Stepping back to gain perspective...

It's amazing how even the littlest time away from your everyday routine will help you gain perspective. I play softball now two times a week. The field that I play on is about 25 minutes from my house. I am so thankful for the time I spend in the car driving with just me and my thoughts. I can listen to the radio for music or talk radio or I can just listen to the wind rushing by the car.

Sometimes I think about the day I had at work. Sometimes I think about my relationship with God. Sometimes I think about my marriage. Sometimes I think about my kids. Sometimes I just listen to what is on the radio and let the thoughts flow freely to where ever they might take me.

The point being that I am able to spend just a little time outside of my daily routine. Just enough to let me think about things with a fresh perspective.

This particular night I listened to sermons on a local christian radio station. It was very uplifting to hear someone talk about God and Jesus. It made me rethink a stance I have about whether or not those that do not accept Jesus as the Son of God will go to heaven. It made me think about the methodology I have been taking with my niece in order to get her life going. It made me think about how to handle difficult situations at work differently.

Have you taken a little time lately to just sit and think about your life from outside your daily routine?

Modern portrayal of women in movies

I went to see Grindhouse yesterday. I will set aside my disgust that movie prices are so high for now because that is not the point of this blog.

I have grown to be a fan of Quentin Tarentino movies. I especially loved the Kill Bill movies. What I really like about his directing style is how he portrays women as strong hero types. It is a largely growing trend to show women as strong not only mentally but also physically. I am not a feminist. I will not be marching in a parade that glorifies women's rights (that is not to say that I disagree with equal rights of women and men). The point here is that for too long movie directors have tried and miserably failed to put women in believable hero roles.

Mr. Tarentino has created a series of movies that actually make it OK for a guy to watch a movie that shows a woman in that kind of role. I thought the Beatrix Kiddo character was superbly acted and directed in the Kill Bill movies. Yes the movie was over the top with violence but that is not the point.

The point is to make me believe that a woman is capable of performing the types of activities being shown in the movie. Most movies fail where his movies succeed. I especially loved the end of Grindhouse where Kurt Russell's character was crying like a little baby while the three women were beating the dogsnot out of him. It was very amusing.

The process of selling a house...

We have our house up for sale. If you have never been through the process of selling a house, I am here to tell you that it is NO fun. Putting the house up for sale is EASY. Keeping the house in a state to where you are able to show it to a prospective buyer (AT A MOMENTS NOTICE) is a huge pain in the hind quarters.

If you don't have any kids, you can imagine what it would take to keep a house relatively clean. You basically just pick up after yourself. Imagine having two little tornadoes running loose in your house. That is what it is like trying to keep the house clean with two kids under 5. In fact, keeping your house clean in general is a major challenge with two kids under 5.

You can spend an hour cleaning up an area in your house only to have it dismantled within 3 minutes. Its as if are working in slow motion when you are cleaning up after your kids. They are running around in front and behind you making messes that cause you way more work than you intended.

It is nerve-racking stuff.....

Think before you communicate...

I have experienced enough in my life to realize that people will react differently to different situations. Some people will react different to the same situation if presented with the opportunity. Some people will react as you would never expect them to. So what do you do? Do you not communicate for fear that you will get a negative reaction? I believe there is too much of that going on in this world. I grew up with this mentality, my niece has the mentality presently and some of my co-workers have this mentality.

What kind of a world would this have to be in order to be able to speak your mind knowing that the receiver of your message would think rationally and without emotion?

Unfortunately we do not live in that world. We live in a world that is controlled by our emotions. A world that is filled with large amounts of selfish pride.

Knowing this leads you to only one real way to communicate. Do not communicate in anyway unless you are sure of how the receiver is going to "FEEL" about it. Granted you cannot always predict it every time but you will save yourself a lot of heartache and pain by putting a little thought into what and when you say things.

Sometimes you need to ask yourself "Should I send this email?" or "Should I respond to what he or she said?" or "Is a response going to make the situation better or worse?"

I can't tell you how many times I have written out an email and then just deleted it. Sometimes I will write out an email to put what I REALLY want to say just to vent. You can't imagine how therapeutic that can be.

So lesson for today....THINK before you open your mouth!

38 years and 1 day old....

Yesterday I turned 38 years old. As with most of my birthdays in recent memory, I already have much of what I want and need. So my presents by in large consist of presents from the kids. B always makes my favorite meal....eggs over medium and biscuits....yummy.

Every year that passes brings more and more realization that not only am I getting older, but I am racing towards an eventual end. When mom passed a few years ago it was the first real wake up call that people are mortal and that everyone will eventually die. We have friends that are starting to show their age by forming cancerous tumors or by having their parents beginning to die. All of this is an indication that whatever time we have left on this earth is short and fleeting.

So like everyone you begin to contemplate three things.....how am I going to die.....when am I going to die and when I do die, what will happen?

