2007 in Review.

Wow, where did the year go? Blogging is a great way to keep track of all that occurs over the past year, as I don't write in a journal. I feel the end of the year is as great a time as any to reflect on where you've been, where you are now and how God answered prayers along the way. So, as I skimmed through this year's posts, a few stood out...
Jan. As I was at the end of my professional rope, I was seeking a new job with every ounce of my strength and about to snap. I was offered a job at the Tazewell County Health Dept., where I am currently employed. Vast improvement from where I was to where I am! I was also seeking roommates to help pay the mortgage, and I had two show up within days of each other. Definitely answered prayers. They both were great!

Feb. The best boar hunting trip to date! The trip ended with running into a herd of monster hogs, one of which was between 400-500 pounds. It should be hanging on my office wall in a few weeks. That trip will be hard to top, but we'll give it a shot in two short months from now.


March. A relationship ended. Thank you GOD! I can't imagine where I'd be or what I'd be doing if we had not parted ways. For new things to begin, old things must end.

April. I met Gina. There's not much else to say, except all I said in the many posts about how incredibly great she is and how much better my life is with her in it!


May. Softball season. And rain. LOTS of rain. I think I did 5 septic installations in torrential downpours this month. I also starting spending time with my buddy, Joe. We destroy, remodel, build, and talk about life. It is good.

June. Some idiot ran into my car while it was parked at the office. Apparently that's all that happened that month.

July. Bow fishing on the Illinois River. I wish it was legal to fish with shotguns.


August. Completion of the Mendota High School Football dvd's. 9 hours of video. Much bigger project than I anticipated, but it was the first project for $$$. I also got a new 61" TV. booyah.


Sept. Gina's birthday. What could top that?

Oct. The Lifehouse "Everything" skit at Northwoods. I still run into people, who I don't know, but stop me to say that it was powerful and memorable.

Nov. Tragedy was avoided while removing a squirrel from the Hayes's chimney. I believe I wrote 4 posts involving squirrels in the past year. weird.
Thesis was supposed to be done by November 30th. what a joke. Still in the revision process. Maybe by January 30th?

Dec. The Northwoods Christmas Program. The rest of the month is a blur. Had a great Christmas with Gina and our families. Recieved some awesome news about my friend, Randy, and some scary news about another, Don.


And that brings us to today. What will 2008 bring? I am hopeful for new beginnings. I yearn for the day when a paycheck will cover the bills entirely. Or when two incomes (wink, wink) become enough so we can afford to go to the movies or out to dinner, etc. I am hopeful I find a career that I am passionate about. But mostly, that it will be a year of continued health and happiness and growth.

Happy New Year to you all!

CHRISTmas

8 services, 5 family gatherings and a tank of gas later, Christmas 2007 has come to a close.

Northwoods goes all-out for the Christmas program every year. After seeing the past two years' performances, I HAD to volunteer this season. It was such a great experience that I will definitely being doing more in the future. When you spend that much time together, relationships are deepened and friendships are formed. And the best part, the reason we serve-246 people took "Yes packets," indicating they committed their lives to Christ after the services. awesome. Even if it were only for one person, it would have been worth it.

Family time was wonderful, but a bit rushed. Christmas shoudln't be spend driving all over the state to spend a couple of hours here and there, stuffing as many carbs into our gullets as possible. We will rethink this next year!

Now it's back to reality. Tonight I will begin revising the first of my thesis papers. Goal is still to be finished by the end of January-depending on how long it takes to get each draft back after being turned in for review. Then I can forget everything about it. forever.

places!!

Tonight's the big night. Premiere of the 2007 Northwoods Christmas Program.

tired. excited. anticipation mounting.


I forgot to add that the other night, my "daughter," who is about 7 years old, looked up at me as we were waiting to go on stage and said, "So are you like a REAL adult?". Then she asked her "mom" when the wedding was and why she wasn't invited. kids say the darndest things.

???

ok, i was just sitting at lunch when the secretary came in and told my supervisor that there was someone there to file a complaint against the restaurant that i am going to inspect in about 24 minutes.

they were upset that the owner of the establishment is always drunk. and cooking. but there is nothing in the FDA food code against this. you can be as drunk as a skunk on saturday night and it's kosher. (well probably, not "kosher" kosher, but you know what i mean).

ok, why is it raining right now?

anywho, the complainant then admitted that they were recently fired and that this was retribution.

sooooooo, why am i to investigate this?

hilarious. and stupid.

from the mouthes of babes (children, that is).

Rehearsals for the Christmas program at church this week have been.....long...yawn...but fun. We've already logged over 16 hours this week and it's only Thursday. The first show is tomorrow night and we're all excited for it to get here!

Some of the funniest occurrences thus far involve that shorter members of the cast. Our little 3-year-old showstopper wears a wireless mic that gets turned on just prior to the curtain opening. Over the past few nights, the auditorium has heard (over the band's intro music), "Mommy, are my microphones on?", "Mommy, I have to tell you something...", "Is it time to go yet?", "We get to take our places now?"
So freaking adorable.

Last night, one of the junior high kids was attempting to step over a row of folding auditorium seats, when his foot slipped in between the cushion and backrest, leaving him "high centered." His feet didn't quite reach the floor, resulting in pain, humiliation in front of his friends, and much hilarity. I think he's singing soprano now.

There's been a fair share of stubborn livestock, scenery malfunctions, and forgotten lyrics, but hopefully all that will subside with our final dress rehearsals tonight.

It's been a wild ride so far and I'm blessed to be a part of it! Come see the show!

She's bigtime

My little sister, Jillian, had the honor of representing the ISU madrigal singers on ABC Channel 7 News in Chicago this weekend. She's the soprano on the right in the video. I'm sooo proud!
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=resources&id=5832848

grateful

Thank you all for the birthday wishes. While I'm not big on celebrating, it was great to get all the myspace and facebook messages from friends near and far! i feel loved.

Gina...thank you for hanging out at home for hours with Cougar, waiting for me to get home from rehearsal...for the deeeeeelicious angel food cake. perfection. thank you for making homemade salsa for my work Christmas party and picking up a gift for my boss. Thank you for the gifts and for ironing my clothes. But thank you most of all for meeting every need and for making life more enjoyable. You are the greatest gift of all!



and now i will build a nest under my desk and nap through the afternoon.

