The Swamp

I find myself asking...

2011-04-24T03:10:00.003-05:00

On those days like today where I wake up and say that I hate my life and I would be elated if today was the day of the second coming of Christ and I would be taken home to him and this hell on earth would finally be at an end, I find myself asking the question, "Why should I show much interest in God when he doesn't seem to show much interest in me?" Could it be that he knows something I don't? I don't just think so, I know so. He is omnipotent after all. I just wish he would let me in on even just a little minute bit of it.

Poor Kiri

2011-04-14T21:12:00.002-05:00

Kiri is the name of my brother's dog. She's been kind of an extended family dog really. This big 130 pound lovable teddy bear has lived not only with my brother's family, but she lived with me for about a year, and several months with my parents when my brother didn't have a back yard he could keep her in. This is a dog that you felt safe knowing she was there. This is the dog that when the 3 year old wanted to leave the house and take a walk through the neighborhood without anyone knowing, went with the young child, turned her around got her back home before she could get more than just a house or two up the street. Anyway, last month she developed a kidney infection, and by the time she started showing symptoms of not feeling well and was taken to the vet, her kidneys had started to shut down. It took everyone by surprise. Just a couple of weeks before she was getting into the sink to lick clean any dirty dishes she might find...the picture of a healthy big bear of of dog. Now...now she's gone. I went with my brother to lay her to rest (it took 2 of us given her size) and we both said our goodbyes. My brother broke down and cried, and rightfully so as this dog had been with him since he was a newlywed. She was there through each new child. She protected him and his family. She loved them with an unconditional love that I dearly wish we in our human sickness could learn. Oh the world would be a much better place if we could learn that kind of love. Here's the kicker however. Though this was my brother's dog, and I'd kept her with me for only a small fraction of her life, I broke down and cried as well. Needless to say, it caught me off guard. I didn't expect her passing to affect me as it did... to bring me to tears. For so long I've kinda felt numb...almost dead inside. Devoid of any real depth of emotion outside of the love I have for my son. I was beginning to wonder if I had lost the ability to feel anything beyond a dull ache. It's good and a little refreshing to know that I still have feelings and emotions inside, no matter how deep they may be buried. I know leave you with a short...I don't know, poem, verse, or whatever you want to call it. Rest assured I didn't write it, and I don't know who did, but it's incredibly appropriate:

"If you can start the day

without caffeine,

If you can resist boring people

with your troubles,

If you can eat the same food

every day

and be grateful for it,

If you can understand when your

loved ones are too busy

to give you any time,

If you can take criticism and blame

without resentment,

If you can face the world without

lies and deceit,

If you can say honestly

that deep in your heart you have no

prejudice against creed, color,

religion or politics,

Then my friends, you are almost

as good as your dog.

Author unknown

blah, blah, blah

2011-03-01T03:14:00.002-06:00

No one reads this anyway, so I'm just venting to myself. I hate my life. I've hated it for the last 2 years. For a couple of years before that it pretty much was a farce of a life, but at least there were a few bright spots here and there. Now however I live a nightmare I've feared since childhood. It's the life I begged God from a very young age to please not make me live. Why then do I find myself with such a life? God only knows and I intend to ask him when I meet him some day. Now I just live it day by day. I hate it. I have to make a change. The next trick is mustering up the energy to do it. I must shed this underlying angry person that I am but don't let the world see before it consumes me. Sometimes I just feel...mean. I mean telling off anyone who even looks at me wrong mean. That didn't used to be me.

I do have one silver lining. One life line. In a way it's also a chain from being able to completely move on, but I wouldn't trade it for the universe. One gift from God in addition to the obvious Gift of God and His ultimate sacrifice for me. Oh I haven't lost my faith. I will never loose that. My passion maybe, which sucks because after 2 years, I still feel dead inside...passionless, emotionless apathy when the bitterness lies sleeping (hey, it used to be rage, so it is an improvement) but never my faith. I do miss the passion. I want it back. I just wish I could figure out how to get it again. I'm probably just too stubborn.

I ramble and probably make no sense, but who cares? I surely don't.

Love is Kind

2009-06-05T17:11:00.005-05:00

Be Kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. - Ephesians 4:32

Kindness is Love in action. If patience is how love reacts in order to minimize a negative circumstance, kindness is how love acts to maximize a positive circumstance. Patience avoids a problem; kindness creates a blessing. One is preventive, the other is proactive. These two sides of love are the cornerstones on which many of the other attributes we will discuss are built.

Love makes you kind. And kindness makes you likable. When you're kind, people want to be around you. They see you as being good to them and good for them.

The Bible keys in on the importance of kindness: "Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man" (Proverbs 3:3-4). Kind people simply find favor wherever they go. Even at home. But "kindness" can feel a little generic when you try defining it, much less living it. So let's break kindness down into 4 basic core ingredients:

Gentleness. When you're operating from kindness, you're careful how you treat your spouse, never being unnecessarily harsh. You're sensitive. Tender. Even if you need to say hard things, you'll bend over backwards to make your rebuke or challenge as easy to hear as possible. You speak the truth in love.

Helpfulness. Being kind means you meet the needs of the moment. If it's housework, you get busy. A listening ear? You give it. Kindness graces a wife with the ability to serve her husband without worrying about her rights. Kindness makes a husband curious to discover what his wife needs, then motivates him to be the one who steps up and ensures those needs are met - even if his are put on hold.

Willingness. Kindness inspires you to be agreeable. Instead of being obstinate, reluctant, or stubborn, you cooperate, you stay flexible. Rather than complaining and making excuses, you look for reasons to compromise and accommodate. A kind husband ends thousands of potential arguments by his willingness to listen first rather than demand his way.

Initiative. Kindness thinks ahead, then takes the first step. It doesn't sit around waiting to be prompted or coerced before getting off the couch. The kind husband or wife will be the one who greets first, smiles first, and forgives first. They don't require the other to get his or her act together before showing love. When acting from kindness, you see the need, then make your move. First.

Jesus creatively described the kindness of love in His parable of the Good Samaritan, found in the Bible - Luke, chapter 10. A Jewish man attacked by robbers is left for dead on a remote road. Two religious leaders, respected among their people, walk by without choosing to stop. Too busy. Too important. Too fond of clean hands. But a common man of another race - the hated Samaritans, whose dislike for the Jews was both bitter and mutual - sees this stranger in need and is moved with compassion. Crossing all cultural boundaries and risking ridicule, he stops to help the man. Bandaging his wounds and putting him on his own donkey, he carries him to safety and pays all his medical expenses out of his own pocket.

Where years of racism had caused strife and division, one act of kindness brought two enemies together. Gently. Helpfully. Willingly. Taking the initiative, this man demonstrated true kindness in every way.

Wasn't kindness one of the key things that drew you and your spouse together in the first place? When you married, weren't you expecting to enjoy his or her kindness for the rest of your life? Didn't your mate feel the same way about you? Even though the years can take the edge off that desire, your enjoyment in marriage is still linked to the daily level of kindness expressed.

The Bible describes a woman whose husband and children bless and praise her. Among her noble attributes are these: "She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue" (Proverbs 31:26). How about you? How would your husband or wife describe you on the kindness meter? How harsh are you? How gentle and helpful? Do you wait to be asked, or do you take the initiative to help? Don't wait for your spouse to be kind first.

It is difficult to demonstrate love when you feel little to no motivation. But love in its truest sense is not based on feelings. Rather, love determines to show thoughtful actions even when there seems to be no reward. You will never learn to love until you learn to demonstrate kindness.

Taken from The Love Dare, by Stephen and Alex Kendrick

Love is Patient

2009-05-25T12:39:00.002-05:00

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. - Ephesians 4:2

Love works. It's life's most powerful motivator, and has far greater depth and meaning than most people realize. It always does what is best for others and can empower us to face the greatest of problems. We are born with a lifelong thirst for love. Our hearts desperately need it like our lungs need oxygen. Love changes our motivation for living. Relationships become meaningful with it. No marriage is successful without it.

Love is built on two pillars that best define what it is. Those pillars are patience and kindness. All other characteristics of love are extensions of these two attributes. And that's where the love dare begins. With patience.

Love will inspire you to become a patient person. When you choose to be patient, you respond in a positive way to a negative situation. You are slow to anger. You can choose to have a long fuse instead of a quick temper. Rather that being restless and demanding, love helps you settle down and begin extending mercy to those around you. Patience brings an internal calm during an external storm.

No one likes to be around an impatient person. It causes you to overreact in angry, foolish, and regrettable ways. The irony of anger toward a wrongful action is that it spawns new wrongs of it's own. Anger almost never makes things better. In fact, it usually generates additional problems. But patience stops problems in their tracks. More than biting your lip, more than clapping your hand over your mouth, patience is a deep breath. It clears the air. It stops foolishness from whipping it's scorpion tail all over the room. It is a choice to control your emotions rather than allowing your emotions to control you, and shows discretion instead of returning evil for evil.

If your spouse offends you, do you quickly retaliate, or do you stay under control? Do you find that anger is your emotional default when treated unfairly? If so, you are spreading poison rather than medicine.

Anger is usually caused when the strong desire for something is mixed with disappointment or grief. You don't get what you want and you start heating up inside. It is often an emotional reaction that flows out of our own selfishness, foolishness, or evil motives.

Patience, however makes us wise. It does not rush to judgement but listens to what the other person is saying. Patience stands in the doorway where anger is clawing to burst in, but waits to see the whole picture before passing judgement. The Bible says, "He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick-tempered exalts folly." (Proverbs 14:29)

As sure as a lack of patience will turn your home into a war zone, the practice of patience will foster peace and quiet. "A hot tempered man stirs up strife, but the slow to anger calms a dispute." (Proverbs 15:18). Statements like these from the Bible book of Proverbs are clear principles with timeless relevance. Patience is where love meets wisdom. And every marriage needs that combination to stay healthy.

Patience helps you give your spouse permission to be human. It understands that everyone fails. When a mistake is made, it chooses to give them more time than they deserve to correct it. It gives you the ability yo hold on during the tough times in your relationship rather than bailing out under the pressure.

But can your spouse count on having a patient wife or husband to deal with? Can she know that locking her keys in the car will be met by your understanding rather than a demeaning lecture that makes her feel like a child? Can he know that cheering during the last seconds of a football game won't invite a loud-mouthed laundry list of ways he should be spending his time? It turns out that few people are as hard to live with as an impatient person.

What would the tone and volume of your home be like if you tried this biblical approach: "See that one one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another" (1 Thessalonians 5:15).

Few of us do patience very well, and none of us do it naturally. But wise men and women will pursue it as an essential ingredient to their marriage relationships. That's a good starting point to demonstrate true love.

This love dare journey is a process, and the first thing you must resolve to possess is patience. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint. But it's a race worth running.

Taken from "The Love Dare" by Stephen and Alex Kendrick.

What Does True Love REALLY Look Like?

2009-05-21T20:05:00.003-05:00

I wish sometimes I was a writer. I have opinions, beliefs and feelings I want to express, but I can't string the words together sometimes. Or when in a conversation with another person, I often thing of what I should have said the next day to get my point across. The problem is, when I needed the words was during the conversation the day before.

Anyway, I've just finished reading a book that has made a big impact on the way I think. I wish I had read it 3 years ago, or had it available to me 3 years ago. If I had, maybe the past 3 years would have been a lot different. What's more, I'm starting another book that I think will also teach me a lot.

The first book was The Love Dare, written by Steven and Alex Kendrick. The one I just started is called Family Man, Family Leader, Biblical Fatherhood as the Key to a Thriving Family.

In the Love Dare, I learned that though I thought I knew how to love, I really didn't have a clue. I don't know if anyone is following this blog anymore since it's been awhile since I've posted, but I'd like to share the book...one chapter at a time, (don't worry, the chapters are short...no longer than 2-3 pages a piece, though this post will be the longest as I added a part of the appendix that relates to the introduction) with maybe a few sporadic comments along the way. I pray that someone may find what I share, and learn something from it, therefore improving an already good marriage, or saving one that is in trouble.

I recommend this book to anyone who is married or is planning to marry. I especially urge anyone having marriage problems to read this book and do the dares, especially before considering separation or divorce. If taken seriously and taken to heart, it can be the tool that gets your relationship on the right track. It can teach you what love really is, and how to truly love your spouse as God intended. It can get your marriage on the path to the way God intended it to be.

Following is the introduction to THE LOVE DARE:

The Scriptures say that God designed and created marriage as a good thing. It is a beautiful, priceless gift. He uses marriage to help us eliminate loneliness, multiply our effectiveness, establish families, raise children, enjoy life, and bless us with relational intimacy. But beyond this, marriage also shows us our need to grow and deal with our own issues and self centeredness through the help of a lifelong partner. If we are teachable, we will learn to do the one thing that is most important in marriage-to love. This powerful union provides the path for you to learn how to love another imperfect person unconditionally. It is wonderful. It is difficult. It is life changing.

This book is about love. It's about learning and daring to live a life filled with loving relationships. And this journey begins with the person who is closest to you: your spouse. May God bless you as you begin this adventure.

But be sure of this: it will take courage. If you accept this dare, you must take the view that instead of following your heart, you are choosing to lead it. The world says to follow your heart, but if you are not leading it, then someone else or something else is. The bible says that "the heart is more deceitful than all else (Jeremiah 17:9), and it will always pursue that which feels right at the moment.

We dare you to think differently- choosing instead to lead your heart toward that which is best in the long run...your mate and your family. This is the key to lasting, fulfilling relationships.

[more on following your heart vs leading your heart in a moment.]

The Love Dare journey is not a process of trying to change your spouse to be the person you want them to be. You've no doubt already discovered that efforts to change your husband or wife have ended in failure and frustration. Rather, this is a journey of exploring and demonstrating genuine love, even when your desire is dry and your motives are low. The truth is, love is a decision and not just a feeling. It is selfless, sacrificial, and transformational. and when love is truly demonstrated as it was intended, your relationship is more likely to change for the better.

