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

done. almost.

1 Saturday, 12 temporary food inspections. two were busted for not submitting applications. shame, shame.

i'm too tired to be witty.

only one tomorrow. then sleep.

where have i been?

Wow. Where the heck does time go? On one hand, I'm glad things at work have FINALLY picked up. I've been busy almost the entire day-every day-for the past two weeks. I don't know what has sparked the change, but I welcome it. Too much cube time makes Justin go crazy! On the other hand, I have weekend duty this weekend. Thankfully, it's my last assignment for the year. I have EIGHT inspections on saturday so far, and they keep coming in. sheesh.

What else is new?...life groups are starting in Reality, which is exciting. I'm hoping for another year of growth and craziness with the high school guys. They rock.

I have once again attacked my thesis with a vengeance. Now that lab work has finally been completed, I'm working on data processing. If anyone has access to the stats programs, "Prism" or "SigmaPlot" I'd love it if I could borrow it.

Tommorrow night is the "Redneck Drive-in" at the Dean's. Meet at Northwoods at 7:30pm to caravan (with or without mules) to our makeshift movie extraveganza!

um...that's all. Leaving early again today to hit the gym...the joys of comp time.

this came in the mail yesterday:

Girlfriend Day

Happy BIRTHDAY to Gina!!!

This lovely young (yep) girl is celebrating the day of her birth today! Email, call, or send a singing telegram to her.

I love you!

work week recovery

I had an exhilarating, but exhausting weekend that I will be recovering from over the next few days. Where to begin...

Friday night I went to the gym (as usual), then went over to Molly and Ryan's new house to help with some renovation. I enjoy destroying things with blunt objects, so I spend the night demo'ing a ceramic tile entry way. Whoever installed the thing should work for the department of defense. The concrete board under the tile was glued, screwed, and nailed to the plywood. I left bloodied and battered, but not defeated.

Saturday I got up at 6 and headed to Pekin to run my first 5K. I've never run over 2 miles in my life, but wanted to see if I was capable of 3.1. It was brutal (especially the last hill) but I managed to finish in 22:19, which put me 25th out of 101 runners (including little girls). It was fun once the feeling of imminent hurling subsided after the race. I may just do another one sometime in the distant future.

After the race, I went back to the Hite's to work on the house again. With a HUGE team effort, the laminate floor was laid in the living room and nearly all the tile was put down in the kitchen by the end of the day. The ladies had almost all of the painting finished as well. What an awesome thing for friends to come together in community to help each other out. Charlie reiterated this in his message at Nexus saturday night. beautiful.

Sunday we celebrated Leslie's commitment to a new life, free from shadows of the past. You can read more on Charlie's blog (http://charliedean.wordpress.com/). It was a great reminder for me of why I made the same decision to follow Christ and leave the worldly life behind. Leslie, you are awesome! It takes a bold and courageous heart to step out and declare what you have.

Reality last night was uplifting as well. The room was packed with new students and new leaders. Eric called someone up on stage from each school represented. People from 14 different schools had come together (some drive nearly an hour each week together) to hear a crucial and dangerous message. THAT is awesome!

So despite the aches of the strains I put on this body this weekend, I am rejuvenated in what God is doing in Peoria and in the lives of my friends. I wish I had weekends like this all the time (minus the running)!

looking back

looking back over the past 5 months or so, life has changed.

it doesn't matter what hurdle i'm facing or how stressed i am because i now have someone who is here. someone who cares and really, honestly wants to know how my day was or what i'm thinking about.

when i think about Gina, i can't help but smile. her charm is infectious, her laughter contagious. she is everything i wanted and more than i knew i needed. i don't know how i will ever thank her or be as much for her as she is for me.

with others from the past there was always a glaring issue of self-confidence or weird family issues or baggage they wouldn't let me help carry. or all of the above. i am so thankful that Gina is the complete opposite.

i have also stepped away from the young adult "house group," which was fun, but lost a lot of its intimacy when it exanded from a small group of friends with bible study, discussion, and prayer into a social gathering for whoever wanted to attend each week. i now have two brothers, chris and joe, i meet with each week. i wouldn't trade that time for anything. the connection between two men who are strong enough to share their weaknesses, shortcomings, and desires with each other is a powerful thing. and the fact that both of them are insanely hilarious helps too. it has challenged me and grown me spiritually.

it's only been 5 months. i can't imagine where life will go from here. i am listening intently for what is in store. i only want to trust and obey, and live faithfully.

