthday is Wednesday. Yes, I will be 60. Growing up the ministry in the group my family was affiliated with had me convinced I’d never see much of adulthood. The world was coming to an end. Well, more correctly, “The LORD was returning.”

But barring getting hit this evening while walking or running off the road going to work or back tomorrow (a more likely scenario than you might imagine) I should make it to 60. My parents died in their 70s. So, with a little more care of myself than they took of themselves I might possibly have 20 more years. 10 years of pizza interspersed with 10 years of seafood. Now that is something to live for.

Vacation Kentucky Side

This is the pole light I sort of kind of finished installing this evening. I have several more things to do, including back filling my trench better and planting grass and connecting the power to the light through a timer and dusk to dawn sensor.

This is the view from my study window.

After a quick trip from the Northern Neck to home on Friday, we regrouped overnight and left for Kentucky Saturday morning. Everything went very well, with beautiful weather. I dropped off of I64 onto US 60 at the eastern end of Charleston looking for a hole in the wall type of restaurant. One of those out of the way places that only the locals know but the food is way better than fast slop.

We did find an old fast food restaurant that had been converted into Susie's Hamburgers. No, I am not going to tell you where it is located, trust me you don't want to know. Nasty.

We got to Winchester in the early evening and went directly to the hospital where Georgiann's mom is in a permanent stay in a transition facility. You tell me, there are lots of things I don't understand. Then we went on over to her dad's where we were spending our nights. Nice little duplex. Easy to keep up and just enough room for dad. Even has a car port now that he no longer has a car. Nice for people coming to take him places however.

Sunday morning I got up and went downtown to a large denominational church so I could listen to the African Children's Choir. Very nice program. They talked about and showed a little video of where some of the children are from. Breaks your heart. I've been to a couple of the worse places. The Kibera slum is regarded as the largest slum in Africa, and argue ably in the world.

They talked about a couple of Ethiopian children who had found their way to the choir who were on the brink of starvation. It was just a little too close to Amari's situation for me. It was a very emotional concert for me.

On Monday I drove out to Fort Boonsborough and spent a couple of hours conversing with the interpreters there. I enjoy doing that. Unfortunately my camera battery had run flat that morning, so no pictures of Fort Boonsborough. And who knows if I'll ever get back.

Pretty much all the news. I think my light is going to make a nice addition to the yard. More later.

Back he said, soon

I took a couple of days with Georgiann to explore some of Virginia's Northern Neck last week. We based ourselves in the Rappahannock River town of Tappahannock and toured Stratford Hall in Warsaw, VA on Thursday. Stratford Hall is the birthplace of Robert E. Lee. His final home and resting place is Arlington, of course. The Lee family built and lived in Stratford Hall for several generations. Begun in the late 1730s by Colonel Thomas Lee the home was several years in construction. It is of Georgian architecture, built in a three story H. Thomas Lee and his wife Hannah Harrison Ludwell had 8 children, two of which, Richard Henry Lee (Light Horse Harry Lee) and Francis Lightfoot Lee were signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Light Horse Harry Lee lost his first wife, who was also his cousin, Matilda, to malaria and later married one Ann Hill Carter. Their union produced Robert Edward among other children. Light Horse Harry Lee and his wife Ann left Stratford Hall in the winter of 1810-1811 due to mounting debt. The house fell into the care of one of Harry and Matilda's sons, Major Henry Lee IV, also known as Black Horse Harry. He in turn sold the plantation due to mounting debt and it passed through several families for about a century before a group of women determined to buy, restore and preserve the plantation under the name of Robert E. Lee Memorial Association.

Now you know more about a place you had never heard of than you ever wanted to know, right?

On Thursday evening we had dinner at the famous Lowery's Seafood Restaurant. Very good. Excellent seafood. Definitely you should go if you find yourself anywhere east of the Mississippi River.

On Friday we traveled over close to Reedville, the last village on the road at the Potomac River, to the dock at Buzzard's Point. There we hitched a ride on the Chesapeake Breeze for an hour and half cruise out in the Chesapeake Bay to a little island named Tangier. You can look it up. A neat trip and a neat place to visit. We watched a large pod of Bottlenose Dolphins play around the boat for a little while and saw a Tall Ship of unknown anchorage.

