Soon a New Year will be upon us, and I will, like many others, use this time to reflect on the things of the past, and look forward to the future. This past year has not been one of my best, I must admit. Health, finances, personal development, none of these areas have been anywhere close to stellar this year. In 2011 I gained back most of the weight that I worked so hard to lose in 2010. Financially, I, like many others, would rather forget this past year. Looking back I am farther behind now than I was when the year started, and losing ground. I can also say that I feel like personally I stood still this year. A few years ago I went back to school, but had to give it up because I did not have enough money to go, but made too much to qualify for most financial aid. I was also working two jobs at the time, and trying to help raise three children. I should have toughed it out.
Last July I set a goal for myself that I would be out of my job by July of 2012. I thought with a year of working towards this goal I could accomplish this. I am 6 months in now, and actually farther away now than when I started. I did apply for a job out of state, with the intentions of moving when and if I got the job. Things looked promising for a few weeks, but then fell through. I have resigned myself now to the fact that, barring some sort of divine intervention, I am where I am going to be for a while. I am not complaining, because I am thankful that I have a job in these tough economic times, but do wish I could do better. There is something disheartening about not being able to take your family on vacations and things like that. Like I said, I am not complaining, we have a roof over our heads, and food on our table. Anything else is just icing on the cake anyway.
My goals for 2012 are simple. I am going to get serious about my health again, and get rid of the excess weight I am carrying once again. I have lost the same 50-60 pounds 5 or 6 times already. I am also going to do my best to get back to spending time in God's word every day. For a while I did that, and it did me good. I got a new Bible for Christmas, and I plan on using it. Everything else will just have to fall into place.
As for the blog, once again I plan on being more active. The stories I do will be different, because of my desire to protect the privacy of my family. I am not quite sure what direction I want to go with the blog now, but I hope that whatever direction I go that people will enjoy it. I have considered going strictly humor, sports from a Christian perspective, or just continuing to write whatever is on my mind. I haven't decided yet.
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and wish you a Happy New Year.
Nostalgia, humor, and family, with a touch of tears.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
A Little Explanation
Once gain I find myself explaining why I haven't blogged in a while. This time I had a good reason. I have had to go back and edit a good majority of my posts, and even delete some of them entirely. From now on, I will not call my family by name, or post any pictures of my family on this blog. It is going to be hard to do, because I do not like referring to my children as my son, or my youngest child. My kids have names. Unfortunatly, there are some people in this world who will take advantage of things like there names or images. That is sad.
I have talked before about being scared of what kind of world my kids are going to grow up in, and the past few weeks have brought those fears to new levels. I will not go into details about what has gone on, but it has taken every ounce of my energy the past week or so to process things that were happening. The blog was the last thing on my mind. I can say that I am very discouraged, knowing that people who do harm to others often have more rights than those they harm. I also am learning to guard my privacy more closely.
I am not going to stop the blog. One of the biggest goals of terrorists is to make people afraid, and when they are afraid they stop doing what they love or need to do. I am not going to allow one crackpot to stop me from doing what I love, and what other people enjoy. I am however going to be more careful. One of the casualties of this episode is that there will be fewer blogs about my family, and the ones that I do about them will be extremely general. I apologize, but that's just the way things have to be.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, and stay tuned. I am just getting started.
I have talked before about being scared of what kind of world my kids are going to grow up in, and the past few weeks have brought those fears to new levels. I will not go into details about what has gone on, but it has taken every ounce of my energy the past week or so to process things that were happening. The blog was the last thing on my mind. I can say that I am very discouraged, knowing that people who do harm to others often have more rights than those they harm. I also am learning to guard my privacy more closely.
I am not going to stop the blog. One of the biggest goals of terrorists is to make people afraid, and when they are afraid they stop doing what they love or need to do. I am not going to allow one crackpot to stop me from doing what I love, and what other people enjoy. I am however going to be more careful. One of the casualties of this episode is that there will be fewer blogs about my family, and the ones that I do about them will be extremely general. I apologize, but that's just the way things have to be.
I hope you all have a Merry Christmas, and stay tuned. I am just getting started.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
My Sitcom Life
I have come to the conclusion that I should video my life, and then sell the tapes to a network for a sitcom. I can get myself into situations that are would be comical, if it weren't really happening. It's either that, or it is funny because it is really happening.