Josiah

In 2 Kings 22, Josiah, the king of Judah decides to repair the temple of the LORD after 100's of years of idol worship and kings that refused to submit to God. As construction is underway, a high priest finds the book of the law in the temple. He gives it to Josiah's secretary, who reads it to him. And he freaks out when he hears what God has commanded his people to do and realizes how far they have strayed. He says, "Great is the LORD's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us." He instantly sends for a prophet to inquire what God has in store for he and his people. While God condemns the nation to destruction, he allows it to stand while under Josiah's reign.

Josiah was ignorant of the law God sent down because his fathers had turned away from it and buried it within the temple they neglected. But when the truth was revealed, Josiah drops everything to make things right. What if the leaders of the nations of the world would listen to the laws we are all commanded to follow. Not the laws of men, but the laws of the creator of men. Will the world continue to worship itself and place idols in the high places, resulting in it's own destruction? We must all be more like Josiah and spread the word to those who have not yet heard it!

Labor Day in Review.

Wow, what a weekend. I need one of those more often (like today).
Saturday my lovely girl, Gina, slaved away cleaning the house while Shawn and I picked up the new 61" Samsung at Best Buy (I'm still sorry it took so long Gina). I still had time to mow and trim the lawn and finish cleaning though. Thanks to everyone who came to the cookout-it was fantastical.

Sunday afternoon was spent playing pool volleyball at the Dean's. More delicious eats! I think I ate my body weight in carbs this weekend. mmmm... Then we watched "Blades of Glory" with Gina's bro, Wes.

Yesterday we lounged. I washed the cars and we went for an evening jog (or maybe it's pronounced "yagging," it might be a soft "j"). In other news, I locked myself out of the house for the 2nd time in a week. Good thing I have the skills of a burglar. forget i said that...

how sweet is this?

I normally don't pay for an "extended warranty" on anything. But when I bought my 52" Toshiba HDTV two years ago, I decided to pay the extra $400 for the 4-year plan because it was a floor model. The bulb has to be replaced annually and they cost $100 (you do the math).
Ever since I've had it, the high definition input (HDMI) was very fussy. The cable had to be juuuuuust right in order to get a clear picture. I finally called the repair man to come look at it. He said major surgery would be required to fix it. He ordered the part in July and it still hasn't come in. So he called today to tell me that under the contract, I was now entitled to a brand new tv. All I had to do was take it to Best Buy and get a new one.
I called the store and they said they no longer carry that model, but I can get ANY tv, up to the price I originally paid. When I asked what models were comparable, the salesperson said I could get the best unit they carry for the same price now. And it will be brand-spankin new-not a floor model.

Sometimes things work out deliciously. Now I just have to find a truck...

an anomoly

Yesterday I watched "Bowling for Columbine" for the first time.
Yes, I realize I'm 5 years late, but honestly I thought watching it would cause me to dislike Michael Moore more than I already do. However, I caught the first few minutes of it the other day and decided to give him a shot (pun).
Going into it, I figured it would be Moore's personal agenda against gun-owning Americans and a bunch of liberal propaganda. And true to form, it was there.
BUT, he did make some good points that got me thinking.

Canada has approximately 10 million families and 7 million guns. Yet, there are only 35ish gun-related homicides in the entire country each year. Compare that to the U.S. and there are over 100,000 each year. We've had 1/2 the Canadian average already in Peoria this year. The same goes for other countries across the world: Germany, Britain, Japan, Australia, etc. There are just as many guns in these countries, their citizens watch the same violent movies, play the same violent video games, listen to the same "metal" music, etc. But there is no where near the rate of gun-related crime.