What's wrong with this picture?

remodeling

i heard something last night that just came to mind while contemplating how i'm going to pay my mortgage and credit consolidation bill, both due tomorrow, when my mortgage alone is more than the paycheck i'll receive at midnight.

i have taken a stand on financial accountability and have cut out unnecessary spending, including all entertainment expenses except cable. and yet, it is not enough. i still face a seemingly unclimbable wall.

but that's where faith steps into play. usually you undertake a remodeling project because a change is necessary. maybe things are falling apart, are dingy, or broken. the place is a wreck. the goal of remodeling is to beautify, to upgrade, and to make life more enjoyable. the result is rejuvenating as you bask in the newness of things made right.

but unless you checkout completely during the process and let a contractor do all the work, things are going to get messy before they get better. when my parents remodeled their kitchen, they tore out a wall, knocked out the ceiling, and tore out all the old wiring. at one point, there was so much dust in the air, they could not see more than 5 feet in any direction. but once it settled, was swept away, and the hardwood was laid, the new cabinets and appliances installed, it looked like a million dollars.

so i pray that they dust is settling and has more than filled HIS trashcan. that the foundation beneath is strong and changes are soon to come. maybe one day i'll be a part of the home tour...

just wondering...

does anybody have a contact in the environmental consulting field? i think i'd like to get back into the corporate world and out from under the local government pay scale. i keep cutting back and cutting back and still can't make it paycheck to paycheck. a little help?

i'll have a water, hold the microbes.

How often do you ask for a lemon slice with your water at the local diner? Or maybe it's standard issue. Either way, what's crawling on that little citrus crescent may surprise you. or make you hurl.

I just finished reading a study in the latest issue of the Journal of Environmental Health entitled, "Microbial Flora on Restaurant Beverage Lemon Slices." The researcher collected a total of 76 lemon slices from 21 restaurants and tested the rind and flesh for a myriad of different bacteria, fungi, yeast, etc. Shockingly, 69.7% of the lemons had microbial growth on the surface, and 25 different species of microbe were detected. While the definite source for each microbe could be pinpointed, the type of microbes present are commonly found in/on human skin, saliva vaginal secretions & feces, and in raw meat/poultry. Furthermore, if the lemon is not thoroughly washed before use, there is no telling what else could have come into contact with the rind while it was in the field or handled during processing.

So the next time your server asks if you'd like a slice of lemon, you may want to dose it with alcohol first. just a thought.

BIG losers

Gina and I started watching "The Biggest Loser" this season. I'm not sure why. Probably because it's on one of the only weeknight's I'm at home on a regular basis. And while I can't identify with the same struggle as the contestants, I can see that ever-striving, ever-stretching, reaching, fighting, stumbling, falling, scrambing soul in them that lives in me.
And when the weigh-in comes at the end of the week and they stand before the scale, I can't help but see a servant standing before his master, hoping that his best was enough to change this place for the better.

I would love to be the catalyst in someone's life to help make their dreams a reality. To journey with them through the struggle. To boost them over the barriers and pull up the barbed wire so they can crawl beneath. Where do I go from here?

storms

As I awoke to the ping of ice crystals pelting the windows, the blankets of my bed could not have been more inviting. As if a newly-transfigured butterfly resisting emergence from a cocoon, I finally pulled myself from slumber around 8:30. There was a mental list of things to accomplish for the weekend: wash and wax the car once more before the county trucks encrusted everything in winter salt, do the bit of Christmas shopping my pitiful checking account could afford, get some groceries, etc. But unlike the sweet whipped delight that covers holiday goodies, the icing that coated the midwest had nixed all plans. I was a hostage in my home.

I had lunch with a friend today. He recently was released from a ministry role he had poured himself into entirely. Now he is adrift, questioning, searching, wondering.

I think sometimes God allows storms to arise, permits boulders to fall from the mountain tops and come to rest directly in the footpath that leads to the summit, and otherwise alters our plans so we are forced to rest. To take a break, re-evaluate, regroup, and resolve. Sometimes we get so caught up in running our own race that it takes a broken ankle to get our attention and regain our focus during our recovery.

So I rested during the storm. I relaxed for the first time in weeks (maybe months). I did....nothing. and HE was there. in music. in friends. in silence.

Lord, send more storms...

The Real Jesus

to be more like the real Jesus everyday...

so ashamed

Last night, an old friend from the insurance company came over to work on a video project. We wanted some old home movies converted to DVD for a Christmas present to give his parents. While I had never done a VHS to DVD conversion, I figured I could run the VCR to my video camera (which has an analog input and firewire output) and then digitize it for editing.
However, my editing program didn't like what it was being fed and would choke on it every 10 seconds. At that moment, Mr. Eric Potter walked in to my house randomly and assessed the situation. He said he may have something at home to fix the problem. He promptly returned with the bane of my existence. a Mac.
I mostly hate Macs because of their flagrant air of superiority and so-called intuitive operation. Last time I attempted to use on, I couldn't even find the "power" button.
But I didn't have much choice. Eric got everything wired after struggling a few minutes to get his Mac power supply to work, which helped my PC ego. When he fired up the camera and "iMovie," it began importing video flawlessly. bittersweet victory.

So, i'm still importing video, some 7 hours later. and have fallen to the Mac. so soo ashamed.

merry "2.5 weeks before Christmas" party

The office is filled with the familiar tunes of Christmas carols. Health inspectors have transformed into little elves, decorating doors with collages of holiday scenes and transporting desserts here and there.

The conference room had a smorgasbord of appetizers at 9am, on which everyone grazed until there were only crumbs left.

At 10:00 there was to be "turkey bowling" in one of the main hallways, but that was changed to "chicken bowling" (due to the high price of turkey), which was changed to "bowling with a balloon filled with ice" (because bowling with poultry is just weird and unsanitary).

The main feast is soon to come, after which I will be so engorged and carb-laden that typing a complete sentence will be nearly impossible.

hardly feels like work today.
joy!

God vs. Science.

A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the students, "Let me explain the problem science has with religion." The atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks one of his new students to stand.

"You're a Christian, aren't you, son?"

"Yes sir," the student says.

"So you believe in God?"

"Absolutely."

"Is God good?"

"Sure! God's good."

"Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?"

"Yes."

"Are you good or evil?"

"The Bible says I'm evil."

The professor grins knowingly. "Aha! The Bible!" He considers for a moment. "Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you try?"

"Yes sir, I would."

"So you're good...!"

"I wouldn't say that."

"But why not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could. Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't."

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. "He doesn't, does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though he prayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?"

The student remains silent.

"No, you can't, can you?" the professor says. He takes a sip of water from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

"Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?"

"Er...yes," the student says.

"Is Satan good?"

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. "No."

"Then where does Satan come from?"

The student falters. "From God"

"That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil in this world?"

"Yes, sir."

"Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?"

"Yes."

"So who created evil?" The professor continued, "If God created everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil."

Again, the student has no answer. "Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?"

The student squirms on his feet. "Yes."