We got back to Buzzard Point about 4 pm and hurried back home, about 3 ½ hours so we could regroup and go to Winchester, KY on Saturday morning to visit G’s parents.

I will talk about that next, right now I need to quit for the evening. I spent most of the day cutting a trench in my front yard to bury PVC conduit to run electric out to a three light post light I am putting up at the end of the driveway. I got the conduit in the ground with a 3/8 nylon braided rope as a wire pull and covered back up, but at a body cost higher than I was hoping. Getting old ain’t for the fainthearted. Speaking of which, 60 comes my way next Wednesday.

Seven more and I will have fulfilled my biblical expectations, 17 more years and I will reach the age both my parents checked out. I trust they know where they are. I haven’t heard from them since they left.

I do want to speak about two things I experienced in KY on my next blog. Tomorrow maybe? Maybe not. Soon. As in “When will then be now?” said Helmet. Sandurz replies “Soon.”

If that exchange totally escapes you, it is from a somewhat irreverent movie of a few years ago.

My Way

A statistic on blogs claims that the average lifespan of a blog is 129 days. Most blogs are updated frequently for a while in the beginning, falling to twice a month before expiring. Well, this blog has lasted 870 days, or about 575% longer than most. Some, of course, have been going strong since 1999.

But most things we see and know are transient. I find myself moving towards a quieter spirit with more introspection and less of a willingness to talk about what I am about. That will come as a surprise to many because I may be the most transparent person I know. At least I believe that. I do not hide much. There are things in my life and my mindset that only I know, and some that only I know and one other person knows (well, several of those with several different people actually).

There are things I have been a part of that will go to my grave with me. And let me clarify that as only a cliche. I really don't believe I will arrive at a single resting place. I intend on donating my body to a group who will harvest any salvageable parts, then give my body to a cadaver lab somewhere for student use.

Sidetracks are always longer than expected.

But for those who have classified me as very up front with my thoughts and feelings and one to bare my soul at the slightest provocation may find me changing as I move towards and into my 6th decade. I have found that my opinion means little to others, my influence has yielded little fruit, and my conversations seem to to have fallen into the audio abyss. So rather than be known to others, I find myself wanting to be totally unknown to any but my most intimate soul mates. And I imagine they all know who they are.

Well, maybe not BOTH of them... No just kidding. I hope I'm kidding at least.

All of that to say this blog, and my two other blogs principally about theology, are ending now. I will leave them up, in case lightening strikes, but for now I don't see me posting any more.

It has been fun for me. I hope at least mildly interesting for others. And hopefully not offensive to any. As my friends in Kima Kenya would say, kwa herini.

Bruce.

Deterioration of the temple

Or, in words many others have quoted, "If I had known I was going to live this long I'd have taken better care of myself."

Last week I went to have my hearing tested to find that I, like most first world citizens of my age, have a significant loss in sounds of high frequency. So now I am rethinking the Santana and Steppenwolf concerts and the countless hours of headphone use on hundreds of other 60s groups.

I was fitted with two hearing aids that were nearly invisible to others, but because of my glasses were a source of constant irritation. And it would only get worse if I was perspiring as I do when working. OK, I didn't say frequently. But that and the fact that the devices changed the level at which I could hear sounds, but also changed the sounds themselves to unpleasant and unfamiliar made me decide against keeping them. Voices that I have only known since loosing the upper portion of the audio spectrum came to my brain as very different. And since my hearing loss was mostly encountered in the 6 or 8 years evenly surrounding 1970, that is all of the voices I hear now.

Of course hearing is only one of the things I would take better care had I the proverbial opportunity to "do it all over again." My eyesight most likely would not be redeemable, since I needed glasses from about the 2nd or 3rd grade. But I could have done better with staying fit and in shape. While the shape I am in is not unique to me, I really don't care for it on me.

The rec room remodel has progressed slowly but is nearly done. Four more smaller projects in conjunction with the remodel remain to be finished. Georgiann is finishing painting the door jams, I have one of the new fan boxes in and need to rehang the fan, then change the other three boxes. We cut down a filing cabinet and are refinishing it for a side table for remotes, etc. And the thorn in our side stairway is yet to be finished. I will have the walls finished this evening. The steps need lots of work. Filling, sanding and painting. But it will all look great when done.

