Fun With Food

Friday night in the 'hood seemed to center around food as entertainment. The first indication that something was awry came when I observed J-man stomp his feet and insist that Wayne-O cook his dinner. Now watching a child demand food is not that all unusual. What got my attention was the fact that the dinner in question was salmon on the grill. In all my (mumble-mumble) years, I have never heard a 1st grader beg for fish of ANY kind.

It wasn't long after that that things got odder still. As my lovely wife had gone out with Sue-Ann and Mel-Mel for dinner and the boy wanted grilled cheese, it was 7 p.m. and I had yet to procure sustenance. My wife asked me several times if I wanted her to run out for me but I gracefully declined her offer. About the 3rd time this happened, Miss Adrienne walked up with a burger from Sonic and asked if anyone wanted it. Seems she had a buy-1-get-1 coupon and used it even though they didn't need the extra burger - SCORE!

The event that capped off the night (and turned it into one for the record books), came about 30 minutes later. As we sat in the Jentgen driveway, a pizza delivery person drove up and - wait for it - delivered pizza (go figure). Not terribly uncommon for a Friday night but what came next shocked the entire neighborhood.

Ant disappeared into the house with the avowed intent of consuming pizza. BUT instead of staying inside to eat, HE BROUGHT HIS PIZZA OUTSIDE !!!!

All things considered, it may be a long time indeed before a night as bizarre as this one occurs again.

blessings on your day

Wild and Windy

The wind really kicked it up a notch on Sunday. Not sure what the official version was but it felt like a steady 20 mph with gusts over 40 mph. I spent the day planting (and tearing out) most of the day so I was usually close enough to the ground not to be too bothered. Of course I did have to dodge the occasional bit of debris (or basketball hoop from the Algers). Got the rest of the veggies planted - 4 tomatos, 5 sweet peppers and 3 hot ones (pepperocini, poblano/ancho and jalapeno).

We Won

1st game, 5-2 against the Braves, 2nd games 13-7 against the Angels (who have the "oldest" team).

Next games is Saturday.

Noah has done very well this year. He very much enjoys playing catcher and has done well at 3rd base also.

The Problem With Pain

I keep coming back to this topic so get used to seeing that title as I am sure that I will posting on it again :o)

The last week or so has been rough in a number of ways. We celebrated Nate's birthday this last weekend and we couldn't do as much as we wanted. March is always tough for us as that is when little league starts and we are very involved in that with Noah. As a result, Nate always seems to have to share his birthday weekend with RWLL Opening Day.

Some issues from my past that I have never dealt with adequately have been insisting on my attention so I have been distracted and a bit down lately as well. Any one that knows me well knows that I have a very difficult time processing pain. I can only handle it for so long before I have to stuff it back down inside (which is never healthy). The process of working through pain has eluded me so far in my life.

I stumbled over this quote on FaceBook yesterday and found it very relevant.

"On the other hand, finding peace in the midst of tumult, joy in the face of oppression and hope when the night seems darkest shows us that God is in His heaven and He also dwells in the heart of the humble, the contrite, the downtrodden, and the outcast. Now that is the nature of the God I need!"

blessings on your day

Game Day

Our 1st game is tonight at 5 p.m. Noah had been playing 1st or 2nd base mostly during the scrimmages. He is still struggling a bit with his hitting but I am confident that will come along. It is a bit different this year with the kids pitching.

Andrew, Noah and I finished off the leftover lasagna last night for dinner (thanks Sue-Ann!). I haven't really cooked much all week. I guess I need some new recipes from Brandi-with-a-J. I am really looking forward to a nice spring with neighbors on the driveway .

blessings on your day

What A Day

I was ambushed shortly after I got to my desk today and it was downhill from there. Those that know me best know I hate conflict/confrontation. Guess what I was doing all morning? Yup! Of course if I complained to my boss I would get "deer-in-the-headlights" and 'that is what I pay you for.' Best to keep your mouth closed.

It is interesting how different my children are. I changed my status on FaceBook to one that was a graphic made out of characters (which I thought was pretty cool). One kid immediately went and snagged the applet, the other called me a dork.

Sarah stopped by last night and hung out with me. She folded laundry and cleaned up in the kitchen(!!!!!) I will miss her when she moves this weekend :o(

In The Groove

Started back to the gym today. I cut back my weights by about 15% and only did about 2/3 of the reps that I was doing :o( I was feeling pretty wiped out by the time I packed it in. Hopefully I can get bavk to where I was in a couple of weeks.

Saturday we started planting the garden. We put in 2 tomato plants and 3 peppers (2 mild, 1 hot). I have room for another full-sized 'mater but am holding out for the Black Prince variety. I will probably plant 3 more peppers. The cherry tree is starting to bud as well and the rose bushes are covered with new leaves.

I really need to replace the hydrangea as it uses far too much water and still starts wilting in August.

blessings on your day

Memory Focus

Memory is a funny thing. It seems to work differently in different people. They have done studies showing that people remember shared events differently. Memory plays a huge role in determining who we are and how we respond day-to-day.

Memory is a bit like the tape library in the picture above. We have choices about which reels to load on a continuous basis. Some people are very fond of disaster shows, some reply the tragedies of life over and over. A select few choose to review the reels that are full of joy and happy memories.