"So who created them?"

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his question. "Who created them?" There is still no answer. Suddenly the lecturer breaks away to pace in front of the classroom. The class is mesmerized. "Tell me," he continues onto another student. "Do you believe in Jesus Christ, son?"

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. "Yes, professor, I do."

The old man stops pacing. "Science says you have five senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?"

"No sir. I've never seen Him."

"Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?"

"No, sir, I have not."

"Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelt your Jesus? Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for that matter?"

"No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't."

"Yet you still believe in him?"

"Yes."

"According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?"

"Nothing," the student replies. "I only have my faith."

"Yes, faith," the professor repeats. "And that is the problem science has with God. There is no evidence, only faith."

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of His own. "Professor, is there such thing as heat?"

"Yes," the professor replies. "There's heat."

"And is there such a thing as cold?"

"Yes, son, there's cold too."

"No sir, there isn't."

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested. The room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. "You can have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458 degrees."

"Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir, cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it."

Silence across the room.
A pen drops somewhere in the classroom, sounding like a hammer.

"What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?"

"Yes," the professor replies without hesitation. "What is night if it isn't darkness?"

"You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define the word."

"In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?"

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This will be a good semester. "So what point are you making, young man?"

"Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed."

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. "Flawed? Can you explain how?"

"You are working on the premise of duality," the student explains. "You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought."

"It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it."

"Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?"

"If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man, yes, of course I do."

"Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?"

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.

"Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a preacher?"

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion has subsided.

"To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student, let me give you an example of what I mean."

The student looks around the room. "Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen
the professor's brain?" The class breaks out into laughter.

"Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt the professor's
brain, touched or smelt the professor's brain? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, with all due respect, sir."

"So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures, sir?"

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. "I guess you'll have to take them on faith."

"Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with life," the student continues. "Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?"

Now uncertain, the professor responds, "Of course, there is. We see it everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else but
evil."

To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."

The professor sat down.

2nd season

What a refreshing weekend...despite the freezing rain, high winds, and drizzle.

Friday, I hunted with my dad & uncle, and their friend Steve. Between the four of us, not a single deer was spotted the entire day. To our recollection, this was unprecedented. But that all changed later that night. We were on our way home from the Pizza Cellar in Princeton, about 1/2 mile from camp. Uncle Dave was driving his truck, Dad was in the front passenger seat, and I was sitting behind him. All of a sudden, Steve, who was sitting next to me, shouted, "deer....Deer....DEEER!"

At the second exclamation, I caught a flash of antlers above brown and white lighting, racing like a torpedo towards the passenger door.

Time stood still for a moment and then....BOOM.

Dave never even saw it coming. When he got stopped and turned around, the deer had made it about 70 yards out in the field, but was obviously servery injured.
We called the Sheriff to report the accident and waited for him to come fill out a report. We ended up shooting and cleaning it ourselves, so it wasn't a total waste. Quite an expensive deer, however, with a $500 deductible!

Yesterday morning, I was sitting in the drizzle and was about to head back to the shed when I heard some commotion in the brush. But there was something out of the ordinary. The crackle of ice on the leaves was accompanied by a clanking sound that brought forth images of escaped prisoners clad in iron shackles. It got louder by the moment and suddenly a ghost-like creature emerged from the shadows. It was a giant coyote that had apparently been caught in a foot-hold trap, but managed to pull the stake from the ground and was now wearing some iron jewelry.
I knew this animal would not survive long, as a predator with an alarm on its foot would have no chance of catching prey. The cross hairs settled on my target and with a single, thundering shot, she was dispatched.

It is good to be in the woods. It doesn't matter if the sun is shining or you are getting pelted with ice. Any bad day in the woods beats the best day in the office.

change

is good. and sometimes necessary.

over the past month or so, i've only been able to go to the gym 1-3 times a week (as opposed to the routine 6 regimented weekly workouts of old). i've lost 7 pounds, none of i was willing to spare!

there is just TOO much going on after work between accountability meetings, Reality, life group, choir, the upcoming Christmas program rehearsals, etc.-not that i'd change any of that.

sooo, i'm going to get up at 5:30 every morning and go to the gym before work. who needs sleep anyways?

i gave it a trial run this morning. actually, Cougar woke me up at 4:45 and I couldn't fall back asleep. so i ate breakfast, had my Shaklee protein shake and sports drink, ironed my clothes, packed my bags and headed to Morton. the gym is MUCH emptier at 6:45 (yes it takes that long to get ready).

i felt great all morning and haven't crashed yet (1:56pm), so i think i could get used to this!


thank you Chris for telling me i looked "small" today at lunch. i'm going to punch you when i regain my strength!

Isaiah 48

10 See, I have refined you, though not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

How can we truly know what we are capable of
if we have not been pushed to the limit,
standing on the edge of the abyss,
and instead of cursing our lot,
we reach out to the ONE that begs us to call on Him-
to draw us in and hold us close.

This Movie is About Cats Flying

aaaaamazing.

thanks

Is it really Monday ALREADY?

What a great weekend. Gina and I spent Thanksgiving Day at her family's in Astoria. Dinner at Aunt Marcia's and then at Aunt Linda's (I think). Her brother, Wes, left with his cousin, Aaron, after dinner to go deer hunting. He called an hour or so later, very excited. He said he had shot a big buck at 35 yards through the woods. With a bow, this is quite a feat! They came back to the house to get some flashlights and insulated clothes for the tracking adventure that ensued. Usually when you shoot a deer with a bow, they run 30-200 yards before they expire. This ole buck had other plans. After an hour and a half, and 1.5 miles, we found him. What a great first buck for Wes and a Thanksgiving he'll never forget! Gina and I were supposed to meet some friends from Chicago in Peoria that evening, but we didn't get home until 11:30 by the time we got the deer back to the house and cleaned up.

Saturday, we went to my parent's house in Mendota for a second feast. Food was great, as usual. After dinner, we all played "Taboo," the game where you try to get your teammates to guess the word on your card by using any other words except the listed "forbidden words." The funniest moment was when my sister, Jillian, gave the clues, "what someone might call a large woman," followed by "kind of like a desert." What on earth could that be? Obviously, she needs to take a geography class at ISU, because the "Amazon" is as far from a desert as you can get without leaving the planet. funny.

I got some more work done on the thesis as well. The first draft of "chapter 1" is ready to be picked up for editing now and I will have "chapter 2" turned in by the end of the day. I guess being forced to wait until next semester to present and defend is not so bad after all. My stress level had dropped and I've been able to go to the gym a few times.

I've decided to make a conscious decision to be joyful through all of this. If I can't change the situation or the attitudes of others, might as well find the best it!
Happy Monday!

funny

a couple of "post secrets" that shined a little sunlight through the rain today!

beyond words.