Remember, you have the responsibility to protect and guide your heart. Don't give up and don't get discouraged. Resolve to lead your heart and make it through to the end. Learning to truly love in one of the most important things you will ever do.

LEADING YOUR HEART. WHAT IS THE HEART?

Your heart is your identity. Your heart is the most important part of who you are. It is the center of your being, where the "real you" resides. "The heart of man reflects man" (Proverbs 27:19). As a person "thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7)

Your heart is your center. Since your physical heart is in the center of your body and sends life-giving blood out to every living cell, the word "heart" has been used for centuries to describe the core starting place of all your thoughts, beliefs, values, motives and convictions.

Your heart is your headquarters. Your heart is the Pentagon of your operations. As a result, every area of your life is impacted by the direction of your heart.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH FOLLOWING MY HEART?

It's Foolish. The world says "Follow your heart!" This is the philosophy of new age gurus, self help seminars, and romantic pop songs. Because is sounds romantic and noble, it sells millions of records and books. The problem is that following your heart usually means chasing after whatever feels right at the moment whether or not it is actually right. It means throwing caution and conscience to the wind and pursuing your latest whims and desires regardless of what good logic and counsel are saying. The bible says "He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered" (Proverbs 28:26)

It's Unreliable. People forget that feelings and emotions are shallow, fickle, and unreliable. They can fluctuate depending on circumstances. In an effort to follow their hearts, people have abandoned their jobs to reignite a lousy garage band, lost their life savings following a whim on a horse race, or left their lifelong mate in order to chase an attractive coworker who's been married twice already. What feels right in the height of sweet emotion often feels like a sour mistake a few years later. [I recently read an article on divorce that shows the same sentiment. It discovered that when many people are asked just a few years after divorce if they are happier now than when they were married, the greater majority were either no happier or not even as happy as they had once been. They regretted making the decision to get a divorce.] This selfish philosophy is also the source of countless divorces. It leads many to excuse themselves from their lifelong commitments because they no longer "Feel in Love" [I, and other sources I have read challenge that if a person can say that they don't love their spouse anymore, they either don't understand what love really is, or they never loved that person to begin with.]

It's Corrupt. The truth is, our hearts are basically selfish and sinful. "The heart is more deceitful than all else and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9). Jesus said "Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders" (Matthew 15:19). Unless our hearts are genuinely changed by God, they will continue to choose wrong things.

SHOULD I EVER FOLLOW MY HEART?

King Solomon said, "A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left" (Ecclesiastes 10:2). Just as your heart can direct you towards [anger], hatred, lust and violence, it can also be driven by love, truth, and kindness. As you walk with God, He will put dreams in your life that He wants to fulfill in your life. He will also put skills and abilities in your heart that He wants to develop for His glory (Exodus 35:30-35). He will give you the desire to give (2 Corinthians 9:7) and to worship (Ephesians 5:19). As you put God first, He will step in and fulfill the good desires of your heart. The Bible says, "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). But the only time you can feel good about following your heart is when you know your heart is intent on serving and pleasing God.

WHY IS FOLLOWING MY HEART NOT ENOUGH?

Because our hearts are so subject to change and so utterly untrustworthy, the Scriptures communicate a much stronger message than "follow your heart." The Bible instructs you to lead your heart. This means to take full responsibility for it's condition and direction. Realize that you do have control over where your heart is. [Is your heart with your spouse as it is supposed to be, or is it elsewhere, like work, or the Internet, or the TV?] You have been given the power by God to take your heart off one thing and to set it on something else.

HOW DO I LEAD MY HEART?

First, you need to understand that your heart follows your investment. Whatever you pour your time, money and energy into will draw your heart. This was true before you were married. You wrote letters, bought gifts, and spent time together as a couple, and your heart followed. When you stopped investing as much in the relationship and started pouring yourself into other things, your heart followed you there. If you are not in love with your spouse today, it may be because you stopped investing in your spouse yesterday. [We must lead our heart to our spouse and our marriage instead of these other things. Our marriage must be our hearts first priority]

Check your heart. One of the keys to successfully leading your heart is to constantly be aware of where it is. Do you know what has your heart right now? You can tell by looking at where your time has gone in the past month, where your money has gone, and what you keep talking about.

Guard your heart. When something unhealthy tempts your heart, it is your responsibility to guard it against temptation. The Bible says, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life" (Proverbs 4:23). Don't let your heart put your work or money above your spouse and family. Don't let your heart lust after the beauty of another woman (Proverbs 6:25). The Bible says, "If riches increase, do not set your heart on them" (Psalm 62:10)

Set your heart. The apostle Paul taught, "set your heart on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God" (Colossians 3:1). It's time to identify where your heart needs to be and then to choose to set your heart on those things. You say, "But I don't really want to invest in my marriage. I'd rather be doing this or that." I know. You've set your heart on that in the past and you are stuck in a "follow your heart" mentality. But you don't have to let your feelings leave you anymore. Lust is when you set your heart on something that is wrong and forbidden. You can choose to take your heart off the wrong things and set it on what is right.

Invest your heart. This is SO IMPORTANT! Don't wait until you feel like doing the right thing. Don't wait until you feel in love with your spouse to invest in your relationship. Start pouring into your marriage and investing in where your heart is supposed to be. Spend time with your spouse. Buy Gifts. Write letters. Go on dates. The more you invest, the more your heart will value your relationship. This is what the Love Dare is about-40 days of leading your heart back to loving your spouse.

Prayer needed

2008-10-04T19:52:00.001-05:00

Please pray for me and my family. I was laid off my job of 8 1/2 years this past Thursday. Pray that I find something soon.

Thanks,

One Month Later...

2008-08-29T11:23:00.009-05:00

For crying out loud (yes I am aware of the pun) Feed me!!!
(Registering his discontent!!)

Just a few minutes later...
WHAT THE...!?!

Hey cat...Just wait 'til I get mobile...

Bath time again? The water had better be warmer this time or I'll show you the meaning of "Squirt"!

Check me out in my "Gator" Towel!

Hanging with Dad and trying to get rid of that air bubble. Mommy says I look like a turtle.
Hanging with Dad and trying to get rid of that air bubble. Mommy says I look like a turtle.

Jacob is Here

2008-07-26T09:49:00.005-05:00

Jacob Winston Vaughan officially made his arrival yesterday morning, 7/25 @ 10:08 AM at Medical City Dallas, weighing in at 7lbs. 12oz. and measuring 20" long. He's perfect and healthy. Even the Pediatrician had nothing negative or bad to say, which greatly enthused his mother and I.

Taylor's very enamored with him. She just can't seem to look at him enough. I think I'm pretty taken with him myself. Taylor's healthy and doing great, Jacob's healthy, so I'm a happy man.

We are now much more than a couple. We are truely a Family.

More later,

Michael, Taylor and Jacob

Official Due Date

2008-06-17T10:19:00.003-05:00

At her last doctor appointment, we received an official due date. The calendar is now marked for July 25th. As we wearily trudge to the end of this tiring yet wonderful experience of pregnancy (though Taylor would have a lot more words to describe it and none of those words would be anything close to wonderful) we look forward to a new phase of life. For those closer to me, I ask for patience. There are so many emotions going on I feel myself getting a little wiggy and stressed out. Excitement, fear, anticipation, trepidation, responsibility, etc. I've noticed I've snapped around on a person or two without meaning to do so. For that I apologise. Hopefully it won't happen again, but it may, so just be prepared and tell me to chill out and take a breath. in the mean time, I'm keeping my fingernails a little longer to keep a better grip...

Oh, and Christina, have a safe trip and we'll see you in a week and a half.

62 Days and Counting

2008-06-03T11:11:00.004-05:00

He'll be here before we know it. It seems like we're stuck in a time warp though. On one hand, it seems like we have such a long way to go. still 62 days to go. By the time Jacob gets here, She will have been pregnant for 1/2 our married life. Low on energy and sick a lot of the time. On the other hand it's gone by so fast. December seems like it was just last month. 218 days of the pregnancy are behind us. That's a lot of days already gone!!! Comparing that number to what's left, and Jacob will be here very soon and there's still so much to do!!!

Go Stars

2008-05-06T09:00:00.005-05:00

In case you missed Game 6, which was a game for the books (4 overtimes, 61 saves on 62 shots faced for Marty Turco, 53 saves on 55 shots faced for Nabokov, 55 shifts for 50 minutes of ice time and 19 hits for the eventual game winner Brendan Morrow, who earlier took a puck, then later a stick in the face, 8th longest game in NHL playoff history, 3rd longest game in franchise playoff history, etc. etc. etc.) FSN SW channel 65 will be rebroadcasting a condensed 2 hour version on Thursday, May 8th@ 11:00 AM. If you missed it, set your DVR's.

Game 1 of the conference finals against Detroit will aire on VS channel 72 or 75 (can't remember which) at 6:30 that evening.

Go Stars!!!

Driving and Cell Phones

2008-04-25T13:50:00.003-05:00

What is the deal with driving and cell phones? Since it seems that people can't be responsible enough to stay off their phone while driving (I have to point the finger at myself on this one as well), then why don't cell phone providers do something that will not allow their cell phone to work in a running vehicle unless it's attached to a hands free device? I mean really, even though a hands free device is puchased separately from the phones right now, most everyone has one. Why then do most people not use it?

It wouldn't be so bad if these people who just MUST talk on the phone could drive as they normally do when not on the phone. It seems though most people can't. Most of the time, when someone is driving slow enough to drive Miss Daisy, ignoring my signal that I want to get over (which is a gripe for another day) or cutting me off in traffic, I look over to see them yammering into a cell phone. These slow driving cell phone users drive just like the 80 year old man or woman, which I prefer to cell phone drivers as at least they have both hands on the wheel and are devoting all their attention on what they are doing. We are operating a piece of machinery that has the potential to take our life as well as others lives in the blink of an eye with just one moment of inattentiveness!! Cars can even be referred to as deadly weapons, or be the instrument in reckless endangerment. Let's treat it as such!!! It's like any other power tool. It's foolish to be afraid of it, but it's equally foolish to not respect what it can do.

The really irritating thing was watching a lady drive down HWY 66 from the second bridge crossing the lake to the light at Rowlett Road (local people may know this area...it is a straight shot, and goes for a couple of miles) with a cell phone held to her ear by her shoulder (this does not constitute a hands free device by the way), one hand holding her food container, her other hand stuffing her face, and her left knee stearing the SUV!!!

Come on people, either get a hands free device or get off the phone. We'll all get home faster and in one piece!!! And if you still can't drive better than the 80 year old man with the hands free device, just stay off the phone!

New Sonogram pictures

2008-01-28T08:03:00.000-06:00

These sonogram pictures were taken last Friday, January 25th at about 12 weeks 3 days.

Proof Positive

2008-01-14T17:11:00.001-06:00

Big news!!!

2007-12-30T18:54:00.000-06:00

I still find it hard to believe, but I'm going to be a Daddy!!! Please pray all goes well. I'm nervous, scared, excited and a whole myriad of other emotions all at once. My poor wife however, is dealing with the "joys of pregnancy" at the moment, so it will probably be a few more weeks before she starts to feel excited. Right now, she just feels nauseous.

Anyway, as it gets closer and we know what the sex of the baby is, we will hopefully start collecting the things all new parents need for their baby.

This past year has been full of changes, and next year is sure not to disappoint.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!

Nerd? Geek? Dork?

2007-10-26T14:00:00.001-05:00

Your Score: Joe Normal

17 % Nerd, 21% Geek, 30% Dork

For The Record:

A Nerd is someone who is passionate about learning/being smart/academia.
A Geek is someone who is passionate about some particular area or subject, often an obscure or difficult one.
A Dork is someone who has difficulty with common social expectations/interactions.
You scored less than half in all three, earning you the title of: Joe Normal.

This is not to say that you don't have some Nerd, Geek or Dork inside of you--we all do, and you can see the percentages you have right above. This is just to say that none of those qualities stand out so much as to define you. Sure, you enjoy an episode of Star Trek now and again, and yeah, you kinda enjoyed a few classes back in the day. And, once in a while, you stumble while walking down the street even though there was nothing there to cause you to trip. But, for the most part, you look and act fairly typically, and aren't much of an outcast.

I'd say there's a fair chance someone asked you to take this test. In any event, fairly normal.

Congratulations!

If you enjoyed this test, I would love the feedback!

Also, you might want to check out some of my other tests if you're interested in any of the following:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Professional Wrestling

Love & Sexuality

America/Politics

Thanks Again! -- THE NERD? GEEK? OR DORK? TEST

Link: The Nerd? Geek? or Dork? Test written by donathos on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test

Home from the Hospital

2007-08-30T08:53:00.000-05:00

The last couple of weeks have been quite busy! Friday before last, my wife was scheduled for a diagnostic laproscopy to find out and fix the cause of some fairly intense pain on her left side. We went through all the admitting, pre-testing, changing into the gown, and waiting to be taken in to the OR...then we waited. After awhile, I had to go to work for a meeting I couldn't reschedule. As it turns out, the operating room had gotten backed up, and her doctor had been held up at another hospital when the previous procedure before his had some complications. As a result, they rescheduled for the following Wednesday before Labor Day, refilled her Vicodin prescription and she went home.

Saturday was spent cleaning house in preparation for moving in Taylor's bedroom furniture, which up to this point was still at her parents house (I know, we've been married almost 1/2 a year, and she still isn't moved in) followed by moving day on Sunday. By Sunday night, we had my bedroom furniture in the guest bedroom, had her bedroom suit set up in our master bedroom, and had her desk set up in the office. Needless to say by the end of the day, we were spent.