I was having a conversation with my Oklahoma sister yesterday about this subject. We were mainly discussing the evilness of cancer and if there was anything anyone could do to help avoid contracting cancer. I have been taking a regiment of a multi-vitamin, vitamins E, C and B-12, Garlic, Selenium, fish oil and green tea extract. All of these are meant to bolster the bodies natural defenses so as to allow it to fight on its own as opposed to having to use drugs when you were sick.

My primary purpose in life at this time is to stay alive as long as possible to allow my kids to grow up with a happy and healthy father. I want to be there to see JHGIII play baseball or whatever he wants to do. I want to be there to see JCG performing in her high school play or whatever she wants to do. I don't want to miss out on giving them lots of hugs and kisses. I want to see them grow up and have kids of their own. I want to help them learn about how important I consider a relationship with God. I want to grow old with B. I want to hold my grandkids on our 50th wedding anniversary. I want to play softball into my 50's. I want to be able to enjoy my retirement.

But mostly what I want is what I hope and trust and believe will happen after I die. I want my mom to be right and all doubters of God to be wrong. I hope.....

Global Warming....fact or fiction?

There are certain topics I readily admit I am ignorant about. Global warming is definitely one of those topics. To that end I would like to open a dialogue with anyone willing. A dialogue to help me understand the fact or fiction of the science.

So let me help kick start this discussion by explaining how my brain is processing the subject. Global warming is a belief that due to excessive amounts of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide the temperature of the planet is slowly but steadily increasing.

There are those that believe that this increase of the greenhouse gases is due in large part to the industrial revolution and the burning of fossil fuels.

The big question is.....is this true? Is the large scale consumption of fossil fuels causing unnatural warming to occur on the earth?

Here is what I have found on the Internet so far.

Marshall Think Tank
http://www.climatecrisis.net/thescience/
http://www.ourcivilisation.com/aginatur/moregw.htm
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/12/1206_041206_global_warming.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHjczyA75jU
http://www.reason.com/news/show/34939.html
http://www.globalwarming.org/

There are so many opinions and so many "experts" on the subject it is hard to determine what the truth actually is. I can say this for certain, I am strongly in favor of legislation that will lessen our dependency on fossil fuels. The burning of fossil fuels definitely contributes to the pollution in the air and it is unhealthy to breath in. Also, lessening our dependency on fossil fuels just might the world a completely different place.

If you could only make her understand...

As I have written in a previous post, my niece RP is staying with us. This picture is of her at "OG" (wink) having her first legal glass of wine. The nosey waiter carded her because it was his "job" so to speak (wink).

Yes, this past Friday, RP turned 21 years old. Which means she has come of age. It means that she is now looked upon as a responsible member of society. Someone that is supposed to have experienced enough to make her own decisions about her life. What chemicals she can put in her body. Who she wants to date. What kind of career she wants. When she wants to have children. Her time is now.

What a saturday!!!

MAN.....what a Saturday.....

The day started out with having to take JCG to her soccer game. We were hoping that she could recapture the magic she showed during the first 5 minutes of the game last week. She was a terror. She busted through all the other girls and kicked two goals. You have to understand that last year she might have kicked the ball once or twice all year. Mainly she just chased around behind the pack of girls with the ball. But alas, she reverted back to last years habits. Nevertheless, I digress...

As soon as the game was over we got in the car to leave and the battery was dead. RATS....and me having left the jumper cables in the middle of the driveway from having to jump my car this morning so B could take it to work. SIDE NOTE: PLEASE, for all that is good and holy in this world, go and but some jumper cables and leave them in your car. They are cheap and will save you one day. Luckily there were a lot of people around and I borrowed someone's car to go and retrieve my cables. SIDE NOTE: The P family in our town that we are good friends with are good people. They didn't hesitate when I asked them to borrow their car.

Upon returning with the cables and popping the hood I realized that the battery lead had come loose. So I didn't need a jump. ARRRRGGGHHHH.

Upon returning home I dropped off JCG with RP and went to Home Depot to get some top soil and 20 bags of mulch. After loading 11 bags onto my flat cart I realized that they didn't have enough bags within my reach to fulfill my order. So we had to have an employee get a forklift and get another pallet down. After loading the car with my mulch and topsoil (and grass seed), I drove home.

The first thing I needed to do was dig up the dead plants next to the mailbox. That in and of itself wouldn't be such a big deal. The problem is what to do with the dirt. I realized that there were low spots on the corners of several of my neighbors yards so I start filling in holes with the dirt. This was extra physical labor I wasn't counting on.

After filling in the new holes next to the mailbox with dirt and grass seed, it was time to move the mulch to the flower beds. THAT WAS A WHOLE LOT OF FUN.

Then I needed a brake so I waived my neighbor over and we power washed his lawn mower.

Then I took a break.

Then I vacuumed out both cars and shampoo washed the Odyssey.

Then I cleaned up the whole front yard from all the various things I had gotten out to do my work.

Then I power washed the drive way and sidewalk.

That was my Saturday. I am tired.

Sunday I get to spread the mulch, build a cover for my sum-pump and put all the mats back into the cars. I am ready to go back to work on Monday.

