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.