On Wednesday, we checked into the hospital and this time, everything went off without a hitch. Another tiring day, but the pain in her left side is gone, and she is slowly but surely recovering from surgery.

This past weekend was spent mostly in the garage. Thanks to my in-laws, who came upon several shelving units left by a former tenant of their adjoining office space, I was able to completely re-organize the garage. I didn't quite get it where I want it, but it's very close. I need to put in one more Saturday, and with any luck, I may be able to get BOTH cars in the garage in an emergency, and that hasn't been possible since I moved in to the place.

Last but not least, I've added a new feature to my blog page. I've often wondered about who visits and reads my blog, and now with this added feature, I can see approximately where my page was accessed. I'm glad to see hits in Ohio from a friend who relocated for work, Oklahoma from friends/family, Georgia from a relocated friend from church, and England by friends made while helping out with their Holiday Club in their local church. I think of you guys often, including those in England. Hope all is well, and drop me a line sometime.

I guess that's enough for now. Thanks for tuning in.

In honor of my Birthday...

2007-08-17T10:32:00.000-05:00

Though my birthday isn't until tomorrow, I saw this on Blogthings and thought I'd post the results, as I may not have time tomorrow...

Your Birthdate: August 18

You are a cohesive force - able to bring many people together for a common cause.
You tend to excel in work situations, but you also facilitate a lot of social gatherings too.
Beyond being a good leader, you are good at inspiring others.
You also keep your powerful emotions in check - you know when to emote and when to repress.

Your strength: Emotional maturity beyond your years

Your weakness: Wearing yourself down with too many responsibilities

Your power color: Crimson red

Your power symbol: Snowflake

Your power month: September

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Blogthings

2007-08-16T08:28:00.000-05:00

Your Famous Movie Kiss is from The Princess Bride

"This is true love - you think this happens every day?"

What Famous Movie Kiss Are You?

You Are Superman

Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.
And pretty cute too. No wonder you're the most popular superhero ever!

What Superhero Are You?

Slide Show

2007-07-30T22:41:00.000-05:00

Free MySpace slideshows, photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The Swamp

2007-07-23T11:17:00.001-05:00


	My Flixster

Day 7 - Sea World

2007-07-14T20:03:00.000-05:00

Finally, after 4 months of being married, I've finally gotten around to posting the last day of our honeymoon to Florida. It's not as fresh in my mind anymore, but it was still a fun experience I want to share at least a few pictures of, even though I may be a little short on the details and descriptions.

By this time in our vacation, we were so tired we didn't get to Sea World until about lunch time, even though it was within walking distance of our condo. The drawback is that we didn't get as much of a chance to linger at any of the habitats, as we wanted to see as many of the shows as possible, and you have to be at each show 15 - 30 minutes before it's scheduled start to get a decent seat. When one show was over, it was close to time to start for the next show. We ended up seeing three shows total.

First, upon entering the park, which we had access to due to our tickets to Discovery Cove, we turned left and spent some time watching the dolphins at the dolphin habitat before heading to the dolphin show.

A female trainer swam with, rode and was pushed by one or a combination of dolphins. A part of the show included a strange type of whale, which was presented by the male trainer.

After the dolphin show, we went through the penquin habitat, followed by watching the seals and sea lions in their habitat. The second show included seals and sea lions.

Lastly, we had to see Shamoo the Killer Whale. We were disappointed in that the normal show was canceled, as Shamo had just given birth on Monday of that week. We did however get to see her guiding her baby around the tank, teaching it to stear and swim, as well as watch the video of the birth on the jumbotron. The trainers would drop handfulls of fish in the mother's mouth each time she passed in front of the croud.She kept the baby on the outside of her closest to the croud, but it was still difficult to get a good shot of the baby.

Day 6 - Kennedy Space Center/Downtown Disney

2007-06-21T00:35:00.000-05:00

I seem to have stopped before finishing my synopsis of our Florida honeymoon. I'm not entirely sure why the dry spell, though the last month or two have been emotionally draining, but I'll try to fill in what I can remember of Day 6. I apologize in advance as I know my recall of the day will not flow well, as it's a bit jumbled up in my brain. Luckily we have pictures, and I'll add them to my flickr site some time this weekend, which is linked on the right side of this page.

Before I do that though, for anyone who hasn't visited my better half's blog, we have a new addition to the family. I never thought I'd ever utter these words, but...we have purchased a cat. That's right, a C-A-T. No, hell has not frozen over, but I do love my wife, and she is after all a cat person, which I knew before I married her, so we went out together and purchased a stray from the local animal shelter. The next stop was at the local Petsmart, where I imagine the receipt total was easily more than the cat cost.

Taylor named her Lola...Here she is with what was to become her wooby. It's the first toy she played with, and she carries it around the house with her and leaves pink feathers on the carpet.

Her food bowl, water and bed are under the end table next to my recliner, since that is the first place she went when we let her out of the box. The sliding patio door is just behind her and she loves to watch the birds and squirrels.

Lying next to the box she came in.

I have to say, I'm surprised that this cat was still at the shelter. She's such a sweet and loving animal and if I'm not careful, she may break through my surly anti-cat exterior. I'm sure if you asked my wife, she would tell you she's done that already, but I have to keep up appearances, at least for a little while.

Anyway, on to day 6 - Kennedy Space Center

We were hoping to see a shuttle launch since one was scheduled to lift off while we were in Florida, but alas, it was not to be. The hail damage from the month prior grounded the shuttle until well after we were to leave town. It was decided therefore to visit Kennedy Space Center on a day that showed the highest promise of rain, which pushed our plans to visit Sea World to day 7.

There were 3 stops on our tour of the space center, the first of which was the observation gantry located between the current launch platform and the vehicle assembly building, which is the tallest single story structure in the world. Located next to the vehicle assembly building sat the Crawler Transporter, which has an astonishing fuel efficiency of 150 gallons per mile. You read that right folks, though granted it's max loaded speed is one mile per hour.

In one building was I believe a rocket from the Apollo missions that was built as a backup, but was never used.

We also saw pieces of the international space station, both under construction and complete and ready for loading. I think this was on the 3rd stop of the tour, but I'm not entirely sure anymore.

The remaining stop was at the old mission control, which was set up to simulate being present during a lift off, complete with countdown, lit computers and switches, rattling windows and surround sound of the engines during lift off.

After leaving NASA, we went to check out Downtown Disney, just to see what was there. We've marked it mentally for a place to spend more time if we ever get to visit Orlando again.

Next, Our final day in Florida, Day 7 - Sea World.

Lasso the Moon

2007-06-14T12:07:00.001-05:00

Your Score: Jimmy Stewart

You scored 16% Tough, 19% Roguish, 52% Friendly, and 14% Charming!

You are the fun and friendly boy next door, the classic nice guy who still manages to get the girl most of the time. You're every nice girl's dreamboat, open and kind, nutty and charming, even a little mischievous at times, but always a real stand up guy. You're dependable and forthright, and women are drawn to your reliability, even as they're dazzled by your sense of adventure and fun. You try to be tough when you need to be, and will gladly stand up for any damsel in distress, but you'd rather catch a girl with a little bit of flair. Your leading ladies include Jean Arthur and Donna Reed, those sweet girl-next-door types.

Find out what kind of classic dame you'd make by taking the Classic Dames Test.

Link: The Classic Leading Man Test written by gidgetgoes on OkCupid, home of the The Dating Persona Test

"Our Mrs. Reynolds"

2007-06-01T09:02:00.000-05:00

It's and end of an era. An end to life as we have previously known it. In just over 27 hours, our fearless captain will venture out into a new life in which his life will no longer be his own. Yes, it's the end of an era, but alas, it's also the beginning of a great adventure.

There have been a lot of changes...big changes...this year. What's more, I see more changes ahead. The future is ever changing, and I look forward to seeing what it has in store.

The Art Of A Good Marriage
Wilferd Arlan Peterson

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created.
In marriage the little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humour.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner; it is being the right partner.

Congratulations, Oh Captain my captain. Congratulations "Our Mrs. Reynolds."

Day 5 - The Titanic Experience

2007-04-12T09:32:00.000-05:00

We were supposed to get rain on Thursday and Friday so we planned activities that would take us indoors. As it turned out, the weather cooperated enough that when it did rain, we were either in the car or under cover.

Since the previous 3 days had been so full of walking on pavement while park hopping, being outside all day, bustling in crowds and generally just wearing ourselves completely out, we decided this should be more of a relaxing day. We got up when we woke up, and not a minute before. Since we didn't have to be anywhere by a certain time, we took our time getting ready to leave, so it was probably close to noon before we left the condo.

Since our condo, which was the Hilton Grand Vacations Club at Sea World, was located just down the street from Sea World and Discovery Cove, we were also located very close to International Parkway, or "I Drive" as the locals call it, which is loaded with hotels, the convention center, restaurants, stores and Titanic, the Experience.

After the tour, we ate a late lunch at Chili's on "I Drive", then drove into Orlando, where we stopped off at a Russian bakery, then went on to the White Wolf Cafe, which was a restaurant featured on Rachael Ray's Food Network TV show $40 a Day. We sat outside under the awning behind the front sidewalk at a rough granite slab table and just enjoyed our time together. The temperature was perfect, and as we sat, we watched as a thunder shower came through. As there was no wind and the rain wasn't heavy, it was a very enjoyable experience.

The covered porch wasn't very deep. Taylor and I sat on the bench with our backs to the glass windows of the restaurant. The table had a bench seat on the other side which is obscured by the railing with potted flowers. I stood on the sidewalk out front to take the picture after it quit raining. There was an unoccupied table on either side of us, then 3 tables on the other side of the entrance, so we pretty much had the space to ourselves.

I took this picture from my seat next to Taylor of the little antique shop across the street from the cafe. You can see the clouds and the wet street from the storm that had just passed.

As we drove back to the condo, the rain started again, but it had quit raining by the time we pulled into the parking lot, so as it turned out, we never needed our umbrellas.

Next time, Day 6 - Kennedy Space Center.

Day 4 - Discovery Cove

2007-04-10T10:48:00.000-05:00

Before I start, Please note that I have added a flickr site for additional pictures as a link on the right side of the page. I've exceeded my limit of space for the month of April, but I do have all the pictures from Disney World posted, and will add pictures from Epcot and Discovery Cove in May.

Wednesday morning...a start to another beautiful day in Florida. Since Discovery Cove was open between 8 and 9:00 for check in and scheduling of the dolphin experience on a first come, first serve basis, we had to get up before 8:00 to get to the park by 8:30. We were able to time our check in so that we were able to have our dolphin experience after the day warmed up and just before lunch. The one thing that worked in our advantage was that the park was less than a mile down the street from our condo, so the travel time was non existent. Now I had originally thought the price per ticket was a little steep, but the ticket price is all inclusive for the day (you'll see all that's included as you read) including parking, not to mention it includes a free pass to Sea World as often as you want to go over the next 7 days, so it ends up being pretty reasonable.

After checking in, scheduling our dolphin experience and checking out the tree sloth held by a park staff member in the lobby, we entered the park for our complimentary photo (code for security photo) and a complimentary breakfast of pastries, yogurt, fruit and milk or juice.

We then visited the gift shops for some souvenir hunting, then picked up our wet suit, goggles, snorkel and sun screen. That's right, they provided the sun screen as well. This way they knew that even the sun screen worn by the guests in the dolphin habitat was safe for the animals. We still had plenty of time before our dolphin encounter, so we ventured to the sting ray lagoon, where we could get into the water with and touch the stingrays. We purchased a few underwater cameras, (so we were able to leave our expensive digital cameras at the condo) and I took one into stingray lagoon with me.

After stingray lagoon, we spent a little time in the bird aviary before making our way back for our dolphin encounter, which lasted about 45 minutes and included all kinds of petting, rubbing, kissing, feeding and riding (the dolphin).

The photo's were all taken by a photographer who was in the water with us. It was the high light of the day, and an experience I would highly recommend and love to do again.

Cutest picture of the bunch, don't you think? I married a beautiful woman.

After swimming with the dolphin, we had a lunch of grilled salmon, potatoes and salad (which again was complimentary along with anything we wanted to drink throughout the day), we plopped down on a couple of lawn chairs on the beach of the dolphin habitat and took about a 30 minute nap to end the day.

Before leaving the park, we returned our wet suit and mask, took a hot shower (they had body soap, shampoo and conditioner provided in dispensers in each shower) removed our personal items from the locker provided to us at the start of the day and went back to the condo for the evening.

Next time...Day 5 - Titanic the Experience, and Dinner near downtown Orlando.

Day 3 - Epcot

2007-04-02T23:12:00.000-05:00

Tuesday we made our way to Epcot.

Now I remember Epcot from when I went in the 80's, and I have to say I was a little dissappointed in it to start out. Everything changed in the buildings around spaceship earth (The big ball in the above picture for those who haven't had a chance to visit Epcot). You couldn't take a direct path to anything!! We had to go the long way around buildings, as the direct route was blocked off for one reason or another. It was also the warmest day of the week, so we were sweating it out for a little bit. After lunch in Mexico...

the first (or last depending on where you start) country in the ring of countries, we checked out a couple of the buildings around spaceship earth, and rode 3 rides (Imagination, Land and Spaceship earth.) We then started a treck around the ring of countries, which circumvents a large lagoon or small lake.

We ate dinner at Morrocco, which was one of the best meals of the week (I can now say I've had roast Lamb).

After dinner, we continued around the ring of countries all the way back to Mexico. We then backtracked to Italy to watch arguably the best firework and pirotechnic display I've ever seen. At one point, there was a small barge, made exclusively for burning as much fuel as quickly as possible!! The burning barge put out so much heat we could feel it from the shore, which was at least 300+ yards away!! It was like a giant blow torch!

