Random Meanderings

2006-10-06T07:49:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone.

Bobo continues to grow and to be the absolute CUTEST puppy there ever was!
With the helpful hints from Zoner, I may try to put some pics up before long.

The baseball playoffs are in full swing. My favorite team, the Cardinals, have played so well the last two games, that I am in shock. I really thought they would lose this series to San Diego in 3 straight games. Of course, since it's best of five, they could still be "swept" out of the playoffs. At this point, though, it looks like STL goes to the championship series......to receive the beatdown from the NY Mets. Oh well.

This weekend at church is our annual Spiritual Life Conference. Three sessions, all day Sunday, with Dr. Mike Wittmer from Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, part of Cornerstone University. I have the privilege of leading singing, and presenting special music in Session One. "Who Am I" by Casting Crowns.

IE (my dear wife) is scheduled for surgery on Oct. 26, for removal of the gall bladder. Hopefully this clears up the recent troubles she has had.

Illinois football is still sky high after the upset of Michigan State at East Lansing.
It's homecoming this weekend, with the Illini hosting Indiana.

So, how bout all the flap over Mark Foley and the contact with congressional pages? Very inappropriate and ill-advised, to be sure. But isn't it funny..........
Democrats always demand the resignation of any and all Republicans when scandal among Republicans breaks out................yet if a Democrat scandal erupts, Democrats DEFEND their boy.........and accuse those who disagree of being "intolerant." So really...................who is more intolerant?

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Bobo is home.....and I didn't go stark raving mad.

2006-09-29T09:12:00.000-05:00

In last week's post, I mentioned our new puppy Bobo. He came home yesterday. It was his first day without his brother & sister (who were picked up by their new owners about an hour before) and mom & dad. He is sooooo cute. Purebred Daschund (sic) born August 8. The cutest thing is that when either IE (my dear wife) or myself would pick him up, he would snuggle on us and go to sleep. Which presented our first challenge: bedtime. Being alone for the first time, in his new carrier, was very hard on him. Our cat Lily is eight years old and doesn't really know what to think of him yet, and she is very large. Anyway, Bobo, being alone, howled and cried all night. And trying to pick up on the housebreaking training will be a challenge. He has not yet sucessfully used the potty pad at our house. There will be trying days. But he will be worth it. Did I mention how CUTE he is? We have taken some pictures; using some tips from The Zoner (thanks for the comment and tips, my friend!) I hope to be able to eventually put up some pics of Bobo.

Otherwise how are things? I was not personally audited here at work during the big time we had here this week; my colleague at our #1 plant was. She did well enough for them to leave me alone..........LOL.

IE and I will be attending a seminar sponsored by Crown Financial Ministries tomorrow. Since financial problems, and the resulting integrity questions, were at the root of suspending my blog last year, (see August 2005 archives), this is something that is needed. I have seemingly always been a spendthrift, and I must be more disciplined in handling the resources that God has trusted me with.
Even now, with IE's varied ailments and temporary reduction in her income, we are having some challenges financially. This seminar is a necessary first step toward becoming a better steward, and a more responsible man.

Have a great weekend, and for the whole clan here in east central Illinois, (or as it would be known south of the Cook County line, Downstate), keep your stick on the ice.

Life can be hard.....but God is good! All the time!

2006-09-22T09:17:00.000-05:00

It's been crazy around here since my last post. IE, my dear wife, had another episode of nausea and pain early the morning of Sept. 19, requiring another trip to the emergency room. She was given medication to stabilize her condition, and a sonogram was performed. She will meet with a surgeon on Sept. 29 as the next step in this journey. The common denominator in both ER trips: a seafood dinner at the local Mexican restaurant. Symptoms were the same in both cases. So.........no more visits to that restaurant for the foreseeable future.

We are getting a puppy! He is now six weeks old, and won't come home for another two weeks or so, but he is ours. A miniature Dachscund (sic)
black with brown around his eyes and feet. We have named him "Bobo" after the Petsmart TV commercial showing the weiner dog with his favorite toy. The toy is named Bobo, and when the opportunity came up to get this puppy, I knew I wanted to call him Bobo. If I can figure out how to add pictures, I will show him off. Those of you who know how, feel free to email me with detailed instructions. LOL

Next week is crazy at work. Our factory is being audited for recertification necessary to continue supplying automotive parts to the auto makers. I have twice the work now, being responsible for two separate plants. I hope I don't go stark raving mad.

Have a good weekend, and for IE and Bobo and Lily (our 8 yr. old cat) and all the gang up here (or down here, depending on your geographic location), keep your stick on the ice.

A wild and wacky last few days

2006-08-30T08:49:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday IE and I helped her birth mother move. Sue has a lot of stuff..........a LOTTTT of stuff. She's moving into a smaller apartment, but in a newly built complex for senior citizens 62 and older; she's 64. Didn't get it all moved; not with two minivans and only the three of us. She needs more help than we can give her.

Sunday night IE became nauseated during our pastor's sermon. (No, it wasn't his fault, LOL) Within 45 minutes she was doubled over in severe pain. Went to the ER; an IV was administered with nausea and pain meds. ER doc seems to think it was a gall bladder attack. She is getting a sonogram today at 1 pm to see what's going on.

A cold and rainy day here in our corner of IL. High temps in the 70's through next week though. That's cool.