People never cease to amaze me. I don't understand how a person can let it get this bad.

Yesterday, we were called out to a house by a local city inspector. In his words, "the house is filled with feces." One of our inspectors asked, "what kind," to which he responded, "all varieties." How could I pass this up.

When we arrived on the scene, we were joined by the city inspector, a code enforcement officer, a police officer, two firemen, and two EMT's. This was going to be a treat. The day before, the fire department had been called when the resident, a 350 pound man in his late 50's, got stuck in the hallway between the bedroom and the living room. It took five firefighters to remove him on a tarp, two of whom were injured in the process. We could smell the house 20 feet away. From the baby panda sticker in the front window, who would have expected what lie on the other side of the door.

The power of attorney opened the front door and a wave of stagnant air belched forth, contaminating the oxygen outside. I watched as each of the men walked into the residence, turning back for one more gasp of fresh air before confronting the horrors inside. The city inspector (a former police officer) came right back out, trying to keep his cool demeanor, but began gagging and coughing, spitting in the yard. I had to check this out.

When I walked in, it was like a scene from a horror movie. There was a path approximately 12 inches wide through the house where the former resident waded through the garbage, cat food cans, and filth. The odor was a mixture of a hog lot, body odor, and sewage. There were roaches crawling through the debris in broad daylight. not a good sign. In the kitchen, there had apparently been a fire on the stove, which had burned the wall and cabinets. No need to call the fire department though, or even attempt to clean up. The kitchen table had a pile of garbage and empty frozen food container approximately 2 feet deep. The carpet had been warn away to nothing. The toilet and tub plumbing hadn't worked in years and the power of attorney said the last time he was in the building, they had pulled the stool off the sewer pipe and were just "going" in the empty pipe, which had filled to the brim. I didn't even venture into the bedrooms.

My question is how do you come to the point where nothing matters anymore? Not even living in your own filth. When it becomes too much of a chore to take out the trash and it's easier to just surround yourself with it? It's sad.

I'm glad I don't see this everyday. When the emergency personnel are grossed out, you know it's bad.

timely

"Who feels tired and under-qualified
Who feels deserted, and hung out to dry
This is a song for the broken, the beat-up
And so-called losers

Little is much when God's in it
And no one can fathom the plans He holds
Little is much when God's in it
He changes the world with the seeds we sow
Little is much, little is much"


i don't understand it, but i don't need to. YOU are in control. i'm just thankful to be a part of the plan...

just recieved word my advisor won't sign the notice of my thesis defense because "it's impossible".

great.

let's drag the "two year graduate degree" into 5 full years.

and now my car, which has been running great for a week, has another cylinder misfiring.

can't i EVER catch a break?

beating a nearly dead horse.

the weekend was good. but it's hard to relax when there's such a dark cloud looming directly overhead, no matter how far you run.

i spent three full days sitting in the woods, which was the good part of the weekend. the bad was the impending deadline and the reality that each day passing was a day closer to it. i worked on the first paper several hours every night and just had to button up a few things i needed internet access for when i got home last night.

when i opened my email, i had a message from my advisor stating, "this is not going to work. Your committee thinks it is impossible for you to have a completed thesis by November 30 th."

just one more kick in the gut on this seemingly endless comedy of errors. no support once again from my "advisor." there are two weeks before the presentation. one paper is completed, except for the revisions they give me. the other is in pieces and will be done by Wednesday night.

i'm just sick of being sick, loosing sleep, skipping meals (thanks for the 10:30pm macaroni, Gina), and this consuming my every thought. i just need to hear "good job, keep going" from the people who are supposed to be guiding me.

thank you to everyone else who is. i don't know what i'd do without you.

the sis.

i can't wait for this project (four-and-a-half years in the making) to be done.

i slaved away for four full days over the results section, read a stats book, performed all kinds of statistical tests and made a dozen graphs, only to be told after the fact that the population of deer i studied was too small to make any statistically significant statements about. in other words, after all this time and work, i can conclude nothing.

i guess that's science. just discouraging. the first half of the thesis is due by the weekend and i'm leaving tomorrow night for deer hunting.



deer season is always a time of restoration. just being out in the woods before daylight, witnessing the transition of the nocturnal creatures returning to their burrows and havens and the emergence of song birds, squirrels, hawks, and other animals of the day is an incredible thing to witness. to sit amidst it all, undetected, is like stepping into another world. a place where there are no deadlines, timeclocks, ringing phones, or traffic.
while i will be working diligently on the project as soon as the sun goes down, the days are peaceful and rejuvenating.

vroom VROOM.

I'm feeling much better after a week-long cold and so is my poor lil' Pontiac.

After visiting a third mechanic in a year to try and diagnosis her stuttering problem, Pro Automotive determined it was just a fuel injector. I replaced them all last summer, so everyone else who looked at it figured that was too simple to be the problem. But it wasn't. Pro Auto didn't even charge me for the diagnosis! I highly recommend them if you need a car fixed in Peoria. Awesome guys!

Anywho, I replaced the faulty injector, installed a K&N air filter and two new front marker bulbs with Silver Streaks and now she purrs like a cougar. I haven't had a tuned machine in over a year, so it's quite a nice change.

The best part is labor was free (i'm too broke to pay myself)!

Going to the Rivermen game in a few minutes with Gina and the Potter's. Decemberadio is playing afterwards. Should be awesome!

brain DRAIN.

I've been sitting in the same wooden chair in front of the same wooden table for 10 hours, 20 minutes. why?

I love this book. Basic Business Statistics, Concepts, and Applications. Ok, that's a lie.

But I've been blessed with a cold since Sunday and it was finally enough for me to call in sick today. So I dove into what I knew was going to be a challenge, but didn't anticipate being this deep. I'm now on page 354.

I've never been the best with numbers, so I'm really struggling with the "results" section of my thesis. But at least now I have some background for support. Hopefully I can knock out the number crunching in another day or two.

November 30th is quickly approaching. sink or swim.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Love, your favorite son.

Office Essentials

Things I MUST have (hint, hint gift buyers abroad) from www.thinkgeek.com.

#1. USB-controlled rocket launcher. This is absolutely critical to maintain my safety and to protect the integrity of sensitive information within my cubicle. It has 360 degrees of horizontal rotation and 45 degrees of vertical rotation. excellent...



#2. Annoy-a-tron. This crafty device can be hidden anywhere. It emmits highly annoying beeps at 2-8 minute intervals to annoy the bejesus out of a pesky coworker. It's nearly impossible for them to find the source of the sound because of the changing interval of emmision. I could have a LOT of fun with this!