While there are no easy answers to this epidemic of violence in our country, it is obvious that taking guns out of the hands of responsible citizens will not solve the problem. There is an evil deep in our culture that must be uprooted and exposed. The fear instilled in its citizens by the news media, the level of poverty and denial of basic health care needs, and America's trigger-happy government must change. If only we would adopt some of the policies and practices of our peaceful neighbors, we could move from the "land of opportunity" to the "land of tranquility," and we gun owners would not be persecuted by congressman who know nothing of such things.

Pekinites.

So explain to me this:

I had to do a well inspection today in Pekin on 1st Street. In order to get to said location, I was required to turn left on North Street. When I did so, however, it took me on a loop back to the road I turned off of. Apparently there is a North North Street and a South North Street. South North Street was approximately 74 yards down the road on the other side of an empty lot. 1st Street starts and ends on either side of the lot. Both North North Street and South North Street are two blocks long. Who in the world thought this was a good idea? Pekinites...

good morning

I've avoided drinking coffee at work for approximately 2 months now, but this morning I gave in. Just needed a little pick-me-up.
There is never any sugar packets in the kitchen so someone brought in a styrofoam cup full. I can't stand artificial sweeteners so I decided to add a little from the cup, even though it wasn't covered and could have been tampered with by biological terrorists.
I tipped the cup ever so slightly and tapped the side and a sugary conglomerate the size of a chicken egg broke off like an ancient glacier into the ocean of my coffee mug.
Needless to say, there's a little extra zip in my zip-a-dee-doo-da. yum.

hunt'n vids

Since I'm a huge dork, I posted the opening sequence of my two latest hunting DVD's on youtube. And here they are for your viewing pleasure.


Obviously, the quality is reduced, but you get the picture.

the struggle within

What do you what to be when you grow up?

Probably one of the most asked questions you'll hear throughout your childhood-young adult life. And it's one that I keep asking myself.

I don't know why I can't be content in a job.
Maybe it's because I'm impatient, or because I want too much too fast, or because none of my employers see things the right way (my way-sarcasm). Or maybe it's because I've sought employment at the wrong places for the wrong reasons.

This weekend, Cal delivered a message that hit me between the eyes. Identify your strenghts-the ones you enjoy, and hone them. Develop what you love doing and go after it. It's simple. But it takes a lot of guts to turn away from security, however unsatisfying it may be, to go out on a limb and try to make a living doing what you truly enjoy.

All I know is that if I continue on this path, doggy paddling my way through life, scraping to get by, sooner or later I will drown. I don't want to waste this life. I don't feel I will ever be happy working under someone's thumb. If I'm not free to create things and explore what I am capable of, I feel suffocated.

Sooo...what do I do?
I'd love to run my own video production business. I know this isn't something that is built overnight. I get a great amount of satifaction and happiness when I can share what I've created with other people and they are entertained! To date, I've only done one project for $, and I think it turned out very well. My thought is to start a website, where customers can send in their own footage (home videos, sporting events, hunting footage, etc.) and I will edit and produce professional DVDs. Start small, think big. One day I could have my own crews going out and filming events themselves. Who knows.

Maybe I'm out of my mind. Maybe I should just be complacent and happy where I am. Maybe I'm over-dramatic. I just want to be able to look back on my career and say, "that's what I wanted to be when I grew up."

2006 Trojans DVD

I'm delivering the final product in about an hour. Here's the opening video!

a mixture

Let's take a look at what's going on in this week's headlines...

Yesterday afternoon the secretary came back and said there was a man at the front desk to see me. As I wasn't expecting anyone, I was surprised when I walked up there and saw my grandpa (who lives 2 hours from here)! Turns out he was at a farm equipment auction about 1/2 mile from the office. Very cool.

Our softball team won last night, which makes three in a row (our longest streak this season). That puts us at exactly .500 for the season, heading into the tournament tomorrow if the rain holds off long enough.