A few weeks ago a friend of mine asked for volunteers to sing at the local nursing home on the second Tuesday of December. I told him I would try to be there if I could. As luck would have it my wife had a meeting at church and took one of our kids with her, and the other two decided to stay with my Mom. I got dressed, and off to the nursing home I went. I looked forward to being with friends and singing to the residents. My friend had told me earlier in the day to be there at 7:00, so I happily arrived with about 10 minutes to spare.
I didn't know what kind of vehicle my friend drove, and didn't see him or anybody I recognized outside when I got there, so I went inside. I went to the nurses desk and told them I was there to sing with a group. The nurse looked at me strangely, and said that the singing wasn't until 7:30. The nurse told me that I was free to go into the dining area where the singing would be and wait.
I went to the room, and sat down. 7:00 came and went with nobody there. Around 7:15 an announcement came over the intercom that the singing would begin at 7:30. I figured I had misunderstood my friend. Around 7:20 the nurses started bringing the residents in, but still no friend. About 7:25 a man walked in with an armload of hymnals, and a preacher and his wife walked in with him and started talking to the residents. This would have been good news, if not for the fact that I knew the preacher, and knew that we were not only of different races, but that I was a Baptist and he was Church of Christ. I have nothing against Church of Christ singing, in fact I enjoy singing A Capella, but I knew by this point I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I got up and, as quietly and inconspicuously as possible made my way out. As I was leaving I talked to one of the nurses and explained what had happened. She said that a baptist church was supposed to sing the next Tuesday. I told her my friend had talked to me earlier in the day and said tonight. I was really confused.
I got into my car to head home. As I got on the road, I happened to look at the other side of the nursing home were the assisted living facility is located and saw a small crowd gathered outside. Sure enough, it was my friend, along with several other people I know. I pulled in, got out, and walked over. I asked him if they had already sang and he said yes. Come to find out my friend calls the assisted living facility the nursing home. They looked like they had a great time. He told me he realized he had told people the wrong place and had texted everyone whose cell number he had. Unfortunately he didn't have mine. We laughed, and I told him I would try to catch them next time.
That's the way it goes in my world. My heart was in the right place, and everyone got a good laugh, so no harm no foul. It could only happen to me.
I didn't know what kind of vehicle my friend drove, and didn't see him or anybody I recognized outside when I got there, so I went inside. I went to the nurses desk and told them I was there to sing with a group. The nurse looked at me strangely, and said that the singing wasn't until 7:30. The nurse told me that I was free to go into the dining area where the singing would be and wait.
I went to the room, and sat down. 7:00 came and went with nobody there. Around 7:15 an announcement came over the intercom that the singing would begin at 7:30. I figured I had misunderstood my friend. Around 7:20 the nurses started bringing the residents in, but still no friend. About 7:25 a man walked in with an armload of hymnals, and a preacher and his wife walked in with him and started talking to the residents. This would have been good news, if not for the fact that I knew the preacher, and knew that we were not only of different races, but that I was a Baptist and he was Church of Christ. I have nothing against Church of Christ singing, in fact I enjoy singing A Capella, but I knew by this point I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I got up and, as quietly and inconspicuously as possible made my way out. As I was leaving I talked to one of the nurses and explained what had happened. She said that a baptist church was supposed to sing the next Tuesday. I told her my friend had talked to me earlier in the day and said tonight. I was really confused.
I got into my car to head home. As I got on the road, I happened to look at the other side of the nursing home were the assisted living facility is located and saw a small crowd gathered outside. Sure enough, it was my friend, along with several other people I know. I pulled in, got out, and walked over. I asked him if they had already sang and he said yes. Come to find out my friend calls the assisted living facility the nursing home. They looked like they had a great time. He told me he realized he had told people the wrong place and had texted everyone whose cell number he had. Unfortunately he didn't have mine. We laughed, and I told him I would try to catch them next time.
That's the way it goes in my world. My heart was in the right place, and everyone got a good laugh, so no harm no foul. It could only happen to me.
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Christmas Past And Present
I cannot believe that Christmas is less than two weeks away. It occurred to me that my kids are growing up, and there are not that many Christmas mornings with children in our house left. My two youngest are growing up fast. I'm not looking forward to that day.
There is something special about Christmas with children. It doesn't seem that long ago that Rose was the one that we couldn't get to go to bed Christmas Eve. Rose is a teenager already. Lauren has already gotten to the point that she understands some of the "mysteries" of Christmas, and I'm sure that Matthew won't be far behind. I am going to miss it when I don't get to stay up late and wait so I can help Santa.