#3. Airzooka Air Gun. "Airzooka is the 'fun gun' that blows a harmless ball of air towards any object, person (or animal!). The airball will travel up to thirty feet and beyond... Cackle with amusement as, seemingly from nowhere, you are able to mess up a person's hair, ruffle their shirt, dress, or TPS reports from a distance, or just plain blow 'em away!." Need I say more?



wow, i'm bored.

Helpful Hints to avoid Food Folleys

In light of the recent rash of food-borne illnesses reported to good ole' TCHD, I'd like to use this platform to speak out on proper food safety in the home. Ever think about how Aunt Fanny prepared her special meatloaf or how long the macaroni salad was sitting out at the family reunion before you dug in? Sure, "mom always did it this way," is a great excuse for leaving the turkey out on the kitchen table to thaw over night, but it's also a great way to give you and your family a gift that keeps on giving (a trip to the porcelain throne every 20 minutes).

So let's start with thawing.
If you're going to cook a big hunk of meat, thaw it one of three ways:
1. In the fridge at 41F or below.
2. Under running water (70F) for up to two hours.
3. As part of the cooking process.

What about final cooking temperatures? This ensures the bacteria, or other parasites specific to that animal are killed during the cooking process.
Poultry, Stuffed meats, and ANY reheated food: 165F
Beef, Pork, Ground meats, Game animals: 155F
Fish, Eggs: 145F

Holding Temperatures. No, a picnic basket is not a proper hot-holding unit for the commute from home to Uncle Bob's in Chicago.
Hot foods: 140F or above
Cold foods: 41F or below
Why is this important? Bacteria double in population approximately every 20 minutes. Therefore food contaminated with 100 bacteria becomes 6,400 in just over 2 hours and 25,600 in 3 hours. MMMMMM...

And last, but certainly not least, cool-down. "You mean I can't cook a 5 gallon pot of chili and just stick it in the fridge?" Remember the bacteria? If not properly cooled, those 100 bacteria will become 1,677,721,600 in just 8 hours. A hot pot of chili may take days to reach 41F in a commercial cooler. Talk about a biological weapon!
Here's what to do:
Divide the product into smaller portions (should be no deeper than 4" in a pan).
Cool the product from 140F to 70F within 2 hours. An easy way to do this is to add ice cubes (this won't destroy the product because water will be the first thing to evaporate when it is reheated). Cool from 70F to 41F within an additional 4 hours. Don't put the product into the cooler until it has reached 140F. All the excess heat will only raise the temperature of other items in the fridge! Loosely covering the product during cooling will allow heat to escape while still protecting the food from falling contaminants. Remember to reheat to 165F before consuming!

Following these basic guidelines can help ensure a happy and healthy holiday season!

I also do not recommend consuming more than 2 quarts of chili per sitting.

Chimney Sweep

This afternoon I decided it was past due time to remove the heavy carpet of maple leaves from the front lawn. As I do not own a rake, nor the extra funds to purchase such an implement, I was using a snow shovel to scoop them off the driveway. My friendly neighbor, who must not have noticed how efficiently the scoop shovel was working, offered me his rake. I obliged and before I knew it, I had (literally) a pile of leaves waist high, and 15 feet long in the front yard. Mind you, I only have one tree. I had already filled both of the garbage cans I own, so my only option was to go to the hardware store and buy a bunch of bags.
Done.
Upon returning home, I received a frantic call from my friend and neighbor, Shawn. His words: "A squirrel fell down the chimney. It is now in the fireplace in the living room. What do I do?"
My response: "I'll be right there."

Now, how exactly we were going to remove the furry fella hadn't crossed my mind. All I knew is that we could do it (after all, I HAVE speared a wild boar). But this was different. Squirrels are cute and cuddly.
My first plan was to use a large cardboard box and a sheet (as seen on popular Animal Planet shows). With the apparatus in place, Shawn and I slowly opened the glass doors to coerce the enraged rodent into the box.
No luck. He wouldn't budge. So Shawn got a broom and tried to strike the faux logs stacked in front of it. But there was a slight miscalculation and the pile of ceramic ended up falling on top of the intrepid tree dweller. I gingerly reached in and lifted each log, one by one, off the whimpering beast. When I pulled the last log off of him, the squirrel lept straight up and on top of the flu.
Time for a new plan. I went back home to bag the leaves while Shawn watched and waited for the intruder to come down from his hiding place. About an hour later, Shawn called back. "He's down."
By this time, I had filled all ten 30-gallon bags with leaves and had two piles left on the lawn. from one FREAKIN tree.
Anyway, I ran back to Shawn's house and re-evaluated the gameplan. First, we moved some furniture, opened the front door, and removed the box. This would provide a direct route to freedom. We slid back the glass doors on the fireplace once again and slipped quietly into the adjoining room. The squirrel first jumped at the opening, but then retreated into the corner of the fireplace once again, chucking and chirping loudly. This went on for about 10 minutes. He would not leave the dark safety.
Plan C. Let's use the blanket, catch the little devil, and throw it outside. I crept slowly up to the fireplace and reached inside for the chain to close the flu, just inches above the cowering creature's head. Got it. One more obstacle to overcome-the metal stand that hold the logs was directly in front of the animal, so throwing a sheet over it would be impossible. Shawn and I each reached in and grabbed an end and gently removed the stand.
"Ok, ready? On the count of three..."
"one"
"two"
We both flung the blanket over the animal, not thinking of what the next step would be. But before we could think, the squirrel freed itself from beneath the sheet, jumped out of the fireplace, right between us, scampered through the living room, and right out the front door.
Shawn's wife yelled, "Shut the door!"
Shawn cooly replied, "I don't think he's coming back."

All in a day's work for Justin Ganschow, Health Inspector/Leaf Shoveler/Squirrel Remover

Cougar alarm clock

This is a literal illustration of what every morning at my house is like. he thinks he is SOOO cute. Just because Matt gets up at 5am to go running does NOT mean I also must get up before the sun.

who are you?

brilliant.

good ones

It's been too long since i've reflected on the downright goodness of Gina P. I'm spoiled beyond belief just to know her. She fills my gas tank, brings me groceries when my shelves are empty, cooks delicious dinners with enough leftover for work the next day, drives her car to Chicago for a wedding for people she's never met since mine's a heap, comes over to watch "Heroes" late at night, and this is just in the past 5 days. Her understanding, unwavering faith and encouragement are heaven-sent.
I don't deserve this. Gina, you are too good to me. I love you.

And Momma, thanks for the check and little note. It couldn't have come at a better or more needed time.



i'm auditioning for the vocal team tonight after church. bit nervous...