*Midweek Musings*
-The Emmys really sucked. A plane crash skit, when the whole country knew of the KY crash earlier that day? Yeesh.
-Katie Couric takes over CBS Evening News on Sept. 5. Yawn.
-Pastor Tom at Blessings and Other Stuff has decided to suspend his blog indefinitely. Been there. Hope to read you again soon brother.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Update and "Midweek Musings"

2006-08-24T08:07:00.000-05:00

Is it possible that summer is almost over? Now, you must understand, I have my own view of when "summer" is, which doesn't go along strictly with the calendar. To me, "summer" begins on the Friday before Memorial Day, and concludes on Labor Day. I guess I got used to that during my school days sooooo long ago. LOL

I have taken on additional tasks at my job. I am a quality auditor on the receiving dock at my plant (known as Plant 3). On Aug. 11 the lady who performed this job at Plant 2, was laid off. She was told it was for one week, but if she returned to work, it would not be in our department. So I now have responsibility for the work at both plants 2 & 3. Back in December of 2003, she had a stroke at work. I filled in for her at that time while doing my own work. She returned to work after six weeks. The reason for her layoff is lack of work; i.e., reduced amount of product coming in for inspection. It is not that I can't handle the workload; rather, it is maintaining two offices, following all procedures, working with two very different shipping departments......you get the idea.

IE (my lovely wife) continues to struggle with knee pain. In a previous post I detailed this. She is scheduled for therapy beginning after Labor Day; if successful, great. If not she will need surgery. I worry about the effect of possible surgery on her job status; in 2001 she was terminated from her job when she could not report back six weeks after rotator cuff surgery on her right shoulder. Canned on Christmas Eve, no less. She likes the day care center where she is now, but her co-worker, working with toddlers, gave her 2 week notice yesterday because her teaching credentials from Wisconsin, do not transfer to Illinois, according to the Dept. of Children & Family Services. The center was forced to cut her pay, and she gave her 2 weeks. Because of this, I am fearful of what surgery on IE will do to her position. We'll deal with it if it comes.

"Midweek Musings":
*Does anyone really care that Tom Cruise was canned by Paramount Pictures?
*Does anyone really care that the Emmy Awards show is on this Sunday night?
*K-Fed? Who is that? (as if we didn't know) And what is he doing "rapping" and using filthy language at the Teen Choice Awards?
*I voted for GW Bush twice; first time, glad to do so. Second time, started out glad, but starting to wonder......

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

2006-08-18T12:46:00.000-05:00

The surprise party for IE's birthday came off very well. Our anniversary was the next day. We agreed to postpone the celebration until the weekend, which is now here. Whoo Hooo! Off to Red Lobster for us either tonight or tomorrow night. She deserves it. In fact, she deserves better than what I can give her, but I digress.

I don't know if any of you watched the series "America's Got Talent" with Regis Philbin, but the winner was announced last night. Eleven year old(!) Bianca Ryan of Philadelphia won the million dollar first prize. I'm glad for her. The first time I heard her sing on the show, I said to IE, "They should just give her the million dollars RIGHT NOW!" It is somewhat ironic in that American Idol judge Simon Cowell was executive producer of AGT, and so young children were allowed to compete, yet Idol has an age limit from 16-29. Of course, Idol is designed to find the next singing star, where AGT was open to all kinds of acts. Just found it interesting.........

Have a great weekend, and until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Eight Years Together

2006-08-15T09:24:00.000-05:00

Today marks the completion of eight years of marriage for IE and myself. Here is a 'brief' rundown of how we got together:

In 1997 I was really struggling with being single. Then my pastor gave a message on being contented. The point being that, as Paul said, we are to be content in every circumstance, knowing that God is in control. I realized that I had been so concerned about my singleness that I was actually being disobedient. That summer I did something for myself. I took a summer class in broadcasting at the local community college. My dream since age 13 had been to be a radio announcer. Taking the class was a step toward realizing that dream. It was a fun course. Toward the end of the class, my instructor told me that he had recommended me to the manager of a local country music station to fill a weekend overnight shift. I was happy. I was on the air, and I was beginning to find contentment.

In April of 97 I met IE for the first time when she and her mother visited our church. IE and her mother became regular attenders. In October IE became a Christian. Following that event, she joined the choir, and I began to befriend her. On New Year's Eve, we were both at a get together at the home of some friends. I was scheduled to go on the air at midnight. IE and I were seated next to each other during the party. We talked and got to know each other better. I had to leave the party at 11pm to make it to the station. I hated to leave. Four days later, on a Saturday, during a period of time when I should have been sleeping, IE called me. We agreed to have dinner and see a movie. I fell in love that night. And told her so. She was more cautious. It took her two weeks. After a whirlwind six-week courtship, I proposed at a church Valentine's Day banquet. She said yes. Six months later, on August 15, 1998, we were married.

We have had tough times. IE has been hurt more than I would have expected. Rotator cuff surgery, a chronic back condition, emergency appendectomy, current problems with her right knee (which may or may not require surgery)....I tease her that with this history of physical injuries she should be playing for the Cubs......LOL! (Tom and Zoner, it's a joke) :-)

We do not have children. Adoption is our only hope. The price tag is currently out of our reach. Plus our ages (I am 41; IE just turned 42) probably works against us. IE is currently working toward being certified as a pre-school teacher through the day care center where she works. I am very proud of her. I don't know what I would do without her.

That's our story. As Paul Harvey would say, "Eight years.....on their way to forever together."

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

A (hopefully) big surprise.

2006-08-14T09:08:00.000-05:00

It's August, and there are lots of birthdays and anniversaries of family and friends this month. Today, my wife IE celebrates #42. I have a surprise get-together planned at one of our favorite restaurants, Ryan's Buffet. Our friend Terri, who is one of the managers, helped me set it up. I don't think IE has any idea. Hee Hee.