My Uncle Dave visited the guy with the outdoor show on Wednesday and dropped off 4 of my dvd's for him to preview. He was "very impressed" and hinted at me possibly doing some editing work for him. We'll see if that goes anywhere! He also wanted my photos from the boar hunting trip for his magazine. pretty cool.

Gina and I had a wonderful evening with her relatives Wednesday night. I think their whole family is blessed with some kind of cooking gene that turns everything they touch to culinary gold. I know I will never go hungry with Gina around!

And lastly, Cougar, my little angel cat (not) stole a chicken breast off the stove last night that was supposed to be my lunch for today. I found it mauled on the kitchen floor. He's not my favorite person at the moment. My life is exciting.

David Crowder-Praise Him

I love this video.
It's a reminder that wherever we are, whatever we're going through, we must stop...and praise him...

Sleeping at Last

Careful Hands

Sleeping At Last -

on music

There is something in music that awakens the soul, lifts the spirit, or soothes a wounded heart.

Last night the incredibly gifted band from Chicago, "Sleeping at Last," played at the Warehouse. When they were here a year ago I had never heard of them. I bought both of their albums after the show and have listened to them dozens of times since. I was looking forward to their return all summer, to say the least. And they did not disappoint. They've crossed the boundary from relatively unknown Christian artists to the "mainstream" and have had one of their songs featured on "Grey's Anatomy." Their talent and unique crafting of word and music is moving. There was even a marriage proposal during "Umbrellas," a song about love, marriage, children, and life (no, it wasn't me).

So what is it between those chords, drum beats, and melodies that causes a transformation of the mind? In 2 Kings 3, when Elisha is seeking wisdom from God, he says, "But now bring me a harpist."
While the harpist was playing, the hand of the LORD came upon Elisha...
The word of God came through the music.

Which reminds me of a conversation with a friend I grew up with in church, who has for the most part walked away from anything resembling a church. He, however, worships music. A roommate of his professes to be an atheist, but says there is something about music that is "spiritual" to him. It moves him in an indescribable way.

Could it be that through the locked doors of an unsaved heart, God knocks loudly through a drum beat? Can a guitar riff pierce the darkness and reclaim that which is lost?

now bring me a harpist...

just when you think you've seen it all...

Today at lunch, the head of the food program here at TCHD told us about an inspection he was on yesterday at a local establishment.

After some other strange discoveries and "fishy" answers from the manager, he proceeded to check the walk-in cooler. The cook prompted him by saying, "Oh, we don't use that anymore." All the more reason to investigate.

When he approached the unit, he saw the door was off the hinges.
strange.

But not as strange as what he found when he looked inside.

There on the floor was an toddler, playing with a bunch of toys in front of a very large tv and a fouton. The cook explained the child was only there during summer vacation and would be gone in two weeks.

ummm....yeah....about that....

hard times.

It seems there are seasons in which bad things happen.
Not just in your own life, but in the lives of those around you.
It makes the world seem desolate, evil, and hopeless...

The Bradley soccer player who lost his life, and his friends involved that have had theirs forever stained.

The wife of a friend who turned away from the Truth and divorced him for worldly desires.

Church family members diagnosed with untreatable diseases.

An uncle's father killed in a motorcylce test ride while his son looked on.

A special forces soldier deployed to Iraq days after the birth of his child.

15 homocides in Peoria in less than 8 months.

It's all a reminder that we are not in control. Our only option is to have faith in the ONE that does.

Frisky Felines

I love cats. Who could possibly deny the humour they constantly produce?

Celebrating corn.

Gina and I had a fantastical time in Mendota over the weekend. It was the 60th Anniversary Sweet Corn Festival, so all the locals were out in full force. It's always cool catching up with friends from high school. Each year there are more faces that I can't seem to put a name to, which is sad.
It was also great spending time with my fabulous family. Mom and Dad are just now putting the finishing touches on their newly remodeled downstairs and it looks amazing! I wish I had before and after pictures to post. I walked in the front door and almost fell over. No resemblance of it's former self.
But today it's back to reality. Gina had to go back to work after an all-too-short summer break. I had to inspect a restaurant fire in East Peoria-but got ice cream afterwards, so it's all good.