Wedding Pictures

Yeah, bananas.

Um.......

I don't think there was a specific reason for this attire. Maybe it's just comfortable.

Rifle Shooting

I think this should be the next addition to our pig hunting arsenal. But I won't mount a camera to it.

Chicawga Weddin

Saturday afternoon, Gina and I drove up to Chicago for the wedding of one of my fraternity brothers. We skipped the ceremony, since there was a 4 hour break before the reception started.
The reception started normally, with hourdevours and mingling. Great time to catch up with old friends I hadn't seen since the last fraternity wedding. It's funny how some people never change.
But when the formal reception began, things started to get a bit strange. Here are a few of the highlights:
-Boisterous singing of "God Bless America" at three random times throughout the night.
-A very long presentation by the father of the groom of a package that arrived from the Chicago Polish Consulate (bride is Polish), congratulating the son of a displaced Prince of Slovakia (groom is Slovakian) on wedding one of Poland's daughters. Bob's dad, three uncles, and an aunt wore sashes bearing Slovakia's colors and put Polish regalia on the bride and groom. Hilarious.
-4 men in banana costumes appeared and surrounded the groom at the head table using bananas for guns (groom's father is a Chicago cop). Didn't matter that it didn't make sense.
-One of the banana men later spilled red wine all over the front of himself. Bloody banana man.
-"Happy Birthday" was sung twice, once for the groom's brother (21), and again for Aunt Fossey (80).
-Beets for dinner. Very Dwight Schrute.
-During a slow dance, a literal ball and chain was padlocked to the groom's ankle.
-The entire wedding party danced to "Soulja Boy." I was impressed.
-The photographer sweated PROFUSELY the entire night. He changed outfits 3 times.
not kidding.

I'm sure there were other events I'll remember later. Gina has pictures I'll upload later. All wedding should be as entertaining. maybe.

new song.

Here's a link to Ben and Harold's new song. This is the 3rd of 4 songs they've written and Ben hasn't even been here a month yet. Amazing.

http://www.nwoods.org/storywithchart.asp?storyid=370

Click on "Launch Northwoods Media Player" and then select "Encounter."

I also highly recommend Jeff Schwarzentraub's message, "Lessons from the Wilderness," from last night. Amazing story of the Lord urging him to stop running during the Chicago marathon and go pray over a fellow runner who collapsed along the side of the road. Jeff later found out that the runner, Chad Schieber, died that day, but hundreds accepted Christ at his funeral, which Jeff was invited to speak at. His wife said Chad would have died to know that his leaving this world could have that kind of impact.

What if we all had that impact while we're still here...

Professional Frustration

We had our performance reviews last week at work. This year, our boss required everyone to attain an "LEHP (Licensed Environmental Health Practitioner) in-Training" certificate from the IL Dept. of Regulation. Basically, we had to pay $50 for a piece of paper that says we haven't taken a test, but might if we are forced to sometime in the next 3 years. This is a pain in the wallet, but whatever.

What angers me is the fact that they are going to require us to get the LEHP, which costs $260 to take the prep class for, $100 to register for, and $280 to take the test. They'll only reimburse up to $200 for the class. But we don't get paid for missing days of work to take the class. And they won't pay a dime for registration or the test.

Furthermore, there's no guarantee we'll get a pay raise for having the license. How can an employer require we pay out all this money for pieces of paper and not assist us? Our boss is the only one that has this designation-the other director and food supervisor do not. I guess I'll remain "in-training" for 3 years and find a new job. Government jobs are for the birds. stupid birds.

Flu Clinic.

Yesterday the health dept. held a flu shot clinic at the Moose in Pekin. I was assigned to the glorious duty of traffic cop. So for 4 hours, I waved my pretty orange flag in the direction the cars were supposed to go. While there were a fair number of drivers who either couldn't see where they were supposed to go, or just didn't understand, the closest I came to being flattened was by our very own Disaster Preparedness Coordinator, who came tearing into the parking lot in her suburban while talking on the phone.
Prepare for disaster.

Transformers and Transformations.

First of all I watched "Transformers" at Joe's last night and it was, in a word, "wowzeracious." I wish I had a car that drove itself, adjusted the radio to the perfect song to fit the mood, and transmogrified into a missile-spewing, 20-foot robot to rid the world of evil Decepticons. sweet. But for now, I'll have to settle for a 2001 Pontiac that guzzles 1/8 tank of gas in 20 miles (yeah, that's highway). It's bound for an immanent mechanical death if it doesn't get some intervention soon.

On a more serious note, this weekend at Northwoods was transforming as well. The theme was "Encounter," the first "E" of our new "E4" church model. Ben and Harold's new song "Give me an Encounter," is amazing. I didn't think anyone could fill Steve's shoes as worship leader, but Ben is awesome! Cal gave an empowering message on what it means to be in a relationship with a God that wants us to encounter Him continuously and to free us from whatever has bound us in this world. And then there was the drama...


Our version was filmed from about 5 different angles, so I hope to get all the footage soon to edit it into one video.

For us as performers, it was overwhelming. For the past five weeks of rehearsal, we became a representation of the evils that tear at us each and every day to rip away a child of God from her creator. It was physically and emotionally draining. By the end of the third service, we all bore bruises, scratches, and/or scrapes from the ravaging scene at the end. Sometimes it feels like all the demons are pulling at us at once. There was definitely some spiritual warfare going on in the casts' lives. Injuries, family issues, feelings of unworthiness, etc. abounded during our rehearsals, but on the days of the services, they were washed away.

Cal invited anyone seeking prayer to come forward at the end of the service. It was beautiful and moving to see people burst into tears and sobs in the embrace of strangers because they had just heard the truth, maybe for the first time. Cries of release and elation. wow. THAT is an encounter.

Conference

I've spent the past two days (and will spend tomorrow) sitting in a chair in a hotel in Morton for an Illinois Dept. of Public Health conference for "new sanitarians." I guess that since I've been a sanitarian for 8 months, it's time for an orientation. While I found some of the septic system and well stuff interesting, the food program info is very basic and boring. and there's two days of it.

However, I did find humor when of the presenters spoke about how she's trying to get legislation passed to require inspections for people that milk sheep, horses, and water buffalo. I thought she was joking so I laughed. A lot.

but she wasn't.

She also said she was trained to look for pony carcasses mixed in with beef hanging in meat lockers. I guess people try to pass them off as cows.

My guess is the shoes give them away.

What does 100,000 tires look like?

I don't know.