Yesterday was my friend Lisa's birthday. I called her and we talked for about fifteen minutes. I've known her since I was 17, and she was 14. One of the big blessings of my life is the fact that we are still friends, and still in touch. We went to my senior prom together. (I think she felt sorry for me.....LOL) She has been, and continues to be, a dear friend. I am so thankful for her. Her husband Don is a good guy as well, and they have 3 kids. In fact, Don videotaped my wedding to IE.....eight years ago tomorrow. That's right, wife's birthday on August 14, wedding anniversary on August 15. Convenient, eh? Through everything, Lisa has been a good and dear friend. I am blessed.

IE loves me so much, and I sometimes feel so undeserving of her. She is a beautiful, sweet, loyal woman who is quiet and a bit shy until she knows you. Then she can open up and be a lot of fun. I don't know what I would do without her. I had accepted the fact of lifelong batchelorhood....even become content with the thought....and then, along she came. She has not had things easy....but has overcome the obstacles, and has accomplished good things, and I am very proud of her.

Tomorrow's post will include the story of how IE and I got together.

Until then, keep your stick on the ice.

Reflections, part 2...

2006-07-31T12:01:00.000-05:00

This post is about my father, Charles. Yesterday, July 30, was the four year anniversary of his passing from complications of diabetes and bone cancer.

When I was very young, Dad was busy as a railroad engineer. He would be gone 3 and 4 days at a time. When he was home, he did take time for me. I remember when I was six years old.....Dad bought a new riding lawn mower. This would not happen today...but he took the old one, and taught me how to operate it. He even let me have a small part of the yard to mow. I thought that was really cool.

From the previous post, you know that a new friend of Mom's began to have eyes for my dad. He moved out when I was seven. At the time I didn't know any other kids whose parents were split up. I thought it was my fault. It wasn't, of course, but that's what I believed......for quite a few years. And so from the time I was eight, I began the routine of so many other kids of divorce..........staying with Mom, visiting Dad basically whenever he was home. At ten, Mom and I moved away. So, being two hours away cut down a lot on the time I had with him....mainly alternating holidays and summer. There were times in summers that I would go to his house for maybe a week, and he would be gone four or five days. So I was left to reconnect with old buddies in town or hang out around my 3 stepsisters.

Five months after Mom and I moved, Dad married Dorothy. He told me in a phone call. It was the easiest way.....it was about two weeks before Thanksgiving in 1975. I was ten; turned 11 three months later. And so things continued in this manner up until Dad was involved in a train wreck in April 1981, which hurt his back severely. He was off work on disability when Mom died in July of 1981. After the funeral, I was told that I would be going to live with Dad & Dorothy, back in my old home town. I didn't want to go. I begged Aunt Norma to take me. In point of fact, my mother had written a will designating Norma as my legal guardian, and she would have taken me if Dad had died in the accident. But he (thankfully) was living, and as my natural guardian, he assumed responsibility for me. I was devastated and heartbroken. I went and finished my last two years of high school. At 19 I moved out on my own. I maintained a good relationship with him, and my stepmother, through my 20's into early 30's. Then, at 33, I met IE (my now wife). We became engaged on Valentine's Day 1998. When I took IE to meet them, it was apparent a problem existed. In a letter (written in Dorothy's hand, and signed by them both) I received a few days later, it was stated that they were against the marriage, and that I needed to consider their feelings. It concluded with "we will NOT be attending this wedding." IE is mixed race; white mother, black father. I am as white as they come. As a result of this I wrote back pleading with them to change their minds. No response.

August 15, 1998. The big day. Just before going to the place to prepare to begin the ceremony, I instructed the ushers (two of my older uncles) that if Dad & Dorothy came through the door, they were to be escorted to their place in church auditorium. I held out hope that I would see them when I entered.

I did not.

IE and I were married. For four years Dad & I didn't speak. Then, in 2002, my niece Kara was getting married. Her parents (my brother and sister in law) sent an invitation to both IE & me. We joyfully accepted. In the lobby of the church, after going through the receiving line, Dad and I spoke for the first time in four years. Dorothy said nothing to me. It was then that I realized, that I had punished my dad, when the problem was my stepmother. We all went to the reception afterward. Everyone who I introduced IE to could not have been nicer. Dorothy continued to ignore us. It was okay though; Dad sat with us and talked with us, and we got caught up. Dad treated IE so well that her opinion changed very quickly.

Seven weeks later, the call came that Dad was in home hopsice care. He was dying. I went home on Friday, July 26, and stayed till Sunday nite. Had to go to work. 9:30 Monday morning, another call. Could be any time....IE and I left immediately. Tuesday evening, 9:15pm.....Dad died, with family at his bedside.

After the funeral, I spoke once more to Dorothy on the phone, to make plans to gather to share the cards and remembrances each of Dad's kids had gotten. In addition to me, he had two daughters and a son from his first marriage. Dorothy said she would call to let me know. I waited, and waited,...............no call. If there was a gathering, I wasn't told. That's when I realized that she never had any use for me. Not really. To her, I was a reminder of my mom. Dorothy and I have not spoken since.

Regret #1: Not being at Mom's bedside when she died.
Regret #2: Being mad at my dad for 4 years and almost missing the chance to reconcile. Looking back, Dad never mistreated IE, never. He was kind and gracious. At that time, and for the length of their marriage, Dorothy was in control. I could not have even seen my own father without her being around. It doesn't excuse what I did; I chose not to talk to him for four years.

In these posts I have attemped to follow the commandment to "Honor thy father and mother."

Reflections...

2006-07-27T08:46:00.000-05:00

Today marks 25 years since the passing of my mother, Ruth. She was born in 1935 in Warsaw IL, the seventh of eight children born to Raymond & Lulu, and the fifth girl. Two older brothers died in infancy. The family barely survived during the Great Depression. Lulu (my grandmother) died in 1943, when Ruth was only eight.