Still in a decision making mode here regarding my mother's side of the family reunion in June. It will be held in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, where the family spent most of their younger lives together. A few who never left, and a few who left and then moved back. Some of them lived part of their real young years in a small town called Beggs. As they would have said on "Hee Haw," "...we salute Beggs, Oklahoma, population 1364. Yeeeehaaaw!!"

And it is a very small little town still, straddling old highway 16 just 12 1/2 miles straight east of Slick. Which has fewer people, thus less traffic for those of you not interested in getting caught in the Beggs rush hour. Well, small in population size. The buildings seems to be normal size if somewhat in disrepair.

The principle obstruction in going is the distance. Just about 2250 miles round trip. Or, about 100 gallons of gas, and 34 hours drive time.

Need to make a decision this week.

The granddaughters are growing so fast it makes me almost sad to watch. I know there are times their moms and dads can't wait for them to get to the next stage. But they are so pretty and beautiful to me at this age.

More another day. Pics of the rec room soon. Or come on by and see it yourself.

No Cussing

Some time ago, several months I guess, I discovered an organization in California established and founded by a young man, just 14 years old, of South Pasadena. It is call the No Cussing Club. It has gained an amazing following all around the world and is growing at a phenomenal rate. You can take a look at it here http://www.nocussing.com/index.html and join if you like. I did. I think it is a great idea.

In a time when people's language is getting worse, it is time for some of us to speak up and say enough is enough. I am really tired of hearing the words I hear on a daily basis. There is no good reason for language like many use. And, yes, it does hurt. The speaker and the hearer as well.

There are many reasons why certain things have been considered poor choices, in spite of the many who do them. Drinking, smoking, cursing, and immoral lives are some. All of those I chose to name have serious to catastrophic results. It doesn't matter to me whether one considers themselves to be morally correct or not, that short list is simply a recipe for pain and suffering. All of them will bring a deficiency in life.

I just received an email from the NCC about a Supreme Court ruling on the FOX network allowing two curse words to be broadcast. This link http://www.parentstv.org/ has a link to a pdf file which contains all of the legal proceedings of the case of Supreme Court vs FCC & FOX. The FCC had evidently said it was OK for FOX to allow the two words based on content and infrequent use, but the Supreme Court overturned their ruling.

So, a small victory in a large war. I really believe most people who use poor language don't understand the damage it does. I really am not going to get into that here because I don't think intelligent people need it explained. Cursing to me is like the continued use of tobacco. I just want to say, "Are you KIDDING me?" What is so compelling and alluring about something that destroys you?

If you were to get an email from me it has this signature line: Rise above common rhetoric James 5.12 Bruce’s paraphrase.

So do you think real men and real women use bad language?

Cheers.

Ocracoke

Ocracoke Lighthouse is the shortest of the Atlantic coast lighthouses at 75 feet and the second oldest in North Carolina dating to 1823. It is a picturesque lighthouse, with a very nice keeper's house, nice grounds and surrounding picket fence. It does not have a revolving light, but has a stationary light instead. The light house is situated on relative high ground on the island and provides a refuge to rising water during hurricanes.

The trip is on relative high ground spiritually for me each year I am able to attend. I thought this was my 5th year, but I can only account for 4 using my inventory of pictures; 2004, 2006, 2008 & 2009. This was the 15th year for the retreat. I believe three of the men have been at all 15, and a few others can claim 14. It is the 4th time of the 7 years I have attended church at Harrisonburg First Nazarene for me. I plan to be at the rest, for as long as the trip is made.

I took more pictures this time, but not of the beach or ocean like one would expect. And I really don't know why. In a small way I know why, but it is not worth explaining. Just suffice it to say I concentrated on micro photography. Like this picture:

And this duck and chicks caught my eye and I took a number of closeups of them:

The one day I was on the beach I walked along the water line in the surf at about ankle depth looking into the water for complete shells. These are the ones I picked up. I never get tired of collecting shells when on the edge of the ocean. They fascinate me. This one is worth double clicking and enlarging.

My favorite one.

The retreat rested my body and refreshed my spirit. The company I was with going down, during and coming back was fun and we had a good time together. A great getaway.