At some points, fireworks would launch from the shore in front of our seat, as well as other points around the lake, leaving a trail of sparks in their wake, of which we had a tail end view.

After the show, like in Disney, we headed for the exit, where I took one final picture of spaceship earth before we boarded the tram to our car. By this time we were about ready for a break. First however, was to come the day that we were looking forward to more than any other day of our honeymoon...Stay tuned for Day 4 - Discovery Cove, and our swim with the dolphins.

Day 2: Disney World

2007-03-29T21:39:00.000-05:00

Monday just turned out to be the perfect day. I woke up before my wife, as I already know will be typical, took a shower, fixed breakfast and sat on the screened-in covered patio with breakfast, coffee and paper in hand. The mornings were beautiful every day in Florida. By the time I was finished, I woke up Taylor, and after a shower, we were off to Disney. Parking was quick (Sea World should take a lesson) and after a short tram ride we rode the ferry boat across the lake and disembarked at the entrance of Magic Kingdom.

We started the day looking thru some of the shops up and down main street Disney, eating some lunch along the way.

Circling back towards the entrance, we decided that since we planned to stay at the park until almost closing so we could see the fireworks, we should probably scout out where we were going to eat dinner. Outside Information services, we learned that the main restaurants were full, but were told to go ahead and try to make a reservation in the event someone canceled. Did I mentioned that it was a perfect day? As it turns out, we lucked out, and there was an empty spot at Liberty Tree Character Dinner and Dining.

We then worked our way down the shops on the other side of main street, made our way thru and around the castle and walked thru most of the park.

We decided to see the presentation in The Hall of Presidents, which I still remember from my visit in the early 80's as they had just added President Regan. To catch everyone up to speed, the presentation starts out on screens that follow the curve of the front of the theater, giving a quick history of the start of our nation. The screens then lift into the ceiling to reveal the 43 life size anima tronic presidents, some standing and some sitting. Each president was named in order from Washington to Bush, and as the president was named, he would be spotted, and the president would give a nod to the audience. Some of the presidents spoke, such as Lincoln and Bush, and if you watched others would nod or wiggle a foot as the program progressed. Those who talked even went so far as to stand up out of their chair when they spoke, even using their arms to push up out of the chair, and would then sit back down when finished. It was very much like what I remembered.

We also rode The Pirates of the Caribbean, which was also very much like I remembered, with a few additions from the movie.

They added an anima tronic Jack Sparrow in a few scenes, and one especially cool touch was the addition of a smoke screen that looked like a water fall that the cars passed thru, and on the smoke was projected the talking image of Davey Jones.

We eventually made our way back to the shops, as we had scouted out the souvenir we wanted to purchase, then made our way to dinner, where we took pictures of each other with the various Disney characters who came around to our table.

After dinner, we scoped out a spot on Main Street and watched the fireworks around Cinderella's castle (which were set to music), then afterward, made our way towards the entrance where the Spectromagic parade began. Every float and character was covered with lights.

After having ridden the ferry boat to the park entrance, we left via the monorail, rode the tram to our parking area, and made our way back to the condo to wind down and get some sleep in preparation for...Day 3...Epcot.

Day one pictures

2007-03-24T08:58:00.000-05:00

There is just so much to share, I'm going to have to do it in parts one day at a time. First however, click here to see a photo montage of the wedding and reception.

Day 1: Travel Day

No pictures here, I left the camera in the room, but thanks to my Mother-in Law, we stayed at the Gaylord Texan. Once we were safely ensconced in our room, we ate dinner (again) as we were sent leftovers from the reception and talked about how well the entire day went. We also worried that since we didn't do a reception line we had missed visiting with people at the reception. I think I hit everyone, but I highly doubt it. She had the same feeling, so if we missed you and you were at the reception...oops, I'm sorry about that. Just know that I'm glad you made it to share the day with us. It meant a lot, especially those who traveled so far to get there.

Eventually we got to sleep and the next morning after checkout and before our flight we walked around the Gaylord. If you haven't had a chance, stop by if your in the area. The center part is huge and is set up as if you are outside!! It's awesome. There are little souvenir shops, restaurants, lounges, a water fall and stream, and so forth.

The flight was late taking off, so by the time we landed, picked up our luggage, made it to the rental car and drove to the condo, it was after dark even with daylight savings time.

We stayed in a very nice condo that was decorated in a cabana style, thanks to my parents who allowed us to use their time share week this year, which included a full kitchen, living area with big screen TV, master suite with a king size bed, jacuzzi, shower and separate vanities, and a screened in patio that had access both from the family room and the master bedroom. There was an entire part we didn't use except when stealing clean towels or using the restroom if needed.

Taken from the front door/entry, the kitchen is to the right, followed by the 6 person dining room area and table, with the family room beyond. To my left is an entry to the master bath, followed by the entry to the master bedroom.

Family room and door to patio. The big screen TV is out of picture to the left.

Dining area with kitchen beyond. The door to the left leads to another room with a queen size bed 2 person table, love seat with coffee table and TV, smaller screened porch, wet bar with small frig, and private bath. The door on the right is a linen closet, in front of that out of frame is the door to the master bedroom, and in the entry across from our suitcases to the right you can just see the start of the short hall with the door to the master bath.

In the mornings, I would get up, take a shower, make coffee and breakfast, then come out here and eat with my bible or paper in hand. As Taylor needs more sleep than I, she would often wake up about the time I finished, so I would make her coffee and toast and bring it to her as she got ready for the day. Not much of a view out there because of the wall, but it did serve for a little privacy from the golf course on the other side.

This picture was taken from about the foot of the bed in the master bedroom (The TV for the master bedroom can be seen reflected in the mirror.) Across from the jacuzzi tub just out of frame is one of the two vanities. Thru the door on the other side of the tub is the rest of the bathroom, where part of the other vanity can be seen, with the shower to the right. Looking closely, the very edge of the shower can be seen before it is blocked by the door frame.

Next time, Day 2...Disney World!!!

Back to the grind stone

2007-03-22T18:52:00.000-05:00

Greetings from the other side...It's now back to the grind stone, and the adjustment to married life now begins.The wedding and reception went great and was simply a wonderful experience. I haven't listened to the Audio CD of the wedding as of yet, but I will soon. I know there are a few family members who want a copy, so I will see what I can do on that front. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing the wedding and reception photo's and video.

Though there were a few things that went wrong during the reception, such as never receiving the toss bouquet, not having transportation from the parking lot to the reception hall for the older guests as promised, not having paved parking as promised (we all had to park in and walk thru the field to the reception hall, which make the lack of the promised golf carts for the older guests even more aggravating), and so forth,it didn't affect the overall experience, and all ended well. I'll post some pictures of the honeymoon when I get them loaded on the computer, but the quick run down of the week is as follows:

Monday - Disney World with a character dinner, night parade and fireworks

Tuesday - Epcot with fireworks

Wednesday - Discovery Cove and swimming with dolphins

Thursday - Titanic, The Experience, followed by dinner at a restaurant featured on Rachel Rae's $40/day

Friday - Kennedy Space Center and Downtown Disney

Saturday - Sea World

Needless to say, we had a lot of fun. I'll elaborate more later when I post the pictures.

Hope all is well with everyone (Glad to see your doing better this week Nathan...)

Until next time...

00:00:00 = Wedding Day

2007-03-10T14:26:00.000-06:00

Well, it's finally here...the wedding day. I've never actually wigged out, but I can tell I'm a little stressed, as I am lacking in patience. I hope everyone understands. Anyway, the rehearsal went well last night, and the rehearsal dinner @ Bucca di Beppo was a smashing success. Everyone raved about the food, and a good time was had by all. I made the rounds about the room a couple of times, trying to visit with everyone there, and grab a few bites of dinner between the laps. The Princess Room was next to ours, and my little niece, who is about 2 1/2, showed up in Taylor's arms with a tiara and a little plastic wand with a star at the end. She was adorable. I hope someone got a picture. I know I didn't get everyone introduced to everyone else, so for those I missed, or didn't get to talk to much, sorry about that. There were a lot of people.

On the way home from the dinner, we ran into some traffic, as there had been a fatality accident on HWY 75, and they had shut down the freeway. We did eventually make it home thanks to the back roads, and I made it to bed by about 1:30, and surprisingly, slept very well.

This morning I woke up at about 7:45, fed and played with the dog, had the dog wake up Chad, who is a long time friend from where we grew up, and made our way to IHOP for a big breakfast. I've now packed, and it's about 2:30 and time for me to shower, shave and dress. Still no nerves. I guess I just know that this is the right decision, and though there will be some rough times, we are both committed for the duration, and there will be many more times of good. There is nothing that can happen that we can't work out together with God, for without God, nothing is possible. He is the ever important third strand that will hold our marriage together for all time.

I'll be sure to post some pictures after we get back.

See you all on the other side...

Some Pics after move in

2007-02-12T18:11:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures of the finished house with furniture. The pictures may be a little dark, but I think they will suffice.

My brother and sister-in-law are house sitting while my parents are retreating from this cold weather in South Padre. My brother is to the right rummaging thru the pantry.

Here's a picture of the dining room. The 8 person table and hutch are made of oak by an omish furniture maker. I'm not for some reason, the table cloth is missing.

Here is the family room. The doors to the master bedroom, which are in the corner of the solarium can be seen on the far left.

Here's the family room from the other angle. The hall to the 2 spare bedrooms and the hall bath can be seen on the far right.

This picture is taken from the family room towards the kitchen. My sister-in-law is studying in the recliner. You can see the kitchen beyond and the fixture over the kitchen island. The door on the right leads to the laundry and the 4 car garage.

Hello again

2007-01-29T00:10:00.000-06:00

Well, it's been awhile since my last post. It's taken me awhile to fix my computer. Not that I didn't want to get it done sooner, but I just had so much to do that fixing it took a back seat to everything else. I had planned to get some pictures of Mom and Dad's finished house posted, but I forgot to take my camera when I went up to drop off a few of the final items still malingering in my garage. I guess final pictures will therefore have to wait until next time. Then this last week I went to the dentist for a cleaning, which is definitely not my favorite thing to do.

Last Friday, I came down with a killer of a sinus infection. It wasn't bad at first, but it gradually got worse thru the day, so by the time I went to bed, I was miserable. Saturday was even worse. I was supposed to go with AQ and her mom to pick out the tuxes for the wedding, but that got postponed for me being sick, among other reasons. I skipped out on church Sunday and stayed in bed until noon, but was feeling a little better in the afternoon. The sudafed, tylenol, nasal spray and menthulatum muted the effects of the sinus infection and pressure behind my eyes and ears enough that I felt like getting up and puttering about the house a bit. I had the browncoats over to the house Friday night, and I had to empty the dishwasher so I could take care of the dirty dishes in the sink. AQ checked on me a few times over the weekend, and came by Sunday afternoon for a few minutes, and I'm surprised I didn't scare her off, as I hadn't shaved since Friday morning and I hadn't even combed my hair after my shower that morning, so I looked like death warmed over in pajama pants and a sweat shirt.

Enough of that. Between Christmas and New Years, AQ and I went to South Texas. My parents are renting a lot within sight of South Padre, so we went for a little visit. I now think it wasn't such a good idea, as over the course of building my parents house, there have been some altercations, and my relationship with my parents has suffered as a result. I think it would have been better to have some space for awhile. Anyway, we enjoyed much of the trip none the less.

Bailey and I enjoy the water on the Beaches of South Padre.

My brother and I on the beach.

Bailey contemplates her next move as she watches the seagull nearby.

AQ standing outside the lighthouse in Port Isabel, near the causeway leading to the barrier island of South Padre.

From the top of the lighthouse you can see the causeway and South Padre in the distance.

We all had dinner at Pirates Landing. It was still light when we arrived at the restaurant, and we were able to watch as the sun went down while eating. The Causeway and South Padre can be seen just outside the window.

Mexico, here we come...

Here we are at the boarder on the Mexico side.

After we got back to Texas, we flew out the next day with her parents to visit her grandparents, aunts and uncles in Wheeling, WV. By this time, poor AQ had a sinus infection of her own, and the multiple flights just aggravated the problem to the point where she had a double ear infection. By the time she was feeling about back to normal, it was time to go home. What's more, her other Grandmother was sick in Dallas, so everyone was ready to get back home. We still enjoyed the trip as much we could though.

AQ's Grandparents house.

congratulations to AQ's grandparents on their 65th wedding anniversary.

Now we're on the blitz to our wedding. It's off to pick our tuxes tomorrow, then we meet with the DJ in the afternoon.

Bye for now kids...

What Serenity Character are You?

2006-12-12T15:20:00.000-06:00

Your results:
You are Wash (Ship Pilot)

You are a pilot with a good if not silly sense of humor. You take pride in your collection of toys. You love your significant other.

Wash (Ship Pilot)		85%
Zoe Washburne (Second-in-command)		80%
Malcolm Reynolds (Captain)		65%
Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)		55%
Derrial Book (Shepherd)		55%
Dr. Simon Tam (Ship Medic)		45%
Jayne Cobb (Mercenary)		40%
Alliance		30%
Inara Serra (Companion)		25%
River (Stowaway)		25%
A Reaver (Cannibal)		10%

Click here to take the "Which Serenity character are you?" quiz...

Same Name

2006-12-12T14:15:00.000-06:00

How many people with my same first and last name are there in the United States?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are:
555
people with my name
in the U.S.A.

How many have your name?

Substantial Completion

2006-12-11T12:07:00.000-06:00

The house is now substantially complete, which means that apart from the odd items, the house is complete and move in ready. Carpet was installed Monday and Tuesday (12/4 and 12/5), so though move in started before carpet was installed in the tiled areas such as the kitchen and bathrooms, the beds were moved in Wednesday 12/6, and I took a day off work on Friday to empty out the pods. Needless to say it was a busy weekend.