Times were tough, but the family did survive. Ruth grew into a beautiful young lady. She married a man named Lester, and the marriage was rocky, to be kind. During this time, a daughter was stillborn. She was named Janice Lynn.

Lester and Ruth divorced. In 1962, Ruth married Charles, a railroad engineer, in Warsaw. On June 2, 1963, twins were born, nearly three months prematurely. After about five hours of life, Jerry Lee and Julie Ann died within minutes of each other. On February 27, 1965 a son, Robert William (me) was born. In 1967, Dad transferred back to his home area near Beardstown, IL.

Ruth struggled for several years with the fact that Charles, as a railroad engineer on the road 3 to 4 days a week, had "lady friends" in a few cities that he went to. She knew, but tried to work through it. In 1971, they became acquainted with a couple with five kids. The lady became friends with Ruth. The friendship ended when the lady, and Charles, began seeing each other. Both couples eventually divorced (Charles & Ruth in 1973) and Charles moved in with the lady, Dorothy, and her five kids.

In the summer of 1975, Mom and I moved back to her hometown of Warsaw IL. Leaving the town where her marriage had ended was an easy decision for her. Not so much for me; I was ten, but didn't remember ever having lived in Warsaw as a baby. Surrounded by family, however, the transition was made easier.

Mom did date; none of whom I thought was worthy of her. She was everything to me. She was the one who raised me. Then in April 1980, she became very ill with what was diagnosed as hepatitis. Her condition worsened, and she was rushed to a hospital in Quincy IL. In surgery, her gall bladder, spleen, and pancreas were removed. She went to the hospital at 160 pounds; she returned home weeks later at 109. She was diabetic, and needed to have daily insulin shots. I was fifteen years old. I was stunned. I tried to be a better son. She wanted me to learn how to give her the shots. I just couldn't...I couldn't do it. On good days, Mom was able to be up and actually do light housework until about noon; after that she was forced to bed, sapped of strength. In the beginning she slept in the bed in her bedroom at night, and spent afternoons on the couch. As her illness progressed, the hideabed in the couch became her sleeping place, and I left my upstairs bedroom and slept in her room. A few months later, even in the midst of fighting with greatly varying levels of blood sugar, and unbeknownst to me, she began chemotherapy for cancer. My Aunt Norma heroically cared for us both from the day Mom first became ill, and took care of me when Mom couldn't. Mom had to go to the hospital several times during this period of about fourteen months in order to stabilize her condition. Then in late July, 1981, she went into the hospital for what would be the last time. The first day, her sugar level was 155; in less than 24 hours it was 376. At that point she went into a diabetic coma from which she did not emerge. However, when you spoke to her, she could hear you. We were told, (this was a Friday) that she would not live throught the weekend. But she did. On this day, 25 years ago, a Monday, after getting off my summer job for the day, Aunt Norma and I went to the hospital. I told Mom that I had not forgotten that her birthday was the next day, July 28. I said that I would have something for her to mark the occasion. Then Norma took me to her home.

Just after seven o'clock that evening, the phone rang. It was the hospital. Norma needed to go back. She asked if I wanted to go............I said no. What I didn't know, and Norma didn't say to me, was that Mom's death was imminent. At 9:45 pm, Mom passed away. I had gone to bed just after 10. Norma came into the room where I was sleeping at 12:45 am, and told me that Mom was gone. To this day, I regret that I was not at Mom's side when she passed away.

Ruth was a wonderful woman who wanted those around her to be happy. She worked hard at whatever she did. She believed in God from a young age, but became a child of God during her initial stay in hospital; a young minister who also taught at my school, showed her the way from the Bible, and she was saved.

It has been 25 years. I am 41 years old. I still miss her every day. But I know I will see her again! Praise be to Almighty God!

I am humbled and honored.

2006-07-25T07:35:00.000-05:00

There are a few blogs that I check and read on a fairly regular basis. You will find several of them listed to the right. This morning I went to one of my favorites, Tim Ellsworth's blog. I encourage you to read his posts. He has done some updating, and has seen fit to include THIS BLOG on his list of links. I am humbled, honored, and thankful. During the first incarnation of this blog (January-August 2005), I was added to the links list of a blogger from the UK. It really is cool when someone takes the time to add your blog to their links list. Thanks, Tim. You made my day.

This past weekend........I got to be a kid again,........for a little while. IE (my dear wife) and I joined our friends Darryl and Karen and their sons, along with Karen's parents, in a trip to Chuck E. Cheese's in Bloomington IL. If anyone is wondering, it's a pizza place with lots of games for kids, like you would find in an arcade. The kids loved it, and IE and I played some of the games as well.

Beginning this Thursday, July 27, I will be reflecting on my parents. To offer a bit of explanation, July 27 is the day 25 years ago that my mother passed away. July 28 of 1935 was the day she was born. My father passed away on July 30, 2002. Since the passing of Mom, the 27th and 28th of July each year have been tough. Four years ago, July 30th was added to that list. More on this subject is coming.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Think about it................

2006-07-19T13:42:00.000-05:00

Seen on a church's outdoor sign:

"If you stretch the truth, it may snap back at you."

Midweek Musings

2006-07-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

*It appears that bragging about the seven game win streak of the St. Louis Cardinals has put a jinx on them. The Atlanta Braves came to STL and have soundly defeated the Cards by scores of 15-3, and 13-5. And yet, the Cards somehow manage to remain in first place in their division. And so, I must keep any "bragging" to a minimum.