I can see an end to the Mendota High School Football dvd project I've been working on for the past few months. I picked up an HP Lightscribe burner last night so I can burn two dvd's at a time now. Each DVD set contains five discs, which take 40 minutes each to burn. 20 sets were ordered, so that means 100 discs x 40 minutes=67 hours of burning. I probably have 200 hours invested so far between editing, producing, photoshopping cover and disc labels, etc. I'm shooting for the end of the week for completion! Woohoo!

Unbelievable.

Please, somebody pinch me.

I just got off the phone with the producer of Adventure Sports Outdoors on the Sportsman Channel. And NO, this isn't because of the Cache Connections commercial!

Approximately 1 year ago, my uncle (and hunting buddy), ran into Harry Canterbury at some insurance schmoozing event. Dave knew who he was and starting talking to him about our many adventures and the DVD's I had made. Dave said Harry was interested, so I sent him a copy of last year's Texas hunt. I didn't hear anything from him and had completely forgotten about it.

Well about 30 minutes ago, my phone rang. It was Uncle Dave, who said there was someone standing next to him that wanted to talk to me. It was Harry. He said he liked my footage and wanted to put it on his show! I'm meeting with him in two weeks to go over the film and do some editing. I can't believe it! SUPER PUMPED.

And unlike the previous regional commercial, he said it will be broadcast to 10 million viewers around the world and will be on their website.

seriously, pinch me.

a lil' rant.

I just finished 1 Kings a couple of days ago and have started reading 2 Kings last night. I am amazed that king after king of Israel and Judah would either a)follow God's commands for awhile, then turn to idol worship and subsequently be destroyed, or b)worship idols or false gods completely and subsequently be destroyed, along with their entire family and all their friends, prophets, etc.

How big of a dullard (fun word) do you have to be to not recognize a pattern here? Worshiping the one true God=prosperity and peace. Worshiping the gods you created to make life convenient for you=death, destruction, being eaten by dogs, ravens, or lions (your choice).

And then comes Elija, who stands defiant in the face of the cruelest king in the history of Israel, Ahab. He challenges the 400 prophets of the king (who would tell him whatever he wanted to hear) and their god. But none could stand in HIS way. And they were subsequently consumed (by dogs, yum).
Following him was Elisha, who gave up all he knew to become a prophet and warrior for God. He became twice the prophet as Elija, just for asking for it.

I heard a statement from Mitt Romney the other day. He said he wasn't "running as a Mormon" for president. In other words, his religion didn't define him or what he would do as a leader of this country. Don't we want someone who clings to their beliefs and convictions as our leader? Do we want someone who falls away when questioned about what he (or she) is all about? Do we want someone who will just tell us what we want to hear, or do we demand they do what is right because it is right?

A recent article in Time highlighted the leading Democratic candidates and their "religion." According to the author, Democrats have realized that a person's religion is now a popular aspect of their campaign because it has worked for the Republicans. The article featured a picture of Obama, Clinton, Edwards, etc., with the religious affiliation of their upbringing, name of their current church, and favorite hymn. I laughed. Is this all it takes? Their favorite hymn?! What about the impact of their stance on the tough issues based on their faith? I guess if they like "Amazing Grace," or "His Eye is on the Sparrow," they deserve our vote.

I just want someone to recognize the pattern of idol ($) worship in this country. And break it. I want a candidate who is real.

p.s. If anyone knows of a good church in South Carolina, John Edwards is "still looking."

ahhhhh

It's Friday. 4:06pmCST.
24 minutes to freedom.

You know, it's funny. All week, the day I look forward to the most is not Saturday or Sunday...it's Friday.

Don't get me wrong, Saturdays are great-usually spent working on something around the house or traveling somewhere for an event, organization, etc.
Sundays are just too close to Monday morning to get too excited about.