Friday morning I loaded my truck with all the boxes stored in the spare bedroom of my house, picked up their wall heater for the master bathroom, and set out for Sherman. It took me about 10 hours to completely unload both pods, and my brother was able to come up after work to help get the large pieces of furniture. Saturday morning, I loaded more items I've been storing in my house and headed up again, this time with LoW, and with the help of my brother, laid about 2/3rds of the sod until we all gave out...I think we might have broke LoW. Sunday after church, I set out once again with another load of stored items (yes there was a lot of their stuff at my house, and there's still a few large items left, as well as a few more boxes) and this time my beautiful AQ rode shotgun and helped lay the last three and a half pallets of sod. I think she loves me! We laid the last 2/3 pallet in the dark by the headlights of the truck, but we got it all done! I couldn't have done it without the help of My brother, LoW and AQ.

I didn't take any pictures except for one of the front yard after we finished the sod, and the flower beds will be planted in the spring, so they aren't done yet. The problem is, my computer at home has a virus, and I can't really use it until I can get it fixed, and with Christmas shopping and upcoming expenses, I don't know when that will be. I'll probably get around to it some time in January.

This Tuesday after Christmas, AQ and I are flying to south Texas to spend some time with my parents somewhere other than here. Then the day after we get back, we are leaving for West Virginia to visit her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. It will be a busy but much needed vacation.

Best wishes to everyone, and have a great holiday season.

Countertops and Floor Tile

2006-11-20T15:57:00.000-06:00

And the house progress trudges on. Countertops and floor tile was installed the week of the 13th thru the 17th which will hopefully be followed by exterior flatwork, interior wall tile, electrical and plumbing trim out, setting of the electrical meter, and finally, installation of final exterior doors and interior trim in the kitchen and other tiled areas. I took a couple of pictures, but I left Sherman having fogotten to get my camera from my mom, and I won't see them again until Thanksgiving, so no pics in this post. I'll post them next week, along with the new ones I take next time.

Let me now take a little time to vent about one of the trades…

We used one company to select all tubs, countertops, and tile. Now while I have no problems with the actual installers, the people in the office couldn’t schedule the proper order for their own morning constitution, let alone manage material orders and installation labor in their small part of the construction process. Here’s the general run down:

1. I informed them of the date of cabinet installation, and asked that they come the following day to measure for countertops. They didn’t get the appointment on the schedule, so when they didn’t show up, they had to be rescheduled for the following day.

2. I informed them when the interior paint was to be complete, and requested installation of all countertops for the following day. When they didn’t show up, they swore I told them a different day. When they didn’t show, they had to be rescheduled.

3. They were a day late starting tile install as well (Notice the pattern?)

4. The powder bath countertop was cut too short.

5. The sewing room countertop was cut too long.

6. We were given a free sink because they cut the granite for one of their sinks, which we told them we were not using, as we had selected a different sink from a different supplier.

7. We ordered a jetted Jacuzzi tub, but they delivered a non-jetted garden tub.

8. We informed them multiple times to pick up the utility sink from the supplier so it wouldn’t be sitting out to be stolen off the job, however they showed up to install the countertop in the utility without picking up the sink, then asked us where it was. This also happened with the master bath and kitchen faucets, and on different occasions. We finally picked up the fixtures ourselves.

9. They cut both a granite countertop and a cultured marble counter top for the powder bath.

10. When trying to install the hall tub, they broke off one of the tiles, so they had to pull the tub so the tile could be fixed. They then were supposed to reinstall the tub so the tile installation could be completed on the walls. The only problem was they planned to install the hall tub at the same time they were going to install the master Jacuzzi tub, but that forces the tile installer to loose a day, as well as a plumber.

11. When helping with material selection, they failed to allow for access to the Jacuzzi tub motor.

And that’s just the short list I could think of off the top of my head. I'm sure there's more. All told, this company has cost me about a week of construction time. Needless to say, I would not recommend them to anyone (though again, I’ve been pleased so far with their subcontractors.) It’s because of them that inspired the quote of the day…

Quote of the day "There is always one more imbecile than you counted on." -- Red Green

Interior Paint

2006-11-12T23:09:00.000-06:00

Not a lot to update this week, just that painting is complete.

Hopefully next weekend we will have all countertops installed, wall and floor tile completed (though I'm not holding my breath), the phone and TV cables run to the house, the sewer connected, and the driveway and sidewalks at least set up, if not poured. The stamped concrete patio is scheduled for 11/20.

Thanksgiving weekend is going to throw a kink in the schedule, so as a result, the house may finish on December 8th instead of December 1st. We'll just have to see how it play's out.

Until next week fellas, let's quote the Man's Prayer together from The Red Green Show. "I'm a man...But I can change...If I have to...I guess."

Amen.

Finished Brick and Stain

2006-11-05T19:22:00.000-06:00

The brick and stone on the outside is now complete. Now I have to deal with the rain and try to get the yard graded, the sewer, electric, phone and cable undergrounds in, the exterior concrete poured, and the sprinkler, sod and landscape installed. I know we need the rain in the worst way, but wow...every time it dries out enough to do dirt work, we get another downpour, and since the grade isn't completed, the yard holds water and I have to wait another week. Luckily, though I'm loosing time on the outside, that isn't keeping me from progress on the interior...yet.

I have to say, this will be one of the nicest garages I've ever seen.

The box bay window in the kitchen nook has a paint grade window seat with storage.

The kitchen cabinets have been stained and covered to protect them from the rest of the painting process...

As have the family room built-in cabinets, mantle...

...and the pass thru from the family room to the kitchen.

I can't wait to get this house finished, for one thing to get it off my plate of things that I have to get done in a certain amount of time, for another that the holidays are fast approaching, but mostly due to the stress is is putting on my parents and myself. My poor parents have been living in a 30' fifth wheel since they sold their last house in June. Come the weekend before Thanksgiving, they will have lived in tight quarters for 5 months!!! I hope to have them where they can start moving in furniture by the first weekend in December. Wish me luck!!!

This weekend, the painting will be completed, the countertops will all be installed, and the security and HVAC will be completed. Next week will be reserved exclusively for wall and floor tile installation.

Until then, in the words of Steve Smith, "Keep your stick on the ice."

"I'm a leaf in the wind..."

2006-11-01T15:58:00.000-06:00

So our little group doned our costumes, which were so painstakingly pulled together by our fearless leader, PoD over the last 8 months, and we entered the costume contest at last weekend's Dallas Comicon. Needless to say, we won hands down, and were the only people asked to stay after for photos. Of course, we took a not so small number of photo's ourselves.

One of my favorites...

To view the rest of the photo's, click here.

Next time, back to the house progress...

Brick, Cabinets and Trim

2006-10-28T15:05:00.000-05:00

Lots of progress in the last week folks, though not as much as I would have hoped. It rained last Wednesday, so the brick mason couldn't work, but he was back on the job come Thursday. I think he plans to finish by next Wednesday if he doesn't run out of brick or it doesn't rain.

The front of the house will probably be the last to be completed, though I wish it was the first...that's the best part.

The brick is complete on the left side back to the garage.

All that's left on the back is the master bay window and around the door and windows on the patio.

The cabinets were installed last Monday. The trim carpenter will build the mantle at the fireplace next Tuesday, and we are shooting for having all the cabinets stained on Wednesday.

The kitchen is going to look great. The island isn't set as the venting contractor will place it over the downdraft vent for the cooktop, but you can pretty well get the idea.
The pantry doors can be seen on the right, and the family room built-ins are visible thru the kitchen pass thru. There is stained molding on the other side of the pass thru, but it's not yet finished, so I'll take a picture of in next week after it's been stained.

One of the upgrades Mom wanted was the fluted corners on the cabinets and island.
Of course, this is the window in the Dining Room, which is the only room with chair rail and plaque molding. Mom and Dad had all their windows cased out with trim, where usually the only trim at the window is the window stool. This eliminates the twist in the window returns.

Crown Molding with corner accent blocks.

Master bedroom bay window.

Tune in next week for completion of trim, staining of cabinets, and hopefully, completion of the brick.

Drywall

2006-10-26T07:09:00.000-05:00

I'm a little late with this update, as a lot has happened since I took these pictures last Friday. I will be in the house this Sunday checking the texture, cabinets, trim and the vast majority of the brick work!! In the meantime...

The chimney cap and the sky lights finally arrived...

and the sheetrock is complete, though these pictures were taken prior to texture.

Garage...

Looking from Entry to family room and solarium beyond. The door is to the master bedroom.

The master bath. The Jacuzzi tub will be on the left, master shower will be on the other side of the 1/2 wall on the right. Dad's vanity area will be on this side of the 1/2 wall.

Kitchen with Family room beyond.

Master Bedroom Ceiling...

...and master bedroom sitting area/bay window looking out onto the golf course fairway.

Solarium sky lights. The wires protruding from the beams above are for sconce lighting.

Mom and Dad's house from the T-box. You can just see the back of the garage thru the trees. Golf balls will hit the neighbors house before theirs, and even then it would take a bad shot to hit the garage wall.

Insulation

2006-10-19T23:27:00.000-05:00

And the house moves on. Last week we corrected some oversights in the roughs and sprayed the insulation. Here, I had the plumbing for the sink moved to the opposite side of the plumbing for the washing machine. This way, the dryer will be on the wall closest to the garage where you can see the insulation. This will allow for venting of the dryer (not yet installed at the time of this picture) thru the corner of the garage and out onto the patio as opposed to up and thru the roof, which I don't want to do because of the higher probability of a clogged dryer vent, not to mention that dryer lint is very flammable. For you campers out there, it makes a great starter for camp fires.

We are using Icynene instead of the normal cellulose insulation. It takes longer to place and costs about twice as much, however the AC units can be smaller due to the spray in insulation being a better barrier against drafts. With the upgraded windows and insulation, their utilities should be the same or better than their last house, which was smaller by about 700 square feet. I used a can of marking paint to point out the places in the insulation I wanted touched up before we hang drywall, which hung on Monday of this week. I'm taking a 1/2 day discresionary absence from work this Friday to check the progress, so I'll post pictures of the progress sometime next week. The outside will look the same since the brick work won't start until Monday, so I'll just have a couple interior pictures.

Also, since the attic is insulated as well, the attic space won't get near as hot (which is a big key in Texas) so the air ducts, which are in the attic, won't loose the cooled air to the attic space before it gets to the living space of the house. As a result, the AC units don't have to work as hard, the air is cooler when it reaches the living space, and the unit doesn't run as long, which saves energy.

This past weekend, we finally got a significant rain fall!!! Ah, rain in Texas. Too bad we need about 5 more days of this to bring the water levels in our lakes back into the normal range. Plano got almost 4 inches last weekend.

Firefly and Serenity

2006-10-17T12:51:00.000-05:00

Here are the pics of my pumpkin for this year. I haven't decided if I'll do another one this year or not...It will depend on if I have the time. This one took about 6 hours and pays homage to the television series Firefly and the follow up movie...Serenity. Enjoy.

State Fair Pics

2006-10-15T23:59:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday was our group outing to the State Fair of Texas, AQ's signal that fall is officially here. For the second year in a row, we've gone during the annual Red River Rivalry, also called the Red River Shootout, which is the name given to the annual college football game between the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners.

Sadly, for the second year in a row Texas won the game. That's okay though, since Oklahoma won the 4 years previously. You can tell who each of us cheer for, and let me tell you, we got quite a few odd looks from people.

Say hello to Big Tex, the giant talking anamatronic mascot of the State Fair of Texas. If anyone gets lost, you can bet the the place to meet up will be at the feet of Big Tex.

One of our traditions, besides checking out the car show and eating Fletcher’s Corny Dogs and Caramel Apples, is to ride the giant ferris wheel, The Texas Star. I was hoping to get a video but the ride was over too soon. Maybe next year I'll have better luck. I did get a good picture of the Midway though. You can see the Cotton Bowl in the upper right of the picture.

AQ and I took the ride this year with PoD and his significant other, Beth.

After the ride, I tried to take a picture from the base of the Texas Star. If you look closely, you can see the cages at the upper left. Each cage holds up to 6 people.

Next time, Pics of this years pumpkin...

Pumpkin Carvings

2006-10-12T10:24:00.000-05:00

Ahh, soon comes Halloween and the loss of Day Light Savings Time, the first indicator that fall is officially here (unless you talk to AQ, who claims that it's not really fall until we've been to the state fair). The colors of the season are not far behind, however in Texas, we don't have the beautiful colors of red, yellow and orange. Our leaves just change from green to brown and fall off. The weather gets cold (figuratively speaking) along with my hands, which I hate since being a piano player I definitely notice the loss of dexterity, the clouds move in to block the sun for more days than not, and I get Cabin Fever since I can't spend near as much time outside as I would like, for as most of you know, I'm definitely an outside person. There are of course a lot of really cool things about this time of year. Camping with fires and smores (if they will ever lift the fire ban), College and "Professional" football, Hockey, curling up on the couch with AQ under a blanket watching the afore mentioned sports (yes, God has blessed me with a fiance who loves to watch sports), Thanksgiving, and the Christmas Season.

However first comes Halloween and the carving of pumpkins, which is a little hobby I have picked up over just the last couple of years to celebrate the season. It started with memories of growing up carving the classic face with a few big square teeth, setting them on the porch and watching the candle flicker behind the smiling face. In college, it went to buying the books with templates, trying a few different ones each year, and repeating the wizard's face a couple of times, whose pattern can be found in the pumpkin carving books sold at your local Wal-Mart. In recent years, even those have gotten too easy, so I've resorted to downloading more difficult patterns off the internet as well as occasionally making my own patterns, such as the one I did for our company party. The house I carved in the pumpkin is actually one of our floor plans. Of course, with the more complex pattern comes more time. This one took about 4 hours.