The bible (and modern psychiatry) is clear on the effects of memory on our personality. Look at what happens to victims of PTSD and the like. Memory is a VERY powerful force. When we choose to dwell on failure, disappointment and disaster, our outlook on life suffers. We become negative and pessimistic. When we focus on the good things in our lives - the happy times, the successes, the celebrations; we are positive, upbeat and optimistic about life.

We all know people that fall into both categories and we all know who we would rather be around. The question to ask yourself is which one are YOU and do people seek out your company?

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

Prayer Request

Jocelyn called and is asking that people pray for her and Kennedy. They have finally found a house in Lincoln that they like AND can afford. They will be putting an offer in "RSN" (real soon now) and would like people to pray that if this is the house that God wants them to have that things will move swiftly and smoothly.

Awards

Tonight is the awards banquet for Andrew. He is getting an award fro the NHS due to his athletic prowess combined with decent grades (guess it is rarer than we would like). The rented him a tuxedo for the dinner :) Brandi-with-a-J will make sure the little boy gets dinner while we are gone. I have to leave work a bit early today as the banquet is at the Radisson by CalExpo.

All Hail The Big Red Button

AJ and I were talking about this a bit on FB this morning and, as usual, I wandered off down a bunny-trail.

Anyone who works with technology knows that sometimes the only way to fix something is by hitting the power switch. When the console won't work, soft reset won't work and the hard reset won't work we reach for the power switch (or the plug).

The system powers down, memory gets wiped, everything gets reloaded and you start with a clean, fresh slate (assuming everything else is working of course). Life doesn't work that way. There is no reset switch, no "easy button" and no mulligans. We can't take a 'by-week' and we don't get do-overs.

God has 2 attributes that make living possible - His Grace and His Mercy. Grace is when we get what we don't earn. Mercy is when we don't get what we deserve. If it wasn't for God's grace and mercy, I think I would have reached for the "big red button" a long time ago. Grace and mercy is what gives me hope as well as the courage and strength to keep going.

Praise God for His grace and mercy!

That's Just The Way It Is

Listening to Phil Collins the morning (hence the title of the post) and pondering life. Had an interesting conversation with an acquaintance this last weekend regarding attitudes and choices. She was talking about a friend who had made some poor choices and declared "I just can't be friends with that person." I poked at the comment a bit and got a few details (it wasn't anyone I had known previously so I didn't have any strong opinions).

I walked away feeling a bit dissatisfied with the way the conversation had gone. Over the years I have made mistakes and poor choices that were of epic proportions. Some family/friends walked along side and helped me pick up the pieces - others passed judgment, turned their backs and walked away. In the process, I made a choice about the kind of friend that *I* would be and I have (as best I can) not wavered from that path.

What kind of friend are you?

blessings on your day

Just Don't Get It

A teenager I know recently got a really good job working in the career field they are going to school for, getting a decent rate and good hours. Pay day arrives and instead of a check they get a handful of $10 bills and are told, "this is how I do it, you have to handle taxes and stuff on your own because I don't do that."

People are crooks. Fortunately the teen is bright and suspicious and started making some phone calls. It is a shame as jobs are hard to find these days and the teen really liked the job...

blessings on your day

A Week In Review

Well as I get to the end of this week, I can honestly say I am glad it is over. I think that my entire work load from my week in the hospital was saved for me. Haven't been this slammed in quite a while. On the plus side, it makes the week go faster. The down side is that I am wiped.

The Bagels Are Coming

It was my turn to bring breakfast this week at work. I was so busy this week that I had to punt and stop by Panera on the way in. The price isn't bad - 3 boxes of bagels for less than $40. My boss and I talked yesterday about the future of the department, we will be able to hire 1 or 2 more DBEs which will really help stabilize the work load. Right now, if it isn't on fire, it don't get done.

Overall the company is doing well. The did freeze salaries for the year but left benefits and headcount untouched. In addition, we are expecting an infusion of capital this year to do some RAD work on our core application.

A Passing

A very dear friend of mine lost his mom this week. Please pray for him and his sister as they work through the process. It wasn't completely unexpected and they had time to say "good-bye" but it is still a very difficult time for them.

Yogurt

So I was never a big fan of yogurt - something about eating food that is growing always bothered me. (Mind you I can eat bleu cheese just fine). Now with all the meds I was on for my pneumonia I don't have much choice. I need to get my system restored. The antibiotics, anti-virals and steroids stripped all the good stuff :(

I am still not sleeping well at night. Don't seem to have any problems falling asleep but I wake up around 2-3 and can't get back to sleep for hours.

Started my morning with a call from lil' mum (Brian's mom, Vera). She is one of the sweetest ladies on the planet. She called me every day and sent cards almost every day the whole time I was in the hospital.

blessings on your day

To My Loyal Fans

I'm Baaaccckkkk :)

It is nice to be in the office again. The email onslaught wasn't too terrible with a shade less than 200 in my inbox. It helps that I really don't talk to people much. Most of my email comes from the servers and systems here and are letting me know how things are running. The QA team missed me quite a lot as most of their stuff is a level 2 priority which means when we are short staffed, it doesn't get done (at least until I get back in the office).

I will pop in a little latter to let you know how I am doing. In the meantime -

blessings on your day