When I was a kid, we had a routine every year. On Christmas Eve night, we would go to my Grandmother's house. Every year, my Mom and Dad would have to leave to go to the store. Somehow, when we got home, Santa had been there. I still remember those Christmas Eve gatherings. There were a lot of characters in my Dad's family, and I looked forward to seeing them all. There was a lot of food, and a lot of love.
When I got older, we would also go to my Dad's house. Between my Dad and my Step Mother there was a large family. My Dad loved Christmas, loved having family around, and especially loved the kids. Christmas morning has always been breakfast with my Mom.
My Grandmother is gone now, and so is my Dad. We are doing Christmas a week early with my wife's family. I am going to really try to take time this Christmas day and just enjoy my family.
I apologize for the shortness of today's post, as I am extremely busy with another project tonight, and had a Christmas program that I attended. God Bless.
There is something special about Christmas with children. It doesn't seem that long ago that Rose was the one that we couldn't get to go to bed Christmas Eve. Rose is a teenager already. Lauren has already gotten to the point that she understands some of the "mysteries" of Christmas, and I'm sure that Matthew won't be far behind. I am going to miss it when I don't get to stay up late and wait so I can help Santa.
When I was a kid, we had a routine every year. On Christmas Eve night, we would go to my Grandmother's house. Every year, my Mom and Dad would have to leave to go to the store. Somehow, when we got home, Santa had been there. I still remember those Christmas Eve gatherings. There were a lot of characters in my Dad's family, and I looked forward to seeing them all. There was a lot of food, and a lot of love.
When I got older, we would also go to my Dad's house. Between my Dad and my Step Mother there was a large family. My Dad loved Christmas, loved having family around, and especially loved the kids. Christmas morning has always been breakfast with my Mom.
My Grandmother is gone now, and so is my Dad. We are doing Christmas a week early with my wife's family. I am going to really try to take time this Christmas day and just enjoy my family.
I apologize for the shortness of today's post, as I am extremely busy with another project tonight, and had a Christmas program that I attended. God Bless.
Monday, December 12, 2011
A Class Act Getting A Raw Deal
I watched the class AA state championship football game Friday night. It was a tremendous game between two great high school football teams in the Buford Wolves and the Calhoun Yellow Jackets. Most people around here were pulling for Calhoun to win, the thinking I guess being that they are a local team. For my part, I was pulling for Buford. Calhoun has always been a rival, and I just couldn't find it within myself to root for them. It was like choosing between the lesser of two evils.
Calhoun ended up winning the game, and winning their first state title in 59 years. While that is a great accomplishment, that is not what this post is about. What happened after the game has created a controversy, and I just really don't understand what all of the fuss is about. After the game, the Calhoun coach, Hal Lamb, was interviewed. The first thing out of his mouth was that he wanted to thank his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I thought it was great. He didn't preach, just gave praise to his Savior in his moment of victory. A few minutes later, he again did the same thing while accepting the championship trophy. During the trophy presentation coach Lamb said Jesus "helped us win today." I heard this, but didn't give it much thought. A little while later I went to a web vent about high school sports to read the trash talk that I was sure would be on there. What I saw amazed me.
There were almost as many posts about what coach Lamb had said than about the game itself. Some people were up in arms because the coach had mentioned Jesus, but most of the comments were about why coach Lamb thought that Jesus had helped them win. They didn't get the point. I am sure coach Lamb was not inferring that Jesus had helped Calhoun any more than He had helped Buford. I would imagine that he was only trying to give glory to Jesus, and to thank him for letting him be in the position he was in. To me it is simple.
Unfortunately, most people only want to start a fight, especially when it comes to others sharing their faith. What should have been a great moment for the coach was instead picked apart by people that had nothing better to do than belittle a man for sharing his faith. That is sad. That is the world we live in now though. I don't know coach Lamb, I have ever met him, and probably never will, but I admire him for standing on his faith. From everything I have read, he is someone who not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk. I have to admire that.
As much as I am not a fan of Calhoun, kudos to them for ending the 4 year reign of class AA football by Buford. This was the 4th year these two teams had played in the state championship, and Calhoun got closer every year. This year they finally went over the top. It was a great game, and neither team had anything to be ashamed of. I wish I could say the same about some of the fans.