But that's what we collected on Friday and Saturday in East Peoria. There was a 1,000 tire limit per person, which I thought was a bit extreme. That is, until I saw rusted out S-10's, 1983 station wagons, and a Hummer on 20"'s haul trailer after trailer load in, dump their load as quickly as possible so they could go fetch another heap of spent rubber.
Have you ever smelled stagnant water mixed with rotting leaves and other debris after it's cooked inside a tire for a few months? It's great. And I got to wear some Friday. It was actually kind of fun to get out of the office and get some exercise hurling tires on company time, but I was a bit sore Saturday morning.

Seriously, who in their right mind has 1,000 tires in their back yard.
Oh yeah, it's Tazewell County. Remember, that's where Pekin is.

check.

I had nearly forgotten what a weekend was meant to be. This was the first time in a LONG time, the my calendar was clear for two days in a row. Therefore, I finally got to check off everything that had been piling up on my self-inflicted honey-do list.
#1. There was an addition put onto the back of my house and the area above those rooms had originally been insulated. However, at some point, that insulation fell down from between the rafters and was just pushed into a corner. There is access to this area from an old window on the landing upstairs that has been covered with shutters. So I spend a few hours Saturday morning in the hot, fiberglass-clouded room reinsulating. I hope it makes a difference in the CILCO bills this winter!
#2. Mowed the prairie in the back yard-hopefully for the last time this year.
#3. Cleaned the house, including scrubbing the grout between the tiles in the shower. This is not fun and I do not recommend it. Just sandblast it.

#4. Watched 6 or 7 episodes of Heroes from Season 1. Only 1 more to go before Gina and I can start on the recorded episodes from this season. This show is awesome. seriously. We went out for a very nice dinner at 2 Chez saturday night, then to Starbucks, then to Nexus, then came back home to watch "an episode." When the first one was over we decided to watch "just one more." and then another. it's THAT good.

I'll basically be living at Northwoods this week for the usual Reality stuff, plus preparing for the upcoming drama. You won't want to miss it! Be there this weekend!

thesis

I spent a few hours in the lab at Bradley yesterday afternoon working on crunching numbers for my thesis.
I have a tentative date set for November 30th to have everything completed, presented, and defended.
Due to some mix-up in the grad school, they sent a letter to my advisor stating some of my graduate credits were about to expire. This made no sense, since you have 5 years to complete the degree before expiration and I didn't start grad school until 2003. What's more, they did not notify ME of this. stupid. Anyway, the advisor for the biology department informed me this morning that as long as I'm done this semester, they would allow me to use grad credits I accrued waaaaaay back in 2002.

sooo...if i'm grumpy or zombie-ish for the next 1.5 months, it's because i'm working like a fiend to whip out a masterpiece. or something like it.

The Sting.

Last night the lovely Gina and I caught a performance of "The Sting" at the Peoria Players. One of Gina's co-workers was in the cast. I have not seen the movie, so this stage adaptation was a little hard to follow at times.
My overall impression of the performance was "pretty good." For community theatre, most of the actors did a very good job. There were some technical problems with buzzing microphones and audio levels (very distracting for my ADHD brain), but for what it's worth, the experience was enjoyable.

My favorite part was when Gina jumped out of her seat at the gunshot, even though we'd been warned about it before the play began. sorry, babe.

Priorities

Last night our high school life group began a study on biblical priorities. While I was aware that some of my personal priorities were not exactly in line with what they should be, this was an eye-opening illustration of God's plan for us and how that is best achieved when we align ourselves with Him.

Soo...here are 6 signs that appear when your priorities are a bit off-center.

1. Busy-ness. When time becomes your enemy, you rush from one activity to the next under the guise of being productive, yet producing no fruit. You race from one stop light to the next, always watching the clock. You are often late or out of breath when you get there.

2. Emotional stress. I believe #1 leads to #2. When you are pushed to the limit and overwhelmed by the lifestyle you have created, it is more likely you will fly off the handle by things that normally wouldn't cause you to bat an eye. Intimacy with friends is diminished or non-existant.

3. Financial debt. Bingo. Jesus spent more time talking about money than both heaven and hell combined. And it's not because Jesus wants your money or the church wants your money. It's because HE knew that people cannot serve two masters-and if money is at the center of your life and controls your every thought and action, there is no room left for the real riches HE wishes to bestow. Give the first fruits because it ALL belongs to God. If you "can't" give, there is a defect in your financial priorities.

4. Low-grade, nagging guilt. Do you feel down about yourself and your situation? Chances are, it's a result of one of the previous 3. In our busyness we come home exhausted, lay on the couch and eat junk food, or pick up worthless fast food at the drive-thru. And then we feel bad, look bad, etc. If you are stressed you may seek relief in sinful behavior, only to then put on a blanket of guilt. Or you spend money you don't have, deepening the debt...and guilt and so on.

5. Prayerlessness. If you experience 1-4, is there time or room left for prayer? Do you blame Him for your situation and therefore cut off the ties of communication with the One who seeks to turn your life around? You should reserve the most productive time or most peaceful time of the day to talk with the Big Guy. If you start your day off in the word, it will change your perspective.

6. Escapism behavior. Do you binge on junk food for a quick fix only to return to the fridge 20 minutes later for something else? Do you spend hours of your life watching mindless tv shows and when the night is gone or your weekend is wasted wonder where the time went? Are you an impulse buyer? Do you feel so bad about your financial situation that the only way to ease the tension is by buying something you don't really need on credit? It makes no sense, and yet, I am guilty.

I have made many changes over the past few years in my lifestyle and I now see that more are on the way. It's not that God wants to ruin your fun or take your money, it's that he wants to reward you. And the greatest rewards come when your life takes the form of His son's.

silent protest

Today I am protesting Columbus day by going to work.
Why does this country celebrate someone who murdered, raped, and enslaved native people for his own profit. He started the slave trade in the "West Indies," capturing hundreds of natives and shipping them back to Spain. Usually 1/3 of them died before reaching their destination. Ships could navigate to the "New World" by following the floating trail of bodies. Back in the islands, slaves were worked to death. If a slave did not bring back enough gold after mining all day in the hills, Columbus would have his hands cut off and hung around his neck to set an example for the others. Entire villages were wiped out for no reason at all, eventually causing a war between the natives and the Spaniards. Columbus believed he was bettering the natives by introducing his "culture."
And he most likely didn't even land in North America. It makes no sense! Of course, history books don't teach students the truth. They just make up cute little rhymes and give them the day off of school.

I hereby renounce Columbus day and request it be replaced by Leif Erickson day.

because Vikings were much more civil.