Another little tradition that has developed is taking a pumpkin to PoD's and carving one there while attending his annual Horror Movie Marathon. Since several of us are Star Wars fans, I carved one from a template of the best villain in the recent trilogy...Darth Maul. I had a chance to see the actor behind the mask, Ray Park, this last summer. He's a very nice guy with a thick scottish accent, and he has a talent for stunt choreography. This one also took about 4 hours to complete.

Last years major pumpkin project was Harry Potter. Like Darth Maul, the image is given another layer by removing just the skin of the pumpkin in various places, which allows only diffuse light to come thru the carving. It's a cool effect, but if there isn't enough places in the carving where the cuts go completely thru the Rhine, the candle won't get enough air to keep burning. A hole in the lid can help a bit, and it has the added purpose of keeping the candle from smoking and blackening the inside of the pumpkin lid. This one was a template I found on the internet, and took about 7 hours to complete.

This year, I plan to pay homage to the short lived but outstanding TV series "Firefly" from Joss Whedon, the creator of more well known TV shows such as "Buffy"and "Angel" . The show would have probably been a smash hit on the Sci Fi Channel, but since it was aired on Fox, who didn't know how to advertise and market it, and it was shown opposite seasoned shows on other networks, it was doomed from the beginning.

On another note, the house is going well, but I still don't have brick, and the sheetrock delivery is behind schedule, so I won't have much to update on regarding the house this weekend. On the positive side, I should have brick by the first of next week, and the sheetrock is expected on Friday, so hopefully next weekend, there will be more to report.

Until then, in the words of Red from The Red Green Show, "Keep your Stick on the Ice."

Darcy

Rough Mechanics

2006-10-08T23:10:00.000-05:00

Well, the rough mechanics are complete, minus a few corrections that need to be made. On Saturday, I got up at 5:30 to meet my brother and uncle at the house to finish installation of the windows and temporary doors. Monday through Wednesday will be corrections to the rough mechanics and insulation. Drywall is to be delivered on Wednesday afternoon, and is on schedule to be hung Thursday, with tape and bed of drywall to start on Friday. As far as the outside is concerned, I am now waiting on delivery of the brick and stone. I hope to be started on the brick before the end of the week.

Windows and doors are in...Just waiting on the brick

Looking from the kitchen through the pass through into the family room

Looking from the family room through the extended entry to the entry and dining room beyond.

We decided to use 1/2 inch decking on the lower 1/3 of the garage walls to protect against bumpers and car doors.

"Say hello to my little friend!" Poor Kiri has been cooped up in the back yard for too long, so we decided to bring her along for a little walk. She had to wait for me to complete the walk through of the house, and I had to tie her to the frame since she almost outweighs Taylor, making her too big for her to control.

Frame II

2006-10-02T18:23:00.000-05:00

Like EP, I set up a johari window. Click on the link and let me know what you think.

This weekend I went out to the job site to check out the status of the frame and decking, meet with a prospective security company and trim carpenter, and punch out the frame. To do a proper frame punch requires checking all walls, doors and windows for plumb and ensure they are framed to the right size, check framing to ensure ease of drywall installation, check for bowed studs to avoid bowed walls in the finished product, cross reference plans with the frame, and so forth. The frame punch took several hours, since I haven't done one for about 4 years and I'm out of practice, but I think I did a fair job.

The decking crew didn't get started until about 11:30, so they didn't finish before the end of the day when the pictures were taken, however, they made good progress, as can be seen in the pictures.

Next week, all the rough in should be completed (HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, Security, etc.) and I will be helping install the windows next Saturday. The cabinet company is supposed to be measuring the frame tomorrow so he can build the cabinets to the correct size. I'm hoping to be insulating the house the first of next week, which is to be closely followed by brickwork and drywall installation.

This was taken from the family room thru the pass thru bar into the kitchen and thru the breakfast noon windows.

Stepped Ceiling in the master bedroom.

Patio with solarium inside and sky lights above.

Looking from family room thru solarium to the patio.

Frame I

2006-09-26T19:12:00.000-05:00

Frame started on Friday, 9/22. First floor walls started, and will be completed on Monday, 9/25. The house should be almost completey framed out by the end of the week. This weekend I'll be out helping my Uncle install the windows, so I'll take more pictures then and post them next week. Next week all the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing and so forth will be installed. Hopefully insulation and drywall will happen the week after.

Rear of house from the back yard. Master bay window on the left, patio in the center, and garage on the right.
Close up of the master bay window.
Future patio door and windows.
One of the 2 garage doors are completed
Front right side.

The Master Bath is now 90% finished!!

2006-09-26T17:57:00.000-05:00

I still have plenty do do, but at least it's functional again!! I don't have before pictures, (though if I had a scanner, I could scan the prints and post them) but I can tell you it looked sterile. Everything was white!! White painted walls, small white painted vanity with one sink, white countertop, cheap white cabinet at the toilet, white vinyl floor, white4" x 4" tile in the shower...white, white, white.

Here are the "after" pics.

After removing the old vinyl, the first major project was to remove the old vanity and pull the plumbing around to the side wall, where I had room now for a double vanity. My dad helped out a lot with this part of the job, and it took an extended weekend to complete the job. I then installed the new cabinets, which I had made by a cabinet builder who is under contract with the company I work for, then had our countertop company install the cultured marble vanity top. I then installed the fixtures after work over the next couple of evenings. I still have to move the vanity lights and install a new mirror, as I am using a small temporary mirror at the sink I use.

Next came the floor tile. I spent some time laying out the tile and cutting the edge pieces to fit before actually laying the tile. I pulled the toilet, laid the tile underneath, and reinstalled it with new anchor bolts and parts after grouting the tile. I still have to cut off the tops of the anchor bolts so I can put the cap covers back on, touch up the paint on the walls, and caulk and paint the new base. The cabinet above was installed with the vanity cabinets.

I tore out the old shower tile and wall board, tore out the arch over the entry of the shower and reframed it so I could install a shower door, reframed the back wall for the recess, retiled the shower using the 12 x 12 floor tile, regrouted, and reinstalled the fixtures. Now all I need is the shower door. I'm using a shower curtain in the meantime.

It took awhile to figure out the exact dimensions to frame the recess, as I wanted it to fall into the field of the rest of the shower tile. I didn't get it exactly, but I got it close enough. The grout is dardker in the resess since it has been sealed with silicone.

So there you go. It's been about a year long remodel, but it's made a huge difference in my master bathroom, and should help boost my resale value, though I don't plan on moving out of my house for some time. I would like to build my next house like I'm building my parents house.

Until later,

Engagement Pics

2006-09-23T00:35:00.000-05:00

Here are our engagement pics. Feel free to let me know what you think, as I would love to hear from you, especially those of you whom I can't see that often. If you would like to purchase any online, send me an email, and I'll send you the link and password. I think there are 11 poses over all.

Vapor Barrier and Cables

2006-09-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

Saturday, September 16th:

Mom and dad are out of town this weekend visiting friends and family in Tulsa. Mom participated in Race for the Cure, and has done so each year since she went thru breast cancer herself. I decided to have a look at the progress made on the construction of their house.

The foundation is called a post tension slab. The first step is to trench the beams for the areas of thicker concrete. After the plumber runs water and sewer lines for the house, the concrete company adds the vabor barrier and cables, which like the grade beams (trenches in the dirt work) run in a grid. These cables run thru a red sleeve so the cable does not come into contact with the concrete when it is poured, then after the concrete has cured (28 days), tension is put on the cables, which serves to pull the foundation together into one cohesive unit. This deters differential settling of the slab, which results in foundation failure. In essance, the soils here are clay, so they expand when wet and shrink back when dry. As this can not be avoided, the foundation is designed to "float" on the soil.

This view is taken from the front. The foundation is scheduled to be completed on Monday, however, rain is in the forecast.

This picture shows the anchors, which are attached to the inside of the form board. The cables are slid thru the ones shown so the cable extends out of the concrete. After the concrete cures, a machine is clamped to the end of the cable, and pulls the cable until it reaches the desired tension. The anchors do not allow the cable to slip back, thus ensuring it stays under tension. The extra cable is then cut off, capped, and finished over. The other end of the cables have anchors, also nailed to the inside of the forms, but the cable does not extend thru the anchor.

Here I am seen checking the plumbing rough with the plans. The area I am looking will eventually be the master bathroom.

Whoops, I've discovered a problem. The plumber appears to have missed the rough-in for the sink in the laundry room. That will have to be added on Monday.

Forms and Plumbing Rough

2006-09-18T01:00:00.000-05:00

Construction has now begun. The concrete company did the dirt work and forms the end of last week, just a couple of days after Labor Day, and trenched the beams on Tuesday, 9/12. These pictures were taken at dusk on Wednesday, September 13th, as we were nearing completion of the plumbing rough.

Dad and I are talking to the plumber as his crew is packing up for the day. They still have to run a water test on the water and sewer lines to make sure there are no leaks, but that will be done the next day.

Here I am walking the forms with the plumber.

You can almost see down one of the trenches in the dirt work. This is called a grade beam, and they run in a grid thru the slab. Concrete fills these beams as the slab is poured, giving the slab added strength.
Plumbers working on the plumbing rough. The neighbor's house in the background serves as a great landmark for directions, as it is the only house in the neighborhood with a blue metal roof.

I'm Back!!!

2006-09-15T00:45:00.000-05:00

Sorry it’s been awhile since I’ve posted last, but my computer is now officially a paperweight. It has crashed for the last time. I could have probably replaced the motherboard and be back up for awhile, but since the computer is about 6 years old, low on virtual memory, and VERY slow in comparison to current standards, I’m not even going to mess with it. So I've scraped enough money together to get another computer, and am now again able to post.

I did however promise to give the details of the proposal, so before I forget any more of the details…

In order to set the stage, it should be understood that we had discussed the possibility of getting married a couple of times, however we hadn't discussed it for a couple of months, which worked to my advantage as it added to the surprise.

I therefore decided to use this time for a little research. For instance, I noticed that Taylor never wore gold, which told me she would prefer white gold or platinum. She had also told me at one time she liked the square cut of diamond, so after a bit of research, I knew to get the diamond in a princess cut. On yet another occasion, I learned she preferred the simple classic look, so I was able to rule out most of the ornate multi stone settings. Finally, a few weeks before shopping for the ring, I noticed she had changed rings. Before, she had worn a ring on the middle finger of each hand, but for some reason had changed to wearing her class ring on the ring finger of her left hand. I compared it to my class ring I had lost, described it, and while talking, tested its size on my little finger.

Over the course of my job, I met a couple that gave me a contact name with the Bock Company, which is the corporate office for Bachendorfs. The corporate office is closed to the general public, and requires a referral to get in the door. During the last week of June, I called the contact, which set me up for Saturday, July 1. As I reached the top of the stairs, I nodded to the guard in the reception area, gave my name to the receptionist behind the bulletproof glass, and was buzzed in to the waiting room. After a short time, I was buzzed thru into the show room and taken into a private office area, where I spent the next 3 hours visiting with a wonderful sales person, who took the time to ask questions, make suggestions, give me a cup of coffee. Not in a disposable cup either, but in a china coffee cup with saucer. He brought stones of different sizes and cuts and quality to look at under a jewelers loop, and allowed me to view them and compare them side-to-side. It was truly a pleasurable experience. After I left, I stopped by the grocery store to pick up a 2 liter of Dr. Pepper, and bought some flowers on a whim. As I pulled out of the parking lot to drive to the pool party, whom did I end up following but Taylor! When we arrived at the house, I was able to give her the flowers before going inside, which allowed us to be alone for a moment. Later that afternoon, I told Hugo that I had ordered the ring, and swore him to secrecy.

About a week and a half later, I received a call that the ring was ready, and I picked it up from the jeweler before going to Taylor’s house as planned. After I called Taylor and told her I was on my way, I called her mom, who met me at the Chili’s just a couple of miles from the house, and I asked for her permission and blessing to marry her daughter. After showing her the ring, we began to conspire!!

I had actually planned to propose the following evening, and we had planned to go to the Firewheel Mall, which has a large outdoor fountain and landscaped stream with park benches. It’s a nice area anyway, but it becomes more beautiful at night with the lights.

The plan however changed to that evening. As we were walking out the door, Taylor called her mom, who said she was on her way home, but decided she wasn’t in the mood for Chili’s take out, an would discuss other options when she got home. We then parted company, and as I started my truck to drive off, Taylor called me. I told her I was just a couple of miles away, and would be there in a couple of minutes. About a minute after I walked thru the front door, her mom came in thru the garage, and suggested we meet her at the Fish City Grill at Firewheel Mall, as she still needed to shop for a gift for her anniversary. Having never eaten there, we agreed.

After a wonderful dinner her mom, who carries her camera for her remodeling business, took our picture as we sat in the booth, loaned us the camera to take a picture of the fountain (remember, I had planned on us being there the next day, so I didn’t have my camera, which I had planned to use to take my own picture of the fountain) and left for home. Taylor I then walked to the fountain, took a couple of pictures, as it was dark and the fountain and landscape lights were on, an walked down the path next to a softly lit stream to a nearby park bench.

We sat and talked for a while, and I still didn’t quite know how I was going to bring out the ring. She however gave me the perfect segway. I said, “Well, since we were able to come here today and get pictures of the fountain instead of tomorrow as we had planned, do you still want to make the ladies coffee with the Sunday School class tomorrow?” She looked at me and responded, “Unless you can make me a better offer.” I couldn’t have asked for a better lead in line than that. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the jewelry box. I wish I could say I pulled it out and flipped it open in one smooth motion, but it didn’t happen quite that way. I was able to get it out of my pocket just fine, but as I had one arm around Taylor, I had to open it with one hand, which still would have been fine had the box been turned the right way. After turning it about 3 times, I opened the box I exclaimed, “Will this do?”