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| Hal Lamb |
There were almost as many posts about what coach Lamb had said than about the game itself. Some people were up in arms because the coach had mentioned Jesus, but most of the comments were about why coach Lamb thought that Jesus had helped them win. They didn't get the point. I am sure coach Lamb was not inferring that Jesus had helped Calhoun any more than He had helped Buford. I would imagine that he was only trying to give glory to Jesus, and to thank him for letting him be in the position he was in. To me it is simple.
Unfortunately, most people only want to start a fight, especially when it comes to others sharing their faith. What should have been a great moment for the coach was instead picked apart by people that had nothing better to do than belittle a man for sharing his faith. That is sad. That is the world we live in now though. I don't know coach Lamb, I have ever met him, and probably never will, but I admire him for standing on his faith. From everything I have read, he is someone who not only talks the talk, but he walks the walk. I have to admire that.
As much as I am not a fan of Calhoun, kudos to them for ending the 4 year reign of class AA football by Buford. This was the 4th year these two teams had played in the state championship, and Calhoun got closer every year. This year they finally went over the top. It was a great game, and neither team had anything to be ashamed of. I wish I could say the same about some of the fans.
Friday, December 9, 2011
So Random
I am borrowing the title for today's blog from a television show my kids watch. I tried watching it with them one time. I made it through Dora, TeleTubbies, and even Barney, but could not take 30 minutes of So Random. I did not find anything wrong with it, as far as letting my kids watch it, but it just wasn't funny, or interesting, to me.
This blog is being written at 9:40 pm Thursday night. I normally have this written and am in bed by now, but play practice, and then kids baths took care of that. Before you ask, I am not acting in the play. I am singing in the choir. I love singing, even though I am not the best at it. Notice I didn't say I wasn't any good? I have a bad habit of writing on the blog about things I am not good at. I am a good singer, just not an awesome singer. I sing bass. Bass singers are to music what offensive linemen are to football, they never get noticed except when they mess up. I have gotten to where I can hit a low C fairly well, which is pretty low.
I also have to admit that I have finally realized that I have a special gift. I had it back when my kids were little, but never realized it. It was only recently, while I was spending time with my newest niece that I re-discovered this gift. I have the unique ability to make babies go to sleep. Every time I hold my niece, without fail she will go straight to sleep. I know a lot of it has to do with the fact that every time I have held her so far she was taking a bottle, and a full baby wants to sleep. I have a theory about why it is so easy for her to sleep while I am holding her, other than the bottle thing. Not only does she have her belly full, but her Uncle is also warm and soft.
My wife has told me that I am a human electric blanket. For some reason, I am just naturally warm. I also, much to my chagrin, am soft. This has a lot to do with my affinity for butterscotch, peanut butter and corn chip sandwiches, and a wife that is a lunch lady. In 2010 I actually lost over 60 pounds. Unfortunately in 2011, I must have been on a scavenger hunt and recovered a lot of them back. I am going to recommit myself in 2012 to lose those pounds for about the 10th time in my life. I am going to do it, and keep to it this time. I mean it. Really.
Finally, something hit me tonight. I didn't realize until tonight there was a short angel in the Bible. He is found in Luke 2:9. The verse reads And, Lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. Get it, Lo, Low? As you can tell, time for bed.
This blog is being written at 9:40 pm Thursday night. I normally have this written and am in bed by now, but play practice, and then kids baths took care of that. Before you ask, I am not acting in the play. I am singing in the choir. I love singing, even though I am not the best at it. Notice I didn't say I wasn't any good? I have a bad habit of writing on the blog about things I am not good at. I am a good singer, just not an awesome singer. I sing bass. Bass singers are to music what offensive linemen are to football, they never get noticed except when they mess up. I have gotten to where I can hit a low C fairly well, which is pretty low.
I also have to admit that I have finally realized that I have a special gift. I had it back when my kids were little, but never realized it. It was only recently, while I was spending time with my newest niece that I re-discovered this gift. I have the unique ability to make babies go to sleep. Every time I hold my niece, without fail she will go straight to sleep. I know a lot of it has to do with the fact that every time I have held her so far she was taking a bottle, and a full baby wants to sleep. I have a theory about why it is so easy for her to sleep while I am holding her, other than the bottle thing. Not only does she have her belly full, but her Uncle is also warm and soft.