Unitarian Wedding

Just got home from my friend Aaron's wedding. He asked me to be a groomsman back in the good ole' days at Great Central Insurance. The wedding was held outside at 12:30 at Wildlife Prairie Park (another former employer of mine). It was an absolutely gorgeous, but bit toasty, day! There's nothing like standing in direct sun in a black tux on a humid, 90 degree afternoon. Luckily, the ceremony was short.
The reception was in the A/C, and was very classy. It was cool to be back at the park and see some of my old animal and human friends. Of course, I had to introduce Gina to the cougars.

Ever heard of a Unitarian Universalist? I hadn't. But that's what the pastor was. The ceremony was definitely different. The readings were from Maya Angelou and some other guy, there was no mention of scripture, holy covenant, etc. He did mention "God" in his closing prayer. And the recessional music was to the tune of "Onward Christian Soldiers," which I thought was strange.
I did a little poking around to see what these UU's believe. Apparently, they take some from Judaism, Christianity, humanism, and make some stuff up themselves and call it good. They have no creed and encourage their members to search for truth on any path they choose. From the glimpse I caught today, it appears there is a lot of focus put on the individual person and worldly experiences. No mention of heaven. How hopeful.

Overall, it was a lot of fun. Two quotes I'll share:
"Is it taped like a shypewriter?"
"Then we'll have the words of resentment" (um, "pastor", I think it's remembrance)

figures.

today was supposed to be a food inspection day, on which we are required to wear business casual dress. i also have to be at a wedding rehearsal at 5pm, so i wore nicer clothes than usual.
however, there was a geothermal well inspection called in and i was the only one here who could do it. normally, we go out the day after the work is completed and the site is fairly dry (or at least the standing water is gone).
when i arrived, however, the drillers were still grouting the wells, which meant there was 8 inches of mud, water, and snot-like grout covering the entire yard. after staggering through muck for about 30 minutes taking measurements, my nice khaki pants were splattered with mud and grout from the point where my knee boots ended to my belt (front and back). freaking great.
i found a pair of extremely wrinkled pants (missing the button) in the trunk of my car so I attempted to wash the excess krud off my pants back at the office. they are currently hanging over the hand rail outside.

i'm so happy it's friday.

Why eating out scares me.

Yesterday, while inspecting a local franchise, I performed the usual test on their sanitizer buckets to ensure they were at the proper concentration. When I got a strange reading with the test strips, I brought it to the manager's attention. She, in turn, asked the employee (currently making pizzas) what he put in the sanitizer buckets. He walked back into the dish room and pulled a white bottle off the shelf above the sink. When the manager saw this, she informed him that although in the same color bottle, this was NOT bleach. "Destainer" is not a sanitizer.
So, I read the label. It is to be used to treat stained carpet, laundry, coffee pots, etc. If it comes into contact with the skin, it is to be flushed immediately with water and if swallowed, the poison control center is to be called.

Comforting to know that if I hadn't been there, this would have been used to wipe down all food-contact surfaces and utensils, poisoning their faithful customers. I wonder how many days he'd been using this...

On second thought, they probably don't clean anything anyway.

Enjoy your lunch break.

baptism by fire. and foam.

I saw this guy on the Today Show this morning.



Minutes after takeoff, the right engine on his vintage plane failed, causing it to spin and dive over 200 feet and crash on the shoulder of I-95 in Florida. Miraculously no one on the ground was injured. The fuselage was completed destroyed, the cockpit obliterated. And yet, even more miraculously, all the pilot suffered was a broken arm and leg and a few cuts and bruises.

He stated this morning that this has put things in perspective. Before he was an agnostic, but after seeing the pictures of the scene he couldn't help but acknowledge "some help from above."

I'm glad we don't all have to survive a plummet from the sky to meet HIM here on earth. However, I hope Robert Robertson does not take this for granted, develops his faith, and shares his story of a second chance at this life given by the ONE that gives and takes away.

rest and reminders

Rest: Wednesday nights are always a much-needed pause in the heat of the oh-so-hectic life I stumble through (I've only been to the gym once in the last 7 days). And last night's could not have come soon enough. It's hard (maybe I'm just not disciplined enough) to just sit in stillness and listen to what HE is trying to get through. It's ironic that the busier we are, the more we need direction and focus, yet the busier we are, the more difficult it is to listen to the ONE that gives direction and focus.

Reminders: I've been reading Nehemiah lately, and something in chapter 8 struck a chord. As the people were rediscovering the law, they read that they were to live in booths made of branches during the feast of the seventh month. This was a time of celebration, but they were to go out from their new homes in the restored city of Jerusalem to live in shacks. And they did it without reservation or complaint. Why?
Because it was a reminder of where they had come from and where God delivered them from. The exiles had returned from out of the desert and had been richly rewarded for their obedience.
As Tim pointed out last night, we should each keep a record of answered prayers and the points in life when HIS presence was revealed. In good times and bad, we can look back and be reminded of what HE has done and what HE has delivered us from.

Amazing story worth reading...

In 1986, Peter Davies was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from
Northwestern University. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Peter approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could, Peter worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its face, stared at him for several tense moments. Peter stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Peter never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Peter was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to near where Peter and his son Cameron were standing. The large bull elephant stared at Peter, lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Peter couldn't help wondering if this was the same elephant. Peter summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder. The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Peter legs and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn't the same elephant.

Lessons in Wasting Time

I say all this with a light heart because while frustrating, when you are with a friend, even wasted time is a good time.

Goal for the day: remove old windows, frame and install replacement windows.
Time frame: 5 hours.

First task: Go to Lowe's to acquire lumber (must rent truck because 10' boards to not fit into the 3' deep trunk of a Toyota.
Note: Forgetting your wallet in the apartment requires an additional round trip, adding 35 minutes to your "short" trip to get materials.
Sub-note: Upon second attempt, forgetting your insurance card in the apartment will result in the inability to rent truck. If you do not bring a responsible associate with you that just so happens to have an extra insurance card in their wallet, you are in trouble.

Second task: Drive to house to get additional supplies for the apartment. Done.

Third task: Deliver lumber and supplies to apartment. Done. BUT, then after unloading, realize that lumber has to be cut to size and milled on equipment at house. Reload lumber and drive back to house and unload again.

Fourth task: Return truck. By some miracle of the god of fossil fuels, the truck had more gas in it when we returned it then when we got it (at least according to their paperwork).

Fifth task: Drive back to house and mill and cut lumber for installation.

Time's up. Goal achieved? Not even close.
But at least we laughed...through the tears.

Magazine Debut

The boar hunt pictures are in the lastest issue of "Adventure Sports Outdoors Magazine" on page 58. Pick it up at your nearest sporting goods store in the central Illinois region. Here's a link to the pdf. of the page:
http://www.asomagazine.com/magazinepdf/0907/058.pdf