*The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah continues. I don't claim to know all about what is happening. I do know that the Bible talks of "wars, and rumors of wars," and I sometimes wonder whether IE (my lovely wife) and I will grow old together here on earth. Whether we do or not, we know that we both are children of the most high God.

*Speaking of which, did you hear the one about the judge in Hawaii who found a man in contempt of court because the man said "thank you Jesus" when he was found not guilty of child abuse. It stems from the charge that the man struck his 15-year old son with a broom handle. The truth, which came out in court, is that the younger brother hit the 15-year old with a car door. The judge had instructed the counsel for both sides not to display emotion at the time of the verdict. The defendant's attorney evidently did not have opportunity to inform his client of this instruction; thus the man cried out in praise to Jesus. The judge ordered him held in contempt; six hours later, the judge dropped the contempt charge. The Bible says that the name of Jesus causes offense.............

*High temperatures and humidity continues in central Illinois. It's July; no surprise about that. Might get a break this weekend; temps fall to 85.......................

*Anybody else absolutely SICK of TomKat, Brangelina, and Paris Hilton?

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

"Feelin' HOT HOT HOT!!!!!"

2006-07-17T12:12:00.000-05:00

My oh my. Is it ever hot here in Illinois!! Good thing it's slow at work, and my office has central air conditioning. :-)

The Middle East is heating up again. Wars and rumors of wars............sometimes I wonder how long, O God? How long?

The STL Cardinals are riding a seven game winning streak. WHOO HOO!

IE (my lovely wife) attended an education conference on Saturday. She is working toward certification to teach pre-school children. She earned nearly half the hours she needs to put toward her application to become a CDA (child development associate). She is already a CNA (certifed nurse assistant). I told her both of those would look good on a business card. :-)

Take care, stay cool, and until next time.......keep your stick on the ice.

Mmmmmm,................iced tea.......................

2006-07-13T07:19:00.000-05:00

Time Passes.............................

1976:
Going to a new hip joint.

2006:
Getting a new hip joint.

Pieces of history

2006-07-10T13:33:00.000-05:00

It was a good weekend. On Saturday IE (my lovely wife) and I joined six others in journeying to Springfield IL to visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum (www.alplm.org). It is simply outstanding. The complex is made up of two buildings, the museum to the north, and the actual library to the south with an above ground walkway adjoining them. We spent nearly six hours in the museum. The buildings are impressive and very clean. There are reproductions of Lincoln's boyhood cabin in KY, a reproduced facade of the front of the White House, two very impressive theatres with shows that cover the life of Lincoln, and many other features. If you are near Springfield, or will be going there soon for any reason, I highly recommend a visit. They do presell tickets, and since the complex is just over a year old, they will have large crowds for a while, I'm sure. Use the above website for more information.

After leaving Springfield our group had dinner at Cracker Barrel in Decatur IL. The group of eight became ten, as IE's birth mother Sue and our nephew Brandon joined us for dinner. A good time was had by all.

Sunday..........of course was worship at my church. It was a baptimal service. A former Muslim, who has renounced Islam and embraced the claims of Christianity, was baptized in the morning service. His wife had come to Christ several years ago, and she has been fighting cancer for at least the past 2 years. The man's four daughters, along with grandchildren and other family members, were present for this special time. The glow on his wife's face spoke volumes. She had prayed for this day for YEARS. In our church's understanding of baptism, we baptize by immersion, full body, in a large tank. We believe that the Bible teaches that baptism is an act of obedience following conversion to Jesus Christ. Baptism itself does not take away sin. Baptism is a public declaration of a person's salvation through Christ, and his desire to forsake his former way of life in order to follow Christ in obedience.

Have a good day, and as always...........................

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

"INFERNAL MACHINES!!!!!"

2006-07-06T13:21:00.000-05:00

This morning, when I came to work at 6 am, I thought it would be like any other day. I opened the door to my office, entered, and turned on the computer. Or at least I thought I did. The CPU unit would not turn on. Even when I contacted our tech support for help. Their suggestions did not work. Finally, at 10 am, one of them came over and, after almost dismantling the entire unit, found that the power source was defective. He replaced it, and I was in business.

Very slow here at the plant. We are in the first week of a seven-week slowdown period, which is common in the automotive parts industry. I still come to work and get paid, and for that I am thankful. Thursday is typically the slowest day of the week, and today is no exception.

Yesterday I read that two officers with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are getting married. So what, you say. What's the big deal? Their names are Jason and David. Go to www.mensnewsdaily.com and scroll down till you see the article intro in the middle of the page.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

2006-07-05T10:30:00.000-05:00

The long weekend is over, and so back to work. I can't believe how quickly four days can go by. Started out badly with an infestation of japanese beetles on Saturday morning. IE (my lovely wife) was attempting to hang laundry out on the line. These rotten excuses for flying critters immediately landed on the wet clothes AND WOULD NOT LEAVE until I started waving a fly swatter at them like a crazy man. Ended up, since our dryer is not heating properly, going to the local coin operated laundromat. That afternoon, we attended our niece Lexi's ninth birthday party. Kids ran through the water sprinkler, adults sat under the shade trees with their chosen beverages. Sunday of course was worship, with lunch at a local Ryan's buffet restaurant. Monday kinda sucked though. We have a minivan....and the storage for the spare tire is underneath the vehicle. Seems that you have to turn a bolt on the very back floorboard in order to raise or lower the apparatus which holds the tire in place. After much struggle, the nut/bolt stripped out, leaving the tire dangling under the vehicle about four to six inches above the ground. No amount of turning the bolt would move it in ANY direction. A friend of mine came over with some bolt cutters and snipped the wire. So now the spare tire will be stored inside the van behind the very back seat. Unless...........I can use bungee cords to hold it in place in the luggage rack on TOP of the van.........? (suggestions welcome)

My dear friends Darryl & Karen (along with their 2 young sons) arrived Monday night from their home in British Columbia, CANADA, where Darryl is a pastor. In fact, he now pastors the church where his father pastored when Darryl was a boy. He is a gifted musician and computer techie, and as nice a man as there is. Karen is like a sister to me. We have known each other for 16 years, since she moved with her family to the town where I live. Being from Canada, and homeschooled, the prospect of her senior year being spent in an American public HS was a bit disconcerting to her. She credits me with tutoring her through American civics. She is a gifted pianist, teacher, and most importantly, wife and mother. They will be here until August 2. It's good to have them home.