My wife has told me that I am a human electric blanket. For some reason, I am just naturally warm. I also, much to my chagrin, am soft. This has a lot to do with my affinity for butterscotch, peanut butter and corn chip sandwiches, and a wife that is a lunch lady. In 2010 I actually lost over 60 pounds. Unfortunately in 2011, I must have been on a scavenger hunt and recovered a lot of them back. I am going to recommit myself in 2012 to lose those pounds for about the 10th time in my life. I am going to do it, and keep to it this time. I mean it. Really.
Finally, something hit me tonight. I didn't realize until tonight there was a short angel in the Bible. He is found in Luke 2:9. The verse reads And, Lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. Get it, Lo, Low? As you can tell, time for bed.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Eyes Don't Have It
I have lost one of the simple joys in life, and I am not happy about it. Last night I was sitting at the table eating dinner, and a cereal box was sitting on the table in front of me. As I sat there eating, I thought back to something I did when I was a child, and something my kids do now. When I was a kid I loved to read cereal boxes while I ate.
I don't know what it is about those boxes. Some people like to read a newspaper, but I always preferred the cereal box. I wish I could give an award to the first person who decided it was a good idea to put trivia and games on the back of those boxes. Whoever it was, they were a genius. There are a lot of fun little games, and great trivia on the boxes. As I thought about this, it brought back warm feelings of my youth. I decided to read the box in front of me. That's when I realized I had a problem.
I am not as young as I used to be. I realized this the other day when I took my son out to let him kick his football off of his tee. He was kicking away, then decided he wanted to see his Daddy kick one. I had visions of kicking one over the tree in our yard, knowing my son would surely be impressed by the tremendous highth and length of my kick. Instead, what happened is I barely kicked the ball farther than my six year old, and ended up with a slight limp.
Back to the subject at hand, as I sat there looking at the cereal box, I realized that I could not make out anything but the large print on the box. I tried to focus my eyes, but had no luck. I needed my glasses. I have several pairs of reading glasses, but rarely wear them. There is something about the fact that I really need them that I just don't like. I guess it is the fact that wearing them amounts to admitting I am growing older, and my body doesn't work as well as I used to.
The cereal box was the last straw. What was always a sweet innocent joy is now out of reach for me without my glasses. Sometimes life just doesn't seem fair.
I am not as young as I used to be. I realized this the other day when I took my son out to let him kick his football off of his tee. He was kicking away, then decided he wanted to see his Daddy kick one. I had visions of kicking one over the tree in our yard, knowing my son would surely be impressed by the tremendous highth and length of my kick. Instead, what happened is I barely kicked the ball farther than my six year old, and ended up with a slight limp.
Back to the subject at hand, as I sat there looking at the cereal box, I realized that I could not make out anything but the large print on the box. I tried to focus my eyes, but had no luck. I needed my glasses. I have several pairs of reading glasses, but rarely wear them. There is something about the fact that I really need them that I just don't like. I guess it is the fact that wearing them amounts to admitting I am growing older, and my body doesn't work as well as I used to.
The cereal box was the last straw. What was always a sweet innocent joy is now out of reach for me without my glasses. Sometimes life just doesn't seem fair.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Once Again, Bam!
It always amazes me how things happen in life. I have written this same thing in several different forms, too many times probably, but every time it happens it blows me away. This time was really weird.
Bear with me, if you get tired of me writing about my kids, and my Dad. Tonight (I am writing this Tuesday night) my son got me. People can say what they want to about genetics versus environment, but my son pulled one out of the genetic sky tonight.
I was in the kitchen eating supper, and he was in the living room playing his handheld game. I wasn't paying much attention to him, as I was hungry, and he was occupied. Every so often I would look in on him, just to make sure he was not into anything he wasn't supposed to be. When I looked in on him this time though, what I saw floored me.
My Dad, late in his life, had trouble breathing. The way my Dad coped with this was to relax in the strangest way I have ever seen. My dad would be in the floor on his knees, with his body and head on a couch or a chair. He would sleep like this a good bit of the time. That was also the way he would read, relax, whatever. He breathed better that way. I hadn't thought much about that lately until tonight.
When I looked in on my son, he was sitting on his knees on the couch, leaned over the arm of the couch like he was praying, playing his game. He was comfortable, and he was happy. It hit me like a ton of bricks, he has a lot of my Dad in him. My son has often talked about his PawPaw Jerry, even though my Dad died before he was born. I remember at my Dad's funeral, several people told me how much my Dad had been looking forward to his grandson being born. I think he got to meet him before any of us did.