But Fridays hold a certain mystery and anticipation. Think of all the things we could do in a two-day, work-free adventure. I still have to brave through a grueling 7.5 hours work day (slightly sarcastic), but only quitting time rolls around, I get excited. Even if I have nothing planned! actually, i prefer it that way...

I wish.
I wish I could end every day with the same level of anticipation and excitment for tomorrow as on Friday night. To live a life where I don't have to drag myself out of bed and through the work day, just to get to the end of it. I have a good life. Why can't I appreciate it to the fullest extent?

Maybe I'll ponder that on Sunday. After all, it'll take my mind off Monday morning...




p.s. Gina is leaving for Florida tomorrow. Sad time for me and cougar. Happy time for Gina, Summer, and Leslie!

Shaklee On Oprah

Check out the Shaklee Story.

Do Not Worry.

Easier said than done sometimes, right?

When the storms of life are pounding on your door,
When you are standing at the foot of a seemingly unclimbable mountain of doubt,
When there seems to be no glimer of hope in sight,
When you feel stranded in a sea of strife,
When all the world wants more than you can give...

Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

The path has already been paved,
The map inked in blood,
The lamp has been lit to lead the way,
All you have to do is listen and obey.
Life is on the horizon.

Pavlov's Cat

It's been awhile since I've posted anything about my beloved Cougar. Those of you who have had the privilege to meet this frisky feline know he's more dog than cat. For instance, he greets people at the door with loud yowls, pawing, and earlobe licking while standing on top of the tv. When I leave for work, he lays on the living room floor with his chin on his paws, looking forlorn.
Recently I've noticed that when I get home late at night, that I end up with drops of moisture on my arms as he's trouncing around my shoulders like a parrot. I was a bit concerned and confused.
Last night, however, I identified the source of the mysterious substance...
Cougar's favorite times of the day are right after I wake up in the morning and when I get home after work because he gets canned cat food (with delicious gravy). If I come home from work, leave again, and then return, he assumes he's getting fed again.
Pavlov's law at work. He automatically salivates to the point of drooling when I get home. Disgusting. And adorable. I'm going to get him a bib.

lab and shedd

it was one of those mornings that took all i had to get out of bed...

Friday after work I headed to Bradley to begin the process to analyze my last set of samples for my thesis research. This was the third time I'd run the "last" set because the ELISA (Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay)had failed during the previous two attempts. To give you an idea of how this works, picture this: you take a technologically advanced drinking straw, called a pipette, to suck up a fraction of a droplet of liquid and place is into a well, which is smaller than a pencil eraser. There are 96 of these wells on a plate, each which must be filled with a different sample or standard concentration of chemical. There are 3-4 different solutions that must be pipetted into each well-a very tedious and nerve-racking process. It took 4 hours to do the first part of the procedure Friday night. Then I picked up the plate and other supplies Saturday morning and drove down to the SIU med school in Springfield to analyze them. This is where I get the numbers that tell me how much stress hormone is in each sample from the specific animal being studied. Before the analysis can be done, however, the wells have to be rinsed 5 times with a detergent. So, as per protocol, I rinsed and as I was emptying the solution, the plastic strips of wells in the plate all popped out of the plate and fell into the sink. Furthermore, the geniuses who came up with this design did not label the strips so there is no way to determine what order they go in. So now I have a bunch of numbers that are good for nothing because I don't know what animal they belong to. What a great waste of 8 hours of my life and a trip to SIU. Am I destined to not finish this thesis or what?

Sunday was better. Gina and I accompanied the Reality group to Chicago for a day on the town. Some went to a Sox game, the rest wanted to shop. We had no desire to go to the game and shopping would only mean spending money that didn't belong to me (because I have none), we went to the Shedd Aquarium. Neither of us had been there since Jr. High. The dolphin show was the best! They also had a lizard exhibit open and had a gigantic Komodo dragon on display! We walked to and from the aquarium from Michigan Ave, so had a great opportunity to enjoy a beautiful day along the lake. Dinner was at Ed Debevic's. It's always nice when you can enjoy a meal while being yelled at and harassed by your waitress.