July 4 was spent watching our town's parade, a cookout with games at our church, competitive karoke at a friend's house, and watching fireworks at dark.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

"Where's God?"

2006-06-29T14:09:00.000-05:00

A true story from last night at Vacation Bible School:

It was a good night. The kids had fun, and enjoyed singing.

At the end of the evening, I was taking down the laptop computer

we use to project the lyrics onto a big screen. One of the VBS workers,

Lin, came up to me. She said that during the evening one of the little girls

in her class would ask from time to time, "Where's God?"

Lin would explain that God is everywhere.........at the same time..........

no matter where we go. Finally the little girl pointed to the front of the

stage area where I stand to sing with the kids. "No, I mean him (referring to me)...

God!"

I was speechless.

How do you respond to something like that?

2006-06-28T08:13:00.000-05:00

I previously wrote concerning the Vacation Bible School currently taking place at my church this week, and saying that I would blog about it. So here it is.

Our theme is "Set Sail! Spread the Good News!" A one-week program, 90 minutes each evening Monday-Friday. Around 25 children have been attending so far. My job is to sing with the kids and teach the songs, as well as the opening exercise which includes a brief skit related to the lesson for the evening.

File this under "children are a treasure from the Lord": There is a young girl named Emily who is in VBS this year. This is her second one; she came last year when she was 4. Our age group is 4 years old through completion of sixth grade. Emily is absolutely adorable, just a beautiful little girl. She is also a bundle of energy. Last night, after the last song was sung and it was time to go home, the children filed out of our auditorium. I was there gathering my belongings when, suddenly, here comes Emily! She runs down the aisle and literally runs right into me for a big hug. I gave her a hug and talked to her a bit, then she was off running again. A few minutes later, with me still in the auditorium, here comes Emily again! This time, she stops about two feet away from me and just smiles the biggest smile. I take a step toward her, and she hugs me again. We walk out of the auditorium and she goes with our piano player, who is bringing her to VBS.

This may seem like it is not noteworthy, but as a 41-year-old man who is not a father, what Emily did....made me feel good, to be honest. IE and I cannot have children "the old-fashioned way," and in our current financial situation, adoption is too expensive. My heart longs to be a daddy. When a child feels safe enough to come up to you for a hug, especially when you are not part of their family, that is the most sacred trust that I can think of, outside the bonds of marriage. I simply cannot understand how anyone could hurt, harm, or abuse these precious children.

IE, my dear wife, visited the doctor yesterday. She had been experiencing leg pain for several days. It seems that she has a torn ligament, and a superficial blood clot, behind her right knee. She is off work at least today and tomorrow, and out of VBS as well for those two days. She was helping with crafts. She must wear a large knee brace, and alternate the use of ice and heat on the leg. That's what they told her. Said to come back in a month unless it gets worse. She saw a physician's assistant who is a member of our church, so I am trusting his instructions............for now. :-)

With July 4th on a Tuesday this year, the plant where I work is closing on Monday as well. There is a possibility that I will be called upon to work Monday at one of the other plants in our company; there are 3. I hope I can get Monday off; I could sure use 4 consecutive days off.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

2006-06-23T13:43:00.000-05:00

There are times when other people just frustrate you to no end. Such is the case today. I work in a factory; specifically a plant which manufactures interiors for various vehicles. The materials manager is in a snit today because he was given some parts that he declared definitively were damaged by the freight delivery company. In my role as receiving quality auditor, I check to make sure that the parts are good to use. The manager sent an email to me AND my supervisor with his charges, asking what can be done to ensure that this does not happen again. Well, mr. manager, there is NO CONCLUSIVE PROOF that the damage was the fault of the freight company and that I simply ignored it. Once I approve it, the parts are moved to a storage area, plus they are transported to different areas of the plant. Once I mark them as OK, I HAVE NOTHING FURTHER TO DO WITH THEM. He is doing this because he needs something to gripe about. In the past two years he has been taken out of this plant 3 times on a stretcher because of stress brought upon himself through his intense personality. It's funny that he is paying attention all of a sudden; usually any problems with purchased material are dealt with by going over me. Hmmmmm.................maybe somebody's watching HIM a little more closely......................................

Otherwise, how are things? VBS at my church starts Monday night. Unlike past years, we had only two months to prepare. The organizing meeting was in April and it starts June 26. In the future, I will watch closely to make sure this type of scheduling doesn't happen again. I'm sure I will be blogging during the course of the week about how it's going.

Have a good weekend.

A new week.