Anybody that has lost a parent knows how hard it is. The pain gets easier, but it never goes away. I see so much of my Dad in my kids that makes me realize that their is always a part of him here. I never forget my Dad, but sometimes life gets so hectic I let his memory fade just a little. Luckily my kids are there to bring it back. The holidays bring with it special challenges, which I will post more about later. Right now I just want to take a few quiet moments and remember my Dad, and look forward to the day when I will see him again.
Bear with me, if you get tired of me writing about my kids, and my Dad. Tonight (I am writing this Tuesday night) my son got me. People can say what they want to about genetics versus environment, but my son pulled one out of the genetic sky tonight.
I was in the kitchen eating supper, and he was in the living room playing his handheld game. I wasn't paying much attention to him, as I was hungry, and he was occupied. Every so often I would look in on him, just to make sure he was not into anything he wasn't supposed to be. When I looked in on him this time though, what I saw floored me.
My Dad, late in his life, had trouble breathing. The way my Dad coped with this was to relax in the strangest way I have ever seen. My dad would be in the floor on his knees, with his body and head on a couch or a chair. He would sleep like this a good bit of the time. That was also the way he would read, relax, whatever. He breathed better that way. I hadn't thought much about that lately until tonight.
When I looked in on my son, he was sitting on his knees on the couch, leaned over the arm of the couch like he was praying, playing his game. He was comfortable, and he was happy. It hit me like a ton of bricks, he has a lot of my Dad in him. My son has often talked about his PawPaw Jerry, even though my Dad died before he was born. I remember at my Dad's funeral, several people told me how much my Dad had been looking forward to his grandson being born. I think he got to meet him before any of us did.
Anybody that has lost a parent knows how hard it is. The pain gets easier, but it never goes away. I see so much of my Dad in my kids that makes me realize that their is always a part of him here. I never forget my Dad, but sometimes life gets so hectic I let his memory fade just a little. Luckily my kids are there to bring it back. The holidays bring with it special challenges, which I will post more about later. Right now I just want to take a few quiet moments and remember my Dad, and look forward to the day when I will see him again.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
An Almost Interim Type Of Guy
Monday was the type of day that sums up the way stuff goes for me most of the time. I finally got the results of the Reader's Digest Contest, and I was not in the top 10. What that means is that my story was good enough to be considered for a prize and publication, but not quite good enough. I take consolation that my story was voted into the top 100 though.
Yesterday I also published a post titled "1000". The topic, in case you weren't one of the 10 people that read it, was a celebration of my 1000th view of this blog. The only problem was that by the end of the day, I only ended up with 991 views. This was just another in my history of coming up just short of my goals.
I seem to be the guy that always comes in 2nd place, always good enough to get by, but never good enough to win. Several times in my life I have been an "interim" choir director, or a runner up in contests, those types of things. That's not to mention that most every time I try to do anything, it never turns out quite like I meant for it to. I even ran for city council one time, and ended up with 18 votes. I am proud to say that the man that beat me ended up going on to be Mayor until he retired.
Thinking about this could really get a guy down, but the more I thought about it, the less it bothered me. I may never win, but at least I give it a shot, and am in the running. That has to count for something. As I write this, The Andy Griffith Show is playing on my television, the one about Cousin Virgil. If you are a fan of the show like I am, you know the one I am talking about. Virgil makes a mess out of everything he does, until the end of the show when Virgil saves the day. Virgil is given the job of cleaning the jailhouse keys, but in the process destroys the keys, with Otis locked in the cell. Virgil finally tells Andy that he does good, as long as nobody is watching. When finally given the chance, with nobody watching, Virgil picks the lock and gets Otis out.
There are worse things than being the runner up, and I take solace in the fact that I am "good enough" most of the time. Hopefully this story will finally bring me my 1000th view, better late than never. I have to take the victories however I can get them.
Yesterday I also published a post titled "1000". The topic, in case you weren't one of the 10 people that read it, was a celebration of my 1000th view of this blog. The only problem was that by the end of the day, I only ended up with 991 views. This was just another in my history of coming up just short of my goals.
I seem to be the guy that always comes in 2nd place, always good enough to get by, but never good enough to win. Several times in my life I have been an "interim" choir director, or a runner up in contests, those types of things. That's not to mention that most every time I try to do anything, it never turns out quite like I meant for it to. I even ran for city council one time, and ended up with 18 votes. I am proud to say that the man that beat me ended up going on to be Mayor until he retired.