Happy Happy Easter

I realize Easter is nearly over, but it is still Easter here in the eastern US. Our vision pastor this morning made a statement that may not be original to him and most likely wasn't the first time he said it, but it was the first time I took note of it. "Eternity is not about the future, but it is about forever." In other words, our eternity has begun. Our eternal destiny may not be selected, but it can be if we decide it is. I can make the determination now where I want to spend eternity, and with devotion and dedication it can be so. Regardless of my choice.

Just wanted to post this picture of the only grandchild that showed up for Easter dinner today. The other two were out of town, having visited the other grandparents this weekend. And I am sure they, the other grandparents, enjoyed them as much as we do. I wish both sets of grandparents lived closer as well. I do enjoy being with Lesa's parents, and Diana's parents are wonderful as well.

Here is the picture:

I wasn't sure what Mari was doing, but Jill says she pretends to put earrings in her ears. Cute. I invite you to double click on the picture and make it larger. Then look at those eyes. Beautiful.

Everybody asleep?

Or busy. Of the three blogs I monitor frequently, none have been updated recently. Of the three blogs I monitor they all have small children, so that is probably most of the reason. But I do like to see new pictures and hear how they are doing. I guess I am at a time in my life when I can pick and choose what I want to do with my time. That is just not possible with little ones, I know.

Just really close to having the rec room back together. Still a couple of small things to do. Then on to phase 2, the stairway. And I have to put all new ceiling boxes in for the fans. People who build houses around here shouldn't be allowed to. I have owned 2 new homes, we were the first to live in them, and this one we are the second owners. All three have had so many shortcuts taken by the builders it is scary. The first home was built by a long time plumber in the area and his plumbing was atrocious. The second one was built by a known contractor and not only was all the wiring substandard the garage floor had no reinforcing causing it to collapse after 18 months. This one the owners must have done much of the work themselves. And I constantly find things that were done a little short of right.

Anyway, off the soapbox. The ceiling boxes are all Bakelite, not code for fans. And a house inspection won't typically find that shortfall.

I will post pictures of the rec room soon. Maybe by this weekend.

Coming apart

It is 1:15 am, and I really need to be in bed. But a few notes before I go. A friend of mine told me that Vance Heavner once said "If we don't come apart, we will come apart." I used to have a pastor who seemed to need to "get away" a lot. I couldn't understand it at the time, and I'm not totally sure I do now, but I am beginning to see it in my own life. I need time "away" at times. Of course I am about 30 years older than he was at the time. But I have no idea what burdens and stress he was carrying. I know my physical stamina is not what it used to be. The past 8 days of 8+ hours days nearly killed me.

So, two weeks from right now I should be sleeping on Ocracoke in an attempt to recharge my physical and spiritual batteries. I am looking forward to "coming apart."

The rec room phase one is very close to being done. I got 2/3 of the baseboard up today, the DVD/cable box cabinet finished, the track lighting back up, and we moved some of the furniture back into place. I hope to finish the wires in the wall for the TV and it's input devices as well as the wireless router tomorrow as well as the baseboard. Need to put in one more receptacle inside the wall so all the power wires are hidden, and mount my cable splitter inside the wall.

I also need to mow tomorrow before going down to Chad and Lesa's to help him hid his cable in the wall. I am beginning to get pretty good at finding the insides of wall partitions from under the house and in the attic. I have run many cable and power circuits throughout this house using the interior walls as conduits. Makes for nice esthetics hiding wires.

Later dudes.

Chimerical

That is me perfectly. I subscribe to Word of the Day @ Dictionary.com because I like learning new words and being challenged in my vocabulary. My email by line is "Rise above common rhetoric." It is a personal paraphrase of James 5.12. You can look it up. But it is an ideal to which I try to live. So today, 4/8/9, the word for the day is chimerical. It means imaginary. Which sums up the thought process of my days. I am always in the imaginary because it is fun. And one of my top likes is fun.

My very wimpy Daniel Dog, at nearly 90 pounds, is lying under my desk at my feet like he does when thunderstorms are in the area. I wonder if he hears something I don't.

Todd and I are going to a funeral this morning of a very dear woman we worshipped with for almost 20 years in Staunton. Marian Bowles and her husband Ray were two wonderful people. Ray passed away in 1998. Marian was the postmaster in a small town on US Route 60 in Rainelle, WV many years before retiring to the Staunton area with Ray. A very saintly woman who will be a treat for heaven.