2006-06-19T07:30:00.000-05:00

Greetings. I hope your weekend went well. I did something I had never done before. Now, before you get all excited or something, it was rather mundane work. I mowed my lawn. Yawn. But I started doing it at 6:30 am on Saturday. Yes, you read that right. 6:30 am. It really didn't phase me, since during the work week I get up at 4:15 am in order to be ready to clock in at the factory at 6:00 am. I got the idea from a neighbor, whom I observed awhile back mowing her lawn at 5:50 am one day as I was driving to work. So I thought to myself...................."Self,... you oughta mow Saturday morning REEEAAAALLL
early, so it's done and you have the rest of the day free." So I did. Got done by 7:30, and was able to get other things done, and go with my lovely wife IE (as she is known here) to some garage sales in town. At one of them, she found what she called the "mother lode." She is a BIG collector of Garfield items. An entire box of Garfield stuffed toys, and a table with other Garfield items. She brought home THREE bags of Garfield stuff............for only $8.50. If you have Garfield items you would like to sell.............rather inexpensively................leave a comment or e-mail me. Which reminds me, on Friday night, we had a date night; dinner at Applebee's and a movie, "Garfield: A Tail of 2 Kitties." It was funny, especially with Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield. Jennifer Love Hewitt is in the movie as the girlfriend of Jon, Garfield's owner. I must say, she is very beautiful, and a really good light comedic actress. (Did I mention she is gorgeous?) I found something at a garage sale also. Usually I think that garage sales are just people passing their junk on to other people. But someone was selling a gently used extra extra large George Foreman grill ($100 new in stores) for just $25. I've used it twice and the food has been great. I'm happy with the purchase.

I hope that you were able to spend time with your fathers on Father's day. My dad passed away in 2002, and coupled with my mom being gone since 1981, I have no one to spoil on the days in May and June set aside for that purpose. Although I do have 2 mothers-in-law.......................................................
that's another story for another day.

Good day.

Perhaps an explanation is in order.

2006-06-15T14:18:00.000-05:00

As I think about it, I seemingly reappeared out of nowhere on Monday June 12, after four months of no blog entries. Hence, the title of today's entry.

At the time of my last entry in mid February, I was losing interest in blogging. My forty-first birthday was just days away, and it was just more of the same stuff, different day. In mid-March, I came down with pneumonia, which caused me to miss a week's worth of work. If you have had this ailment, you know just how miserable it is. Aches, pain, weakness, unable to breathe........and so on. Then, just one day after going back to work, I called in sick again, this time because of severe gout pain. I began to despair of ever feeling better. Fortunately, it passed, and I returned to the regular routine of life.

Since that time, I have returned to my old home town twice. I realize how blessed I am to be able to "go home again." On the last trip home I received a box of things that had been in my Dad's attic. My stepmother dropped it off at my aunt's house back home. There were pictures, the letters I had written back home from basic training, and occasion cards I had sent to Dad over the years. There was also my original birth certificate, which I had believed was lost, and the paperwork concerning the cemetary plots my parents had purchased in 1963, in order to bury my twin brother and sister, who were preemies, and were born and died on June 2, 1963. (I was born in 1965.) Dad bought six plots; four of them are now filled. The twins, our mother (died 1981), my mom's father (died 1977), and Mom's sister Mildred (died 1984). I read over the papers, and they say that my dad, and his heirs, are the owners of the plots forever. Since he held the papers at the time of his death in 2002, and I assume his son and 2 daughters from his first marriage were not interested, then that makes me his heir in assuming ownership of the plots. But the thing that brought tears to my eyes was the plaque I had made for Dad in 8th grade. An image of a 1912 Maxwell car, pressed in copper, and mounted on a piece of wood. This simple childhood gift hung on his wall til the day he died. He was an antique car collector and restorer. As much as having the plaque back means to me, I wish I had Dad back. He was diabetic, but bone cancer killed him.

Anyway, I've gone quite long in this post. Likely more to come.

_______ ________, .............................Good Day!

Summertime....

2006-06-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

is here, and not a moment too soon. To me, summer begins on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend, and ends on Labor Day. I know, I know, there is the matter of the calendar and such; I don't care. It's when I say it is.

My niece Elexus (long E, then pronounce lexus, like the car) began playing softball this year. It's her first time. She is eight years old, will be nine on July 7. Her first season began in late May and ends on June 29; twelve games in all. The games overall have been high scoring, but usually the runs are scored by the pitcher walking the bases loaded, then walking the batter.....but late in the game it seems that the girls find their hitting range. Last Thursday Elexus hit a pitch clear into the outfield. It landed just in the grass past the infield, then rolled a little bit. I was (and am) a proud uncle.

On May 27 my cousin Donna got married. My wife (IE) and I attended the wedding in Unionville MO, and the next day I sang for the morning service at Bel Air Baptist Church in Keokuk, IA where my cousin Mike is the pastor.
Bel Air was where I committed my life to Jesus Christ in 1979, at the age of fourteen. It is always good to go home again; I am fortunate to be able to "go home" again.

Been struggling with painful gout the past week or so. I think it's time for new shoes. I am very hard on shoes. Plus the fact of being overweight brings on the whole gout thing. We all have our struggles.....we deal with them daily.

Thanks for dropping by.

Bob

A week has gone by since my last post.

2006-02-16T07:37:00.000-06:00

Since that time IE (my wife) has seemed to recover from whatever was ailing her. What drove her nuts was the painful cramping whenever she needed to use the bathroom. It seems to have subsided. She has put herself on a vitamin supplement regimen, in addition to her continued participation in Weight Watchers. She has lost 15 pounds in the two months since joining.

For Valentine's Day we had dinner at Applebee's in nearby Champaign. The reason for this was that this restaurant has a section on the menu that is WW approved. The point values are listed for the menu items in the section. For my part, I had the Bourbon Street Steak. It was outstanding.

Illinois' men's basketball team broke a two game losing streak by beating Northwestern 63-47.
Cool.