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| Cousin Virgil |
There are worse things than being the runner up, and I take solace in the fact that I am "good enough" most of the time. Hopefully this story will finally bring me my 1000th view, better late than never. I have to take the victories however I can get them.
Monday, December 5, 2011
1000
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| Mi Familia |
First of all, I made the finals of the Reader's Digest short story contest. I have had several people ask me about it, and am flattered. The winner is supposed to be announced some time around the first of the year. I'm not holding my breath about winning the $25,000, or even $2,500, but it sure would be nice.
Rose is now finished with her first year marching. All she has left is the Christmas Parade. The band did awesome this year, all superior ratings, and placing high in each contest they entered. Rose really enjoyed this year, like I said before, she has found her "thing". I have to admit, I took a lot of pride in watching her on the field marching. She came a long way from the beginning of the year. I noticed a tremendous improvement in her marching, and playing.
Lauren's soccer team did not have the best year, but she got to play forward and goalie, which she never got to do before. She didn't score any goals, but came close a couple of times. The funniest thing was during one game, she had a breakaway and was running down the field with the ball. I of course screamed at her. "GO LAUREN!!!!" When I did that she turns and looks at me, losing the ball in the process. We did however get to go on a few road trips, just the two of us, and spend some quality time together.
Matthew's football season was interesting. The team pretty much broke even with their record, and made it to the semi finals in the tournament. Unfortunately they got matched against the best team in the league, who had not given up a single point all season. The Bulldogs did score one touchdown, which was the only points that got scored on the Indians this year. Unfortunately, the Indians scored 8 touchdowns, so Matthews season came to a close. I noticed a great deal of improvement from him also in his first year. I give credit to his coaches, who took the time to teach him, be patient with him, and truly seemed to care about him. Towards the end of the year, some of the coaches would even spend time with him and several other after practice, working with them on basics one on one.
As for me, I am still addicted to butterscotch, still cry when I am happy, and have not crossed anything of my bucket list. My wife, the lunch lady, is still cooking great food and keeping me well fed. Lastly, I do appreciate each and every one that comes up to me and tells me that you read my blog......even if you do call me Santa.
Friday, December 2, 2011
To Be(ard) Or Not To Be(ard)
I have a big decision to make in the next couple of days. I have on the past few weeks neglected to fully shave, and now have an almost acceptable beard. I have trimmed every day, but just haven't felt like fully shaving. Now I have to make the tough decision, to keep the beard, or to shave back o my normal goatee.
I know this doesn't seem like a big deal, but it involves a lot more than meets the eye. Whatever I decide to do, I have to take into consideration the "coloring" factor. Yes, I color my beard. I don't think that is any big secret, as I let it go several weeks between colorings, and I'm sure most people notice when the salt and pepper turns into total pepper. Coloring a goatee is easy, and I have gotten quite good at it. I never have mastered the total beard though.
One time before I decided to grow my beard out, and went to color it. What happened was brutal. If you ever watched wrestling, and remember "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan you understand. What I ended up with was a dye job that looked like I was trying to look like a doofus. I don't dye beards good. That time I didn't have enough hair on the beard to hold the dye correctly, so basically what I did was dyed my face black. I shaved the beard, then scrubbed my face for two days.
I would love to keep the beard, for nothing else but to help keep my face warm. I don't do cold well, and facial hair helps. I have to do the dye if I do though, as it is too close to Christmas and I just can't stand the thought of kids running up to me thinking I am Santa Claus with a white beard. When I was a kid, I used to play Santa during the holidays to make spending money. That was cool, I had padding and a fake beard. I don't think my fragile psyche could handle it if I was mistaken for Santa without the fake beard and padding.
I always go the safe route, and this time will probably not be any different. I will more than likely shave the beard, keep the goatee, and dye away. If however I happen to go crazy and try to keep the beard, and dye my face, don't laugh too hard. And if by some chance I decide to keep the beard and not dye, please don't ask me how Rudolph is doing.
I know this doesn't seem like a big deal, but it involves a lot more than meets the eye. Whatever I decide to do, I have to take into consideration the "coloring" factor. Yes, I color my beard. I don't think that is any big secret, as I let it go several weeks between colorings, and I'm sure most people notice when the salt and pepper turns into total pepper. Coloring a goatee is easy, and I have gotten quite good at it. I never have mastered the total beard though.