So if you encounter me any time soon wish me a chimerical day. And a chimerical day to you as well!! Cheers, Bruce

Steer here

Inside joke for current and former SARS folks. I see it has been 3 weeks since I posted here. I have fallen out of the writing mood lately, been working more than I'd like to, and April is the anniversary of my mother, my brother-in-law and my brother's transition from time to timelessness. In that order. 2006, 2007 and 2008. They all owned pieces of my life as well as larger pieces of my future had they lived. My belief is that they now are where they proposed to be at this stage in their lives. I will one day know.

I am coming up on my 8th straight day of full time shifts at work. Then I have 2 days off. Work two more days, have another two days off, work 4 days and take 4 off. Weird I know. Such is the life of retail. Well, the 4 days off isn't really retail but vacation from retail. It is time for our annual men's retreat at Ocracoke Island. Sounds to many like fun times on the beach. For me, the beach is OK, but I won't spend much time there. I get enough of the beach and ocean in a couple of hours. It is a time of spiritual relaxation and renewal for me. Three of us are going together and taking bikes. My guess is there will be about 100 guys this year from our church and others. Ocracoke is at sea level around it's perimeter of course, and rises to probably 6 or 8 inches at it's highest elevation, except for the dunes, which may be 2 feet or so. And biking is great fun on the flat.

I am still trying to read, only now I am in the middle of 4 books instead of 1. Again. I found a book on the Internet titled The Engineer in the Garden by Colin Tudge. It is a book about creation and genetics. It is subtitled "Genes and Genetics From the Idea of Heredity to the Creation of Life."

My dear friend Arnold loaned me a book titled Why Men Don't Go To Church" which I am finding interesting as well, but less compelling to my central scope of quest. But I believe it may help me as I interact with men and stand for my position as a Christian man.

I am still in the middle of How to Read the Bible but I am working my way through the very academic and scholarly elucidation of the books attributed to Old Testament prophets and judges. Right now I am in Ezekiel. What I am finding out mostly is that I did not know these books as well as I should have. A lot of history that seems to get lost in my brain with all of the people and places with unpronounceable names.

I will most likely post more about these three books on my other blog.

I have also been remiss in my camera activity. I had wanted a smaller camera so I could always have it with me, and now after being so very kindly gifted with it, find I don't carry it with me. I am basically afraid I will lose it. I don't want it in my locker at work, and while I can effectively hide it in the console of my truck, I worry about the heat, or coming heat.

Most of my time at home has been taken up with trying to recharge my physical batteries and working on the rec room. We are close to being done there. I have very high expectations of being done this coming weekend. I have Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday and Monday off. The last two semi major parts is putting down the baseboard and cleaning and painting the baseboard heaters.

The second phase which needs a quick follow up is the sealing, sanding and painting of the stairs and stairway, then putting down the hooked rug treads.

Then we are going to have some of you over.

Cheers. Bruce

Quiet time

It is Sunday morning, March 15, 2009. Three days after the 8th anniversary of my brother-in-law, Jonathan's death. Two days after the 81st anniversary of my mother's birthday. One day after my daughter, Jill's 31st birthday. 6 days before my son, Chad's 33rd birthday, 6 days before my friend, Deborah's birthday (you didn't really think I'd tell you how old she is did you?), 9 days before my granddaughter, Mari Roza's 2nd birthday. And all is quiet here in the house.

It is rainy and sort of dreary outside today. But that is OK. We probably need the moisture. Inside I am dry and relatively warm. I have Jill's dog, Oliver with me and of course Daniel Dog and Cassie Cat. I had a tough week physically so I am "chillin" today. Plan to watch Duke play Florida State for the 2009 ACC Men's Basketball championship at 1pm today. I no longer really care about who wins these things, just like to see well played games. Duke has the amazing ability to play way above their abilities one game and come back the next game and play way below. I hope they and FSU play well today. So both teams and their fans can be proud. I used to be quite passionate about ACC b'ball and got a little vocal when their games were on. But, it really doesn't matter in the larger picture of life.