Dirty Word

I've come to enjoy Mondays. NOT because of the start of the work week, but because of what happens at the end of the day.

I've been meeting with my friend, Joe. Joe has lived a lot of life in his 28ish years here. He's been a cabinet maker, a mechanic, an Army soldier, an Airforce Sergeant, and most recently, a father.

His ability to quickly master any task he puts his mind to never ceases to amaze me. He is a man of incredible depth, and yet probably the funniest guy I've ever met.

Joe and his wife decided to buy a 4-unit apartment building in a not-so-good part of town a few months before the baby was born. It has turned out to be "a bit of a project," renovating each unit to get them rentable.

Here's where it gets interesting-we started out meeting as a bible study/accountability partner deal. But what was weighing more heavily on his heart and mind was getting the apartment ready so they wouldn't be paying 2 mortgages at once. I suggested that after work I would meet him at the apartment and we would work each week, while engaging in The Word. Therefore, getting dirty while in the word.

And it's awesome. I love seeing things come to fruition, not only in building of the physical, but also in reigniting a fire of faith. It's easy to push aside time spent in the word when life gets heavy. I'm just thankful Joe and I can share that, while at the same time learning from ANOTHER carpenter.


p.s. we don't wear tights like the fellows in the photo. that would be weird.

Asian invAsion

Wow, that was cool.
The premise of shooting flying fish out of the air with a bow and arrow sounded like fun. But let me tell ya, it's a whole lot cooler than it sounds.

Here's the scenario: You're standing on either the bow or the back of a pontoon boat, cruising up and down the river banks at full-draw. Without warning, a 10-20 pound dolphin-like silver creature errupts from the muddy water and disappers just as quickly, sometimes skipping across the surface like a flat rock thrown from the shore. Your goal is simple-put an arrow in the sucker.
And holy moly, is that hard to do!
The hardest part is just keeping your bow drawn in anticipation. It's two days later and my shoulder still hurts!

So, you may be thinking, "how many did you get?". I hit one. And scared a lot more. The total confirmed kills for the entire boat was 6. But at least now we've got it figured out. Next time we'll need a barge to carry off their stinking, bottom-feeding, carcasses.

Oh, and I got a really sweet tanktop sunburn. Feels like I'm wearing a tshirt made of sandpaper.

kamikazee carp

tomorrow i'm headed out to the Illinois River for some redneck fishing (shooting flying fish with a bow).

i'm sure it is much harder than it sounds, as you are moving, the fish are moving (fast), and you're shooting a relatively slow-moving projectile, which requires you to lead the target and predict their movement.

if nothing else, it will be a boatload of laughs. i'm bringing the video camera.

yeehaw!

here's a link to a video of some of our local fish shooting celebrities:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=SGWiaqGjQaU

Intellectually Challenged Individuals

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I live in a semi rural area. We recently had a new neighbor call the local township administrative office to request the removal of the Deer Crossing sign on our road. The reason: "Too many deer are being hit by cars out here! I don't think this is a good place for them to be crossing anymore."

IDIOTS IN FOOD SERVICE:
My daughter went to a local Taco Bell and ordered a taco. She asked the person behind the counter for"minimal lettuce." He said he was sorry, but they only had iceburg. He was a Chef?

um, i don't think there are any "chefs" working at the local taco bell.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I was at the airport, checking in at the gate when an airport employee asked, "Has anyone put anything in your baggage without your knowledge." To which I replied, "If it was without my knowledge, how would I know?" He smiled knowingly and nodded, "That's why we ask."

IDIOT SIGHTING:
The stoplight on the corner buzzes when its safe to cross the street. I was crossing with an intellectually challenged coworker of mine. She asked if I knew what the buzzer was for. I explained that it signals blind people when the light is red. Appalled, she responded, "What on earth are blind people doing driving?!"