Telecommuting? There is no substitution...

So I was chatting with a co-worker on the phone and I heard birds chirping through the phone. I asked him if he was sitting outside. He explained that he just had his window open in his office. I immediately unplugged the computer and went outside on the back porch. Today was 70 degrees and no clouds in the sky.

Can you say....I LOVE WORKING FROM HOME...?

If you can't.....too bad!

:)

Something good that can be taken from the Virginia Tech tragedy

I am sitting here listening to the commencement speeches being held at Virginia Tech University. Only one day removed from the largest single massacre event on a US campus.

As I am listening to everyone speak I am struck by the unique opportunity we have to speak to the world. The opportunity to show the world that we are a part of One World. I believe the organizers have seized this opportunity with the hope that when the world is listening they will hear the bigger message.

Not only did we hear from the President of the United States, we heard from the Governor of Virginia and the president of the university. What was most compelling was they had different members of the religious community speak. When you hear that people of the religious community spoke at the commencement you think most often about Christians.

In this instance the organizers of this event had the forethought to consider the message they could send to the world. They invited a member of the Muslim community, the Buddhist community, the Jewish community and the Christian community.

THIS is the America that I want to live in. An America that allows people to live in peace no matter what they believe. Way to go Virginia Tech! Thank you for your vision.

Do you know who is really good at...

I don't know if I have told you but my soon to be 21 year old niece from Oregon is visiting with us right now. She has been here almost a full month. We brought her here for two main reasons.

First, we are trying to sell our house and needed someone to come and help us with the kids and the cleaning.

Second, my niece, who I will refer to as RP, has been, shall we say, very carefully weighing her options before deciding what she wants to do with her life. So, I thought that perhaps bringing her here and exposing her to a different environment AND talking with her in general might kick start her into moving forward.

SO......

When the kids ask us if we can read them a book or watch a show with them or play a game with them...we now reply..."Do you know who is really good at reading books?" or "Do you know who really loves playing candyland?" or "Do you know who really likes watching Go Diego Go?"

Yup you guessed it....RP....that is not the funny part.

We have since ADDED activities to her list of specalities.

Do you know who is really good at painting the basement?
Do you know who is really good at cleaning out the car?
Do you know who is really good at reading you the same story 100 times in a row?
Do you know who is really good are cleaning the kids rooms?
Do you know who is really good at mowing the lawn?
Do you know who is really good at doing the grocery shopping?
Do you know who is really good at staining the deck?

That's right folks....if you have a need in the world....we have the person that can help you. You need your car sand blasted? No problem! You need your fence re-built? She is your girl!

Thanks for being such a valuable asset to our household.

Hey..... I wonder who is really good at making me a sandwich?

...with her finger and her thumb in the shape of an L on her forehead

So there we were....sitting around the dinner table.

My beautiful daughter is using sign language to communicate things like Jesus and beautiful and I love you.

Then I get the bright idea to look at her and put an L on my forehead and ask her "Hey what does this mean?" B shouts "Don't teach her that!" To which I reply "Oh JC it just means "I love you" in French sign language"

To which B replies..."No it does not...don't tell her that she will do it to her pre-school teacher"

For the next several minutes JC keeps making the new sign that I taught her. Then the sweet 2 year old JH III starts doing it.

Now I am getting some great looks from my bride.

"Great...when her pre-school teacher calls and says that she was making some rude gestures to other kids...YOU can be the one to go to the conference to explain it..."

NOTE to self....nix showing more creative finger geatures to the kids!

Ahhh...the things we do as parents!

I had never changed a diaper before my little girl was born more than 4 years ago. Some how I escaped ever having to change a diaper for 33 years. I always told myself that I wouldn't mind doing it to my own child. So the first time I changed JC's diaper I didn't bat an eye. Wham bam thank you maam it was over and I was on my way.

Since that time I have changed some really messy diapers. I have even had to clean out a bathtub or two where the kids may have had a poo poo accident while enjoying a bath (Thank the Lord our God for drains).

Anyway, my son is just getting over being sick. He hasn't eaten what I would call a completely balanced diet over the past few days. So he eventually became a little "backed up" if you know what I mean. The cries of "my too-shee wee-wee (really) hurts" began to come from the lips of my 2+ year old boy.

Well this morning was by far the messiest diaper I have ever been associated with. As soon as I realized that he was no longer "backed up" I told him to stand still so as not to drip any more on the carpet or the kitchen floor (yes it was like the streets of Italy in our house). I went upstairs and woke up my bride and said "Honey, I have something to show you."

As we do with every emergency in the house we quickly assess the situation and volunteer for our roles in resolving the crisis. My wife took on the role of diaper changing/baby cleaning and I took the role of trash emptier/floor mopper/towel rinser. Towel rinser? Yes, we put him on a towel before we removed his diaper. I will let you draw your own mental image. Yummy!

So I got out our hoover bare floor cleaner and some anti-bacterial spray and began cleaning up the "mess".

All in all it turned out ok as most emergencies do in our house.