Taylor didn’t notice the fumbling. For about 45 seconds after I produced the box, all her voluntary and involuntary systems shut down. I would not have been surprised if I had turned her head, looked into her eyes and seen miniature computer screens instead of pupils flashing the words “SYSTEM RESTART.” Once her brain came back online, she took the ring out of the box, shaking to the point I took the ring from her hand and placed it on her finger for fear she would drop it, and asked her to marry me. Her voice cracked in the first response, so after asking her to repeat it, she was able to get a “yes” thru the tears. With the stream behind, the soft landscape lighting, the fountain in the distance, the comfortable clear night weather, and the music from the speakers in the park area, it was a beautiful moment.

Now the madness of planning the wedding is starting. Taylor has set up a web site that gives the details, pictures, gift registries, and so forth. Check back often for updates, as it’s just recently up and running, and we haven’t completed all of the registries yet, which will soon include Lowe’s Home Improvement for gift cards so I can work on the house. We will be adding more pictures to the web site as well, and I will add the address in my Web Site menu on the blog. The web site address is:

http://www.taylorandmichael.bravehost.com/

Thanks for visiting.

Catching up...

2006-07-25T19:20:00.000-05:00

I have gotten permission from my company to build one of their floor plans, so I have started the building process for my parents. I'll post progress pics over the next several months. First however, I have to have a soils test done, which will take about 3 weeks. I can then have the foundation engineered to the soil. That will take another 3 weeks, so as of right now, I won't start actual construction until September. In the mean time, I received the plans from the draftsman today (we made some custom changes to the house), and I will be sitting down with Mom and Dad this weekend to finalize the plans. Here are a few pics of the lot.

My parents have sold their home in Oklahoma, which was about 260 miles north of where I live in Texas. They are now living in their travel trailor until the house is complete. Most of the time they are camped in a camp ground about 5 miles from the future home site, which is about 50 miles from where I live, but sometimes they hook the trailer up to the truck and just go. Ahh, the joys of being retired. They plan to spend the winter in south Texas where is is warmer. The also plan to make a few trips to the hill country of Missouri. It will be nice to have them closer.

Today I had stitches removed from an out patient procedure, which was performed last week. I had a cyst that developed near my left ear under the skin, which looked like a small lump under the skin near my left ear. I now have a full beard, but not by choice. Apparently AQ likes it, so there's a chance I'll keep it for a little while.

Speaking of such, I've known AQ for the last 5 years, as I met her in 2001 in our singles group. She left the group for about a year and a half, then returned to the group about 2 years ago. We started dating last October, and we will be getting married next March. I plan to post the story of the engagement as well as pictures of that evening on my blog when I have a chance, though I doubt it will be tonight, since I host a guys only bible study at my house on Tuesday nights, and Wednesday nights I spend with AQ at her house. AQ has already posted a couple of pics on her blog at http://just4myopinion.blogspot.com/ She has pictures of us with our parents on Mother's Day as well. AQ is also working on setting up a separate web site about the wedding details, complete with location, dates, pictures, gift registers, and so forth, so all of our out of town friends and family can be completely informed, and can send their regards if they are unable to attend. When the web site is ready, I'll post a link for it as well.

I'm also still working on remodeling my master bathroom. I hope to get one step closer to finishing the tile work in the master shower this weekend. I've also got a house full of Mom and Dad's belongings, since there wasn't enough room in storage, so I hope to be able to start organizing some of that this weekend as well. My garage is full of their boxes, and I can't park my truck in it anymore.

EP is currently on her second trip to England, and is helping with Holiday Club at Thornaby Baptist Church. Her Blog address is http://ising4him.blogspot.com/ and she has already posted in her blog about the flight and first day. She flew in to Manchester on Saturday along with Michelle and Kasey and 75 youth!! Michelle didn't go to England the year I went, but Kasey was there.

That's all for now. Next time I post, I'll give my side of the story leading up to the BIG QUESTION.

I'm Still Here

2006-07-09T00:23:00.000-05:00

Just in case you were wondering, I'm still here, and there's a lot going on. I haven't forgotten about you guys, or the blog, and I still intend to gear a few posts towards "The DaVinci Code" once I'm done reading it. That's right, I'm still reading it. I'm not quite half way thru it, and one of the main threads at this point seems to be the idea of the sacred feminine. Also, one of his tricks is to use carefully chosen (and carefully omitted) historical facts, such as information concerning the Brotherhood of the Nights Templar, adding fiction in the historical gaps, and integrating that into his fictional story. To give this account "credibility", the character used to divulge the information is a "learned" man in the academic world. Anyway, enough of that for now.

Another activity in process, in addition to the shower tile I've been working on, is preparing to build my parents house in Sherman. I have been given permission to use one of my companies floor plans (after jumping thru a few hoops and signing my life away), and I should be getting the revised plans back from the draftsman some time next week. It's going on a golf course lot, and is a single story house, which runs about 3500 s.f. The major change is making the garage 3 feet deeper for dad's truck, and extending the garage to a 4 car so there's room for a shop area. Anyway, the sooner I get it done and built, the better. I have some of their stuff boxed up in my house and garage, and I would like the space back.

Today, I went to my first Sci-Fi Expo. Most of the stuff was interesting to see, but I was more interested in the autographed photos. Thanks to PoD, who introduced me to Firefly and Serenity, and AQ, who has a sizable collection of autographs, I have started my own collection of autographed photos. I pulled out my script of "Return of the Jedi" which was given to me years ago by a college roommate, and now have autographs from David Prowse (Darth Vader) and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) on the title page. I also picked up:

One of my favorite characters from the prequel movies, Ray Park as Darth Maul!!

The main reason for going however was to get an autograph from Allan Tudyk, who plays Wash in the Firefly series and the movie Serenity.

I also got to set in on an hour long Question and Answer session, which was really cool.

Maybe next time one of the other actors from Serenity will be there, and I'll be able to add a second autograph to my Firefly cast photo.

On a less upbeat note, A member of our singles group lost her Grandpa this week to a stroke. My prayers are with you Christina.

PoD, hang in there, I'm praying for you.

Ta for now,

Darcy

What would men be without women? Scarce, sir...mighty scarce.

- Mark Twain

The Cost of a Miracle

2006-06-12T15:59:00.000-05:00

Following is a forward I just had to share. Enjoy...

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

"And what do you want?" the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages," he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

"Well, I want to talk to you about my brother," Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. "He's really, really sick...and I want to buy a miracle." "I beg your pardon?" said the pharmacist. "His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?"

"We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you," the pharmacist said, softening a little.

"Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs."

The pharmacist's brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, "What kind of a miracle does your brother need?"

" I don't know," Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money."

"How much do you have?" asked the man from Chicago.

"One dollar and eleven cents," Tess answered barely audibly. "And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to."

"Well, what a coincidence," smiled the man. "A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers. " He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said "Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need."

That well dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. "That surgery," her Mom whispered. "was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?" Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost...one dollar and eleven cents....plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

MY OATH TO YOU...
When you are sad.....I will dry your tears.
When you are scared.....I will comfort your fears.
When you are worried.....I will give you hope.
When you are confused.....I will help you cope.
And when you are lost....And can't see the light, I shall be your beacon......Shining ever so bright.
This is my oath.....I pledge till the end.
Why you may ask?.....Because you're my friend.

Signed: GOD

So much to tell, so little time

2006-06-10T11:57:00.000-05:00

I've started to read "The Da Vinci Code". I'm only a few chapters into it, but I can see the set up for some of the claims I hear he will make later on into the book. After I finish reading, I am planning on posting a few arguments to refute some of the inaccuracies, such as the reliability of Gods word, and so forth, as well as some additional links for further research and reading. Though there are several books written in response to "The Da Vinci Code", "Skeptics Answered" by D. James Kennedy is a great book written years ago which addresses such questions as:

Miracles and Prophecies: Fact or Fiction?
Did Jesus live?
Was Jesus God?
What about the claims of the fallibility of the bible due to numerous translations?
Is there life after death?

It's a great read, and I highly recommend it.

I also plan to write about the Browncoats recent trip to Galveston soon. It was a much needed vacation, the weather was great, and there was very little sea weed, which can be a big problem there from what I understand. I'll post more about the trip later, but here are a couple of pictures to wet the appetite:

The crew at The Waffle House prior to our day at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Galveston at Sunset

The Crew on the Sea Wall.

Walking in the Water.

My favorite picture

Be sure to check the Blogs from the other crew members for their pictures and musings, which are all listed in "My Peaps"

Mother's Day Weekend

2006-05-16T19:59:00.000-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Mother's Day weekend. My parents came to visit over the weekend, and we kept quite busy. They arrived Friday night, about 10 minutes after I got home from work, so I was still changing clothes when they pulled in. After helping them unload the truck, we fixed and ate dinner, and after cleaning up, I had to go grocery shopping for food for the weekend. They wanted my Amish Breakfast Casserole for breakfast, which can be prepared the night before, but I didn't have everything I needed, so off I went to the store. By the time I got back home and had breakfast ready to be put in the oven in the morning, it was after 12:30, and both Mom and Dad were in bed asleep. I then met up with AQ and LOW at IHOP for a short visit. AQ and POD had just completed the opening night performance of "The Saga of the Golden Horseshoe...or, That was No Lady, That was My Filly!" a melodrama presented by Word of Mouth Productions. By the time I got home, wound down, and got to bed, it was after 4:30 in the morning. As it turns out, Mom and Dad didn't even know I had been gone. It seems a bit odd that the first time I ever snuck out of the house after my parents went to bed happened in my own house.

Anyway, Saturday morning around 8:00 I put breakfast in the oven. After breakfast, we spent the day looking a houses like what my parents want me to build for them up in Sherman, came home in time to start dinner (fish, beer battered onion rings, scalloped potatoes, followed by home grown strawberries and lemon cake...mmmm...Some of the browncoats can attest to the fish and onion rings. Let me know, and I'll post the recipe) and welcome my brother and his family, who ate with us. After spending the evening with the entire family, I again found myself at IHOP, this time with the entire group of browncoats, but was so full I didn't eat, and so tired, I don't remember a single thing said. I do remember that AQ had twisted her ankle during the first of two performances that day, so she had it propped up on the seat and wrapped tight.

Sunday after church, I got my chance to see the WOMP of "The Saga of the Golden Horseshoe...or, That was No Lady, That was My Filly!" which was unlike any theater production I had ever seen, but I highly recommend it. It's good clean fun. I'm going again this Friday with the others from the Young Professionals who signed up to go.

After the production, my parents and I met up with AQ and her parents (sounds like a drama itself doesn't it) and we went out to eat at Maggiano's. We even took a few pictures. Though exhausting, it was a good weekend. I think I need the week to recover though.

Hope everyone had a good Mother's Day.

Blogthings Test

2006-05-06T13:18:00.000-05:00

You Are Rain

You can be warm and sexy. Or cold and unwelcoming.
Either way, you slowly bring out the beauty around you.

You are best known for: your touch

Your dominant state: changing

What Type of Weather Are You?

You Are Kermit

Hi, ho! Lovable and friendly, you get along well with everyone you know.
You're a big thinker, and sometimes you over think life's problems.
Don't worry - everyone know's it's not easy being green.
Just remember, time's fun when you're having flies!

The Muppet Personality Test

On top of the personality test in the previous post, it's a little erie isn't it EP? It's no wonder your best friend and my girlfriend is the same person.

Spiritual Gifts and Personality Test

2006-05-04T00:05:00.000-05:00

First, thanks to those who responded to my last post, both anonymous and known. Though I didn't post the comments, I did read them and keep them, and I of course did apologize.

Now for the spiritual gift and personality test results

My #1 spiritual gift is a tie between Hospitality and Service. #3 is Helps, #4 is Mercy.

My personality type is as follows:

38% Phlegmatic
The Introvert The Watcher The Pessimist
The Phlegmatic's Emotions
Low-key personality
Easygoing and relaxed
Calm, cool and collected
Patient well balanced
Consistent life
Quiet but witty
Sympathetic and kind
Keeps emotions hidden
Happily reconciled to life
All-purpose person

The Phlegmatic As A Parent
Makes a good parent
Takes time for the children
Is not in a hurry
Can take the good with the bad
Doesn't get upset easily

The Phlegmatic At Work
Competent and steady
Peaceful and agreeable
Has administrative ability
Mediates problems
Avoids conflicts
Good under pressure
Finds the easy way

The Phlegmatic As a Friend
Easy to get along with
Pleasant and enjoyable
Inoffensive
Good listener
Dry sense of humor
Enjoys watching people
Has many friends
Has compassion and concern

30% Melancholy
The Introvert The Thinker The Pessimist
The Melancholy's Emotions
Deep and thoughtfully
Analytical
Serious and purposeful
Genius prone
Talented and creative
Artistic or musical
Philosophical and poetic
appreciative of beauty
Sensitive to others
Self-sacrificing
Conscientious
Idealistic

The Melancholy As A Parent
Sets high standards
Wants everything done right
Keeps home in good order
Picks up after children
Sacrifices own will for others
Encourages scholarship and talent

The Melancholy At Work
Schedule oriented
Perfectionist, high standards
Detail conscious
Persistent and thorough
Orderly and organized
Neat and tidy
Economical
Sees the problems
Finds creative solutions
Needs to finish what he starts
Likes charts, graphs, figures, lists

The Melancholy As a Friend
Makes friends cautiously
Content to stay in background
Avoids causing attention
Faithful and devoted
Will listen to complaints
Can solve other's problems
Deep concern for other people
Moved to tears with compassion
Seeks ideal mate

18% Sanguine
The Extrovert The Talker The Optimist
The Sanguine's Emotions
Appealing personality
Talkative, Storyteller
Life of the Party
Good sense of humor
Memory for color
Physically holds on to listener
Emotional and demonstrative
Enthusiastic and expressive
Cheerful and bubbling over
Curious
Good on stage
Wide-eyed and innocent
Lives in the present
Changeable disposition
Sincere at heart
Always a child

The Sanguine As A Parent
Makes Home Fun
Is liked by children's friends
Turns disaster into humor
Is the circus master

The Sanguine At Work
Volunteers for Jobs
thinks up new activities
Looks great on the Surface
Creative and colorful
Has energy and enthusiasm
Starts in a flashy way
Inspires others to join
charms others to work

The Sanguine As a Friend
Makes friends easily
Loves People
Thrives on compliments
Seems exciting
envied by others
Doesn't hold grudges
apologizes quickly
Prevents dull moments
Likes spontaneous activities

15% Choleric
The Extrovert The Doer The Optimist
The Choleric's Emotions
Born leader
Dynamic and active
Compulsive need for change
Must correct wrongs
Strong-willed and decisive
Unemotional
Not easily discouraged
Independent and self sufficient
Exudes confidence
Can run anything

The Choleric As A Parent
Exerts sound leadership
Establishes Goals
Motivates family to action
Knows the right answer
Organizes household

The Choleric At Work
Goal oriented
Sees the whole picture
Organizes well
Seeks practical solutions
Moves quickly to action
Delegates work
Insists on production
Makes the goal
Stimulates activity
Thrives on opposition

The Choleric As a Friend
Has little need for friends
Will work for group activity
Will lead and organize
Is usually right
Excels in emergencies

A Soldier's Wife's Story

2006-04-28T20:26:00.000-05:00

The following story was written by Lori Kimble, a 31 year old teacher and proud military wife. Mrs. Kimble, a California native, currently lives in Alabama...