I think we will find out this Tuesday when we assume our new manager positions at work. Lucky me, it is my day off and the meeting is mandatory. It won't be the first time and certainly not the last time I have shown up for work on a day off. I don't mind at all, really, but it is a 40 mile ride round trip and about 80 minutes of travel time. My poor truck is only getting just over 20 mpg so that is about $3.40 in gas. But I probably waste more than that on a regular basis by taking trips I could have planned better.

One thing I have noticed at work that is troubling is the constant flow of people at our job application computers. Our store manager told us last week he had received 140 applications during that past week. 140. Staggering. My sister Jamie tells me unemployment in Oklahoma is serious as well. This may be the furthest reaching downturn in employment in the world's history. It brings to light just how connected the world is. What happens in our community does affect others.

Nothing new to report, and no new pictures. Just wanted to checkin and keep the blog alive.

Cheers.

Time in a bottle

Jim Croce's timeless hit song written to and for his son A.J. is running through my head at the moment. If I could save time in a bottle, one of the many things I'd like to do is spend a lot of that time studying ancient manuscripts and compare them with modern theological thought. Rick Warren's latest edition of The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I here For? will most likely be added to my reading list soon. You ask, what does Rick Warren and ancient manuscripts have in common? They are all an exploration of the relationship between mortal man and an immortal God. Yes, big G.

While I have become persuaded that the earliest peoples of biblical times may have been polytheistic, I still believe that the one God, the creator of all things, was the God supreme and was to be regarded as the only god in reverence and worship, if not the only god De facto. In more modern times I believe that a polytheistic mindset would be confusing at the least and torture at the worse. Tampering with modern theology is most likely a dangerous thing to do, considering our background imprinting and self promoting bent. In other words, we probably have enough to worry about without trying to keep several to many deities in perspective.

This is no doubt going in a direction that would have been best posted on my other blog, Dendrite Activity @ http://fiberflashes.blogspot.com/, but it just began streaming out of my head when I sat down to update this blog.

Back to lighter material. The end of the month where I work is always a bit frantic, especially for managers. And this eom is especially frantic for me. We switched from a monthly audit cycle to a quarterly audit cycle and I reached the end of the month to find my quarterly audit done the first week of the last month of the quarter had gone on a trip into cyber space. So, nothing to do but rescan. I will be done tomorrow, just squeaking by. Of course those who know me best know that I seem to live just squeaking by. Sorry about the eos with a prep. phrase. Sometimes the mind doesn't think in the King's English. My sincere apologies to my dear friend and English professor in college Mrs. Kathleen Rousseau, God rest her soul.

Life has been so frantic lately I have failed to make time to eat any of the pansit my Filipina friend, Margylou made for me. The formal spelling, Pancit Bihon, is a Filipino dish very much like Chinese fried rice, only using very thin noodles instead of rice. There are a number of different pansits eaten in the Philippines, but the dish I am familiar with is indigenous to the main island of Luzon, and known throughout Southeast Asia. Most of the time pansit is made without meat or with finely chopped pieces of either pork, chicken, shrimp or fish. I have had all but the fish. And I'm not real sure I even want to try the fish. Filipinos regularly eat fried fish heads and rice for breakfast. I never tried it. Nor did I ever try roasted dog mostly sold on the street skewered on sharp sticks or fermented embryo duck or chicken eggs known in Tagolog as Balut. Nasty smelling stuff.

A long way to say I've been too busy to eat something a friend so graciously prepared for me and my sweet daughter-in-law, Diana. Diana is a VERY adventurous gourmand. Not the indiscriminate eating part, but the fond of good eating part. She and I will enjoy the pansit providing I have not waited too long to eat it.

Not much else to report. The basement family room remodel is coming along OK. I have two small places that still need a piece of drywall and that phase will be finished. I was able to find the power side feed from the two way switches which controlled a light just beyond the bottom of the stairs and add a light over the stairway. Made a nice difference both in aesthetics and illumination of the steps. We pulled the carpet off the steps and plan to paint them and put hooked rug treads down.

Pictures later. I am closing tomorrow night (well, tonight now!!) but off on Sunday. Woohoo. Giann and I had dinner at Sergio's in Bridgewater tonight. He makes what I think is the best pizza I have ever eaten. And I have been a major fan of pizza since 1966. Sergio is Italian born and came to the US when he was young, learned the pizza trade in the northeast, then ventured down to the valley. His sister also works with him. Go by and see them. Tell them Mr. Bruce sent you.