IDIOT SIGHTING:
At a good-bye luncheon for an old and dear coworker - she was leaving the company due to "downsizing." Our manager commented cheerfully, "This is fun. We should do this more often." Not another word was spoken. We all just looked at each other with that deer-in-the-headlights stare. This was a bunch at Texas Instruments.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I work with an individual who plugged her power strip back into itself and couldn't understand why her system would not turn on.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
When my husband and I arrived at an automobile dealership to pick up our car, we were told the keys had been locked in it. We went to the service department and found a mechanic working feverishly to unlock the drivers side door. As I watched from the passenger side, I instinctively tried the door handle and discovered that it was unlocked. "Hey," I announced to the technician, "its open! His reply, "I know - I already got that side." This was at the Ford dealership in Canton, Mississippi.

IDIOT SIGHTING:
I had to have the garage door repaired. The Sears repairman told us that one of our problems was that we did not have a "large" enough motor on the opener. I thought for a minute, and said that we had the largest one Sears made at that time-a 1/2 horsepower. He shook his head and said, "Lady, you need a 1/4 horsepower." I responded that 1/2 was larger than 1/4. He said, "NO, it's not. Four is larger than two." We haven't used Sears repair since.

STAY ALERT! They walk among us .... and they REPRODUCE!

on the other hand...

it's exciting to see what's on the horizon for reality.

a new season with a new perspective.

what truly matters is the students and their deepening relationship with HIM.

people will always fall short-it's our nature.

all we can do is carry on, obeying HIS will.

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

what do you say?

when someone you love is publicly made a spectacle.
when their flaws are bared to the ones they lead.
when their pain is exposed by one who is supposed to protect them.

no one is perfect or above reproach.
but as Paul writes, when character changes are required, who better than a friend to bring them to light. then one other person. THEN the church.

if a mission of the church is to grow each person in it, why push one in need aside and replace them, rather than pick them up and get behind them.

so many unanswered questions...

my prayers are with you, friend.

take me away

hohum.

Let's see...what's new?
The new roommate, who was supposed to move in last week, bailed. Without Gina and her incredible generousity and support, I'd be at the blood bank right now selling my plasma. The other guy that is moving in the first week of August is still in, as far as I know. So that will help a bit.

The supervisor for the food program here at the health department inspected our kitchen/break room this morning. We got a 56. 75 is failing. bunch of hypocrites.

I'm really getting into the mission of the Shaklee Corporation. They have some incredible products that are all-natural, biodegradable, and work just as well or better than other name brand products that are toxic to us and the earth. AND they're a lot cheaper since you buy in concentrate. Cuts down on physical waste from packaging, greenhouse gases from manufacturing and product transportation, etc.

On the other hand, my heart has been very heavy for the past 2.5 weeks. When politics slither their way into the church and capture someone close to you, it's hard not to feel the bite as well. I just pray for the same grace and peace he has displayed so bravely.

thankful

GINA IS BACK! GINA IS BACK! GINA IS BACK!

Gina has returned from a long week at Castaway camp in Minnesota. We spent yesterday sharing stories of our separate adventures while apart, watching a couple movies, playing with crazy Cougar, and went to an interesting edition of "Confession" at Riverside.

Kyle is moving out today for Atlanta. I lived next door to him for a year at the fraternity house and then for the past three years at Burncrest and Yellow House. It's going to be sad to see him go, but he's got a great opportunity at an art foundry near his dad's house.

work has been taxing lately. i don't hate my job, or even dislike it. i'm just not passionate about it. it's just something i do. hmm...

cha ching.

Thank you to all who prayed, crossed their fingers, etc. that I would be blessed with a roommate to lessen the financial burden or homeownership. I showed the house to a guy on wednesday and another last night. I now have two renters-one of which will be moving in next week and the other the first week of august!
This is the first time that while I felt the pressure of the situation, I did not doubt that God would provide. I think that I am FINALLY learning to have patience and remain faithful in the wait.




And Charlie, I agree with you on the humility thing. losing hurts, but it hurts a lot more when it happens week after week after week. at least we're still having fun...kind of...

like brother, like sister

my sister, Jillian, has a new blog: http://artisticinspiration.blogspot.com/
there is no doubt we are relation after reading her first entry.
wow.