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| Hollywood Hogan |
I would love to keep the beard, for nothing else but to help keep my face warm. I don't do cold well, and facial hair helps. I have to do the dye if I do though, as it is too close to Christmas and I just can't stand the thought of kids running up to me thinking I am Santa Claus with a white beard. When I was a kid, I used to play Santa during the holidays to make spending money. That was cool, I had padding and a fake beard. I don't think my fragile psyche could handle it if I was mistaken for Santa without the fake beard and padding.
I always go the safe route, and this time will probably not be any different. I will more than likely shave the beard, keep the goatee, and dye away. If however I happen to go crazy and try to keep the beard, and dye my face, don't laugh too hard. And if by some chance I decide to keep the beard and not dye, please don't ask me how Rudolph is doing.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Soul Searching
Wow, I promise, I have meant to keep up with the blog. I have thought about it several times, but never did get around to writing anything. Today I am going to let everybody into my mind for a little bit. It's not going to be very comfortable for me.
Anybody that REALLY knows me knows that I have problems. I'm not talking about major psychological issues, (although I guess they could be), but just normal idiosyncrasies. I sometimes take these quirks to the extreme. First off, I like people, I really do, but most of he time I cannot stand being around anybody else. I guess some people mistake it as me not being friendly, or things along those lines, but that is really not the case. I am extremely self conscious, and that leaves me feeling awkward in public situations. I know that sounds weird, but if you aren't this way, there is no way you could understand. It drives me crazy some times, because I would love to be out, have friends, and do things normal people do. I just can't do it most of the time.
I guess it is, truthfully and painfully, depression. I hate to say that, because I know of the stigmas that are associated with that term. Some days I would just rather stay in bed and not face the world than get up and do what I have to do. Lately, I have been facing these feelings more often than not. It's not something that I am proud of. Last week was a perfect example. We had a dinner at my church, and my family went. Everything was fine, and I was having a good time, then it hit. I quietly slid out of the building and went and sat in the car by myself. I just couldn't take it any more. It hurts.
The hardest part to me is that I never feel like I am good enough, or do good enough in anything I do. At one point in my life I used that to drive myself. Now, I mostly let it keep me down. As hard as it is for me to admit, I have pretty much quit trying at most things. I go through the motions. I go to work, do my job, then go home. My best days are when I can get through the day without being noticed. I can actually go through some days with barely speaking to another person if I want. Not a fun way to be.
I know a lot of people think I am just not friendly, or whatever, and I hate that. Please just try to understand. If you are ever around me and I seem like I am in my own little world, I probably am. Hopefully now that I have gotten this out of the way, I can get back to writing about things that people want to read about. Now if I can just hit the post button.
Anybody that REALLY knows me knows that I have problems. I'm not talking about major psychological issues, (although I guess they could be), but just normal idiosyncrasies. I sometimes take these quirks to the extreme. First off, I like people, I really do, but most of he time I cannot stand being around anybody else. I guess some people mistake it as me not being friendly, or things along those lines, but that is really not the case. I am extremely self conscious, and that leaves me feeling awkward in public situations. I know that sounds weird, but if you aren't this way, there is no way you could understand. It drives me crazy some times, because I would love to be out, have friends, and do things normal people do. I just can't do it most of the time.
I guess it is, truthfully and painfully, depression. I hate to say that, because I know of the stigmas that are associated with that term. Some days I would just rather stay in bed and not face the world than get up and do what I have to do. Lately, I have been facing these feelings more often than not. It's not something that I am proud of. Last week was a perfect example. We had a dinner at my church, and my family went. Everything was fine, and I was having a good time, then it hit. I quietly slid out of the building and went and sat in the car by myself. I just couldn't take it any more. It hurts.
The hardest part to me is that I never feel like I am good enough, or do good enough in anything I do. At one point in my life I used that to drive myself. Now, I mostly let it keep me down. As hard as it is for me to admit, I have pretty much quit trying at most things. I go through the motions. I go to work, do my job, then go home. My best days are when I can get through the day without being noticed. I can actually go through some days with barely speaking to another person if I want. Not a fun way to be.
I know a lot of people think I am just not friendly, or whatever, and I hate that. Please just try to understand. If you are ever around me and I seem like I am in my own little world, I probably am. Hopefully now that I have gotten this out of the way, I can get back to writing about things that people want to read about. Now if I can just hit the post button.
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