I was sitting alone in one of those loud, casual steak houses that you find all over the country. You know the type--a bucket of peanuts on every table, shells littering the floor, and a bunch of perky college kids racing around with longneck beers and sizzling platters.

Taking a sip of my iced tea, I studied the crowd over the rim of my glass. My gaze lingered on a group enjoying their meal. They wore no uniform to identify their branch of service, but they were definitely "military:"clean shaven, cropped haircut, and that "squared away" look that comes with pride.

Smiling sadly, I glanced across my table to the empty seat where my husband usually sat. It had only been a few months since we sat in this very booth, talking about his upcoming deployment to the Middle East. That was when he made me promise to get a sitter for the kids, come back to this restaurant once a month and treat myself to a nice steak. In turn he would treasure the thought of me being here, thinking about him until he returned home.

I fingered the little flag pin I constantly wear and wondered where he was at this very moment. Was he safe and warm? Was his cold any better? Were my letters getting through to him? As I pondered these thoughts, high pitched female voices from the next booth broke into my thoughts.

"I don't know what Bush is thinking about. Invading Iraq. You'd think that man would learn from his old man's mistakes. Good lord. What an idiot! I can’t believe he is even in office. You do know, he stole the election."

I cut into my steak and tried to ignore them, as they began an endless tirade running down our president. I thought about the last night I spent with my husband, as he prepared to deploy. He had just returned from getting his smallpox and anthrax shots. The image of him standing in our kitchen packing his gas mask still gives me chills.

Once again the women's voices invaded my thoughts. "It is all about oil, you know. Our soldiers will go in and rape and steal all the oil they can in the name of 'freedom'. Hmph! I wonder how many innocent people they'll kill without giving it a thought? It's pure greed, you know."

My chest tightened as I stared at my wedding ring. I could still see how handsome my husband looked in his "mess dress" the day he slipped it on my finger. I wondered what he was wearing now. Probably his desert uniform, affectionately dubbed "coffee stains" with a heavy bulletproof vest over it."

You know, we should just leave Iraq alone. I don't think they are hiding any weapons. In fact, I bet it's all a big act just to increase the president's popularity. That's all it is, padding the military budget at the expense of our social security and education. And, you know what else? We're just asking for another 9-ll. I can't say when it happens again that we didn’t deserve it."

Their words brought to mind the war protesters I had watched gathering outside our base. Did no one appreciate the sacrifice of brave men and women who leave their homes and family to ensure our freedom? Do they even know what "freedom" is?

I glanced at the table where the young men were sitting, and saw their courageous faces change. They had stopped eating and looked at each other dejectedly, listening to the women talking.

"Well, I, for one, think it's just deplorable to invade Iraq, and I am certainly sick of our tax dollars going to train professional baby-killers we call a military."

Professional baby-killers? I thought about what a wonderful father my husband is, and of how long it would be before he would see our children again.

That's it! Indignation rose up inside me. Normally reserved, pride in my husband gave me a brassy boldness I never realized I had. Tonight one voice will answer on behalf of our military, and let her pride in our troops be known.

Sliding out of my booth, I walked around to the adjoining booth and placed my hands flat on their table. Lowering myself to eye level with them, smilingly said, "I couldn't help overhearing your conversation. You see, I'm sitting here trying to enjoy my dinner alone. And, do you know why? Because my husband, whom I love with all my heart, is halfway around the world defending your right to say rotten things about him." "Yes, you have the right to your opinion, and what you think is none of my business. However, what you say in public is something else, and I will not sit by and Listen to you ridicule MY country, MY president, MY husband, and all the other fine American men and women who put their lives on the line, just so you can have the freedom" to complain. Freedom is an expensive commodity, ladies. Don't let your actions cheapen it."

I must have been louder that I meant to be, because the manager came over To inquire if everything was all right. "Yes, thank you," I replied. Then, turning back to the women, I said, "Enjoy the rest of your meal."

As I returned to my booth applause broke out. I was embarrassed for making A scene, and went back to my half eaten steak. The women picked up their check and scurried away.

After finishing my meal, and while waiting for my check, the manager returned with a huge apple cobbler ala mode. "Compliments of those soldiers, he said. He also smiled and said the ladies tried to pay for my dinner, but that another couple had beaten them to it. When I asked who, the manager said they had already left, but that the gentleman was a veteran, and wanted to take care of the wife of "one of our boys."

With a lump in my throat, I gratefully turned to the soldiers and thanked them for the cobbler. Grinning from ear to ear, they came over and surrounded the booth. "We just wanted to thank you, ma'am. You know we can't get into confrontations with civilians, so we appreciate what you did."

As I drove home, for the first time since my husband's deployment, I didn't feel quite so alone. My heart was filled with the warmth of the other diners who stopped by my table, to relate how they, too, were proud of my husband, and would keep him in their prayers. I knew their flags would fly a little higher the next day.

Perhaps they would look for more tangible ways to show their pride in our country, and the military who protect her. And maybe, just maybe, the two women who were railing against our country, would pause for a minute to appreciate all the freedom America offers, and the price it pays to maintain it's freedom.

As for me, I have learned that one voice CAN make a difference. Maybe the next time protesters gather outside the gates of the base where I live, I will proudly stand on the opposite side with a sign of my own. It will simply say, "Thank You!"

To those who fought for our Nation: Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know. GOD BLESS AMERICA!

"We have too many high sounding words, and too few actions that correspond with them."
-Abigail Adams (1744-1818)

Is Spelling Important?

2006-04-27T00:25:00.000-05:00

Olny srmat poelpe can?

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to rscheear at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredrthe ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as awlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! Aarpepnlty not. It's a good tnhig, busavece my slpeling is tlierbre, and my tpiyng is wrsoe. As I've awalys siad, slepl ckehcer is yuor fiernd.

The Joy's of Fishing

2006-04-25T13:07:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I went with LoW and his brothers to Lake Lavon for a little fishing. I'd forgotten just how relaxing it is, being outside on a sunny spring day, at the lake, drinking a cool beverage from the cooler, and getting a fishing line wet. Catch anything or not, it's a great stress relief. I just wish I could have spent longer, but we got a late start since LoW didn't get off work until 2:00 (I had to mow the lawn anyway) and we met PoD, AQ, The Elfin Princess, and a few others from the singles group for a few games of Laser Tag at Adventure Landing.

Anyway Saturday afternoon we didn't catch a thing, and LoW's brother had the aggravation of hooking a nice size fish, getting it close enough to touch it, and then loosing it when it spit the hook (which ended up happening to me the next day). What's more, there were other people fishing "the spot." there is a fenced off area around a water discharge pipe from the nearby plant. (The plant uses lake water to cool equipment, then releases it back out into the lake) From past experience, fish will gather in such an area, and fishing is awesome, especially when the water is running from the pipe. When I was younger, I used to fish for Channel Cat with my Grandpa, Dad, and brother. There is a town in the southeast corner of Kansas near the Oklahoma state line called Riverton (which was just in the news last week as police found a couple of kids planning another Columbine type rampage), and on one such trip, the four of us caught 42 cat fish, and those are just the ones we kept. We threw back the smaller ones. And we used the real chicken blood for bait too, not the pasty play dough crap they sell now. Chicken liver is a great catfish bait too by the way. But I digress...

The people fishing in "the spot" were reeling in the crappie and bass like mad, and we weren't able to cast into the area, and as a result, had no luck at all. Low's other brother stepped on something, though I didn't see if he actually cut his foot or just scraped it, so the brothers left a little early. Just before we left on Saturday, LoW himself cut the bottom of his foot on a stray rock (most of the area was just hard clay).

The next day after church and lunch, we went again to try to get to "the spot" but again, there were people hogging the area, so we had no choice but to fish the same area again. After about an hour, I made a miss step of my own, and my left food slid off the hard clay and I sunk into about 12 inches of silt, as I was about 10 feet off the bank. I tried 3 times to get good footing on hard ground, but slid right back into the silt, where I kept hitting a rock that was about the size of a football. I finally got my footing, stepped out of the hole, and continued fishing. About 10 minutes later, I thought I'd better have a look at my foot since one of the little piggies, which hurt just a little when I was trying to get out of the muck, persisted in crying "We we we...". It was then that I found that one toe was missing about 1/2 of the nail. I had managed to either mash or cut off the nail, and I had been bleeding into the water for the last 10 minutes. Since it wasn't bleeding bad though, we kept fishing for another hour or so before going home for a shower, bible study (It's Not About Me by Max Lucado) and a couple games of Shadows over Camelot. A very cool game by the way.

On a more serious note, please continue to pray for me and my current financial situation. There is still a legal issue with a former tenant, and I don't know how it's going to play out.

Thanks for Reading,
MV

"I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it."
- WC. Fields

The Joy's of Winning

2006-04-18T20:25:00.000-05:00

Have you ever won anything? I've won music competitions, I've won swim meets, and in high school, I won the science fair. Then there are those phone calls. "...You have been selected to enter into a drawing for a (insert cruise, vacation, new car, etc.)" These are the calls you would completely ignore, since there is usually a catch. Then there are the drawings you enter while at the State Fair, such as a drawing for a new Hummer (as if it would even be possible to pay for the gas.)

Well, I got an interesting voice mail this week. I didn't recognize the number, because they called my cell phone first, and I don't answer the call if I don't recognize the number. When I got home, I found the same number on my home phone along with a message.

Now, before I tell you who the call was from, let me give you a little background. Last weekend, while the Apocalypse Queen and I were out of town visiting my parents, Lord of War, Prince of Darkness, the The Elfin Princess (the latter having somehow obtained tickets) went to a polo match. That's right, croquet on horseback. Now apparently, there was a drawing people could enter for a chance to win a free polo lesson. That's right, you read my mind, because that's who called. Apparently I've won a free polo lesson from the Dallas Polo Club, and if I call them back, they will have a horse available for me, as well as a free lesson. Now I'm up for trying new things, but I haven't ridden a horse for several years, and even then, it was one of those horses you didn't have to guide. No, it wasn't a pony attached to one of those merry-go-round things, but it did follow a trail it had taken about a million times. Besides, I don't think it would be such a good idea to put me on a horse, hand me a big wooden hammer, and ask me to hit this little wooden ball lying on the ground, especially since my back just isn't what it used to be. I think those 3 have a little explaining to do. Oh the insanity (and the joy's of payback...I mean winning.)

Ben Stein

2006-04-03T00:23:00.000-05:00

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary, Sunday, 12/18/05.

Herewith at this happy time of year, a few confessions from my beating heart: I have no freaking clue who Nick and Jessica are. I see them on the cover of People and Us constantly when I am buying my dog biscuits and kitty litter. I often ask the checkers at the grocery stores. They never know who Nick and Jessica are either. Who are they? Will it change my life if I know who they are and why they have broken up? Why are they so important?

I don't know who Lindsay Lohan is either, and I do not care at all about Tom Cruise's wife.

Am I going to be called before a Senate committee and asked if I am a subversive? Maybe, but I just have no clue who Nick and Jessica are.

If this is what it means to be no longer young. It's not so bad.

Next confession:
I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are: Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, "Merry Christmas" to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu. If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution, and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him?

I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too.

But there are a lot of us who are wondering where Nick and Jessica came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this Happen?" (regarding Katrina)

Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.

And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"

In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.

Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school . the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.

Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing?

George Carlin's Views on Aging

2006-03-31T17:39:00.000-06:00

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions. "How old are you?" "I'm four and a half!" You're never thirty-six and a half.. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead. "How old are you?" "I'm gonna be 16!" You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life . .. . you become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony . . . YOU BECOME 21. YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone. But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would! So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60. You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday! You get into your 80s and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; "I Was JUST 92."

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. "I'm 100 and a half!" May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay "them "

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets,keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable,improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9 Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Do You Smell That?

2006-03-28T22:48:00.000-06:00

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery.
Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news.
That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.
At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature.

Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs.
"I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could.
"There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one."

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.

She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

"No! No!" was all Diana could say.

She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.
But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana.
Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl.

There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.
But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.
At last, when Dana turned two months old, her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life. She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing.

As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, "Do you smell that?"

Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain."

Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"

Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain."

Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him.

It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."

Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children.

Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along.

During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.