It is dreary and rainy here.........high temp expected to be 55. Tomorrow, 29. As the old saying goes: If you don't like the weather, wait a few minutes and it will change.

This week's Link recommendation: Anonymous Midwest Girl. It's always a great read, but viewer discretion is advised..............salty language and the like.

See ya.

Got a scare....

2006-02-09T11:07:00.000-06:00

this morning just after arriving at work. My wife (known as IE here) phoned me in a bit of a panic. She was attempting to use the bathroom, and discovered..........to put it delicately................blood in the stool. After calling her mother (a retired RN) she called me to take her to the emergency room. The ER doc. said it was an anal fissure, and prescribed a cream. IE thinks she has other issues because of the severe cramping. All this while she is finishing up medication related to strep throat. The 40's are hitting us hard....................

I am at work as I write this, listening to live radio coverage of Founder's Week from the campus of the Moody Bible Institute. It originated 100 years ago when D. L. Moody closed the school on Feb. 6, his birthday. It has become an annual weeklong Bible conference held during the week in which the 6th of February falls. The college music groups perform, and many godly speakers are in Chicago for the conference. If you have a Moody Broadcasting Network station near you, tune in for some great preaching and music.

Child care has been a theme for us this week. IE and I do not have kids, and we cannot conceive naturally. So we are caring for our niece Elexus this week after school, till her dad picks her up. Then this Saturday, we will be baby sitting for a baby. Our friends Jen & Jerry have an eight month old son they call JD. His parents both have to work on Saturday, so we will care for him all day till they get home, and then they have invited us to stay for dinner and Kareoke (?).

Otherwise, how are things? Well, a new business opens in our town today. Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins!!!!!! Walgreen's is due to open in September. Ah, progress.............................

Keep in touch.

Highs and lows.....

2006-02-06T09:22:00.000-06:00

This weekend was quite good, even though a favorite team of mine came up just one point short. The Illinois Fighting Illini started the game against Penn State leading 13-0, but the Nittany Lions fought back and pulled out a 66-65 win on the road. For the Illini, Rich McBride appeared to have made a game winning three-pointer at the buzzer, but TV replays clearly showed that the buzzer and game light had come on BEFORE the shot left his hand. The loss drops the Illini one game behind Iowa in the conference standings.

The Super Bowl (TM). After church, I saw most of the third quarter till the end. I had no rooting interest, since the St. Louis Rams were not in the game. The most exciting play to me was the Steelers trick play where Antwaan Randle El, the former Indiana Hoosier quarterback, got the ball on a reverse, and threw a 43-yard pass to Hines Ward for the eventual winning score.

IE (my dear wife) and I attended Sunday morning services. A dear friend of mine, Jim, sang with me a beautiful duet called "Written in Red," reminding us of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for the sin of mankind.

Today is a veeery long day for IE. Typically she works at a day care center from 11:30am-5:30pm, but was called in early today. She went in at 7 am. After work, she goes to Weight Watchers (she has lost 15 pounds!) and then to her Monday evening job caring for a young boy with cerebral palsy, who cannot do anything for himself. (For more about Ronald, check my May 2005 archives.)

I turn 41 three weeks from today, on February 27. The slogan I have adopted for the foreseeable future is this:

"I have entered the snapdragon part of my life....Part of me has snapped, and the rest of me is draggin'."

Have a great day.

Welcome to February....my birthday month

2006-02-01T07:11:00.000-06:00

Greetings and Welcome to the month of February.

The Fighting Illini men's basketball team defeated Wisconsin 66-51 last night in Madison, WI. Dee Brown, Rich McBride and Brian Randle were the main forces for the Illini in the game. It was the Badgers' second home loss in the month of January alone, the first being a non-conference loss to North Dakota State (who?). In conference, though, Illinois is the only Big Ten team to beat Wisconsin in Madison in Bo Ryan's five years as Badgers coach.

So did you watch the President's speech last night? I didn't. It came on after the game, and my wife (the lovely & gracious IE) has a particular distaste for politics. So we watched Restaurant Makeover and Recipe for Success on the Food Network. I know that there are entirely too many TV channels now, but Food Network is one of our favorites.

This week's choice blog to recommend: Tim Ellsworth. Check out the links list to the right and click on Tim's blog. Always entertaining, and makes you think. I fear that real thinking may be a lost art these days.

This is my birthday month. Turning 41 on Monday the 27th. Be sure to help me celebrate by clicking on the ad banner at the top of the page. (Shameless, aren't I? LOL)

It's the end of the month.........................

2006-01-31T12:39:00.000-06:00

and the news is that IE (my dear wife) has strep throat. She had been suffering from swollen glands for almost 2 weeks, and finally saw a doctor today. Two prescriptions for antibiotics.......one of them is a narcotic. Hmmm.....strong drugs? I'll be caring for her for the next 2 or 3 days...

Well, Judge Alito has been confirmed by the Senate and will be sworn in this afternoon by Chief Justice Roberts, in time for Mr. Bush's speech tonight. The political posturing by the Senate members of the Democrat party are shameful and reprehensible. The very things they accused Mr. Alito of, are the very things that they strive to do every day of their lives. I am ashamed to say that the 2 senators from Illinois, Durbin and Obama, both voted against this nominee. They certainly do not speak for me.

Illinois' men's basketball team travels to Wisconsin tonight. for a key Big Ten matchup.
Wisconsin is tough at home, and tries to slow the pace to throw opposing teams off their game plan. The Illini need big time production from Dee Brown, James Augustine, Shaun Pruitt, and Brian Randle in order to win this game.

Around this time last year I blogged for the first time. I do not consider it an anniversary, however, because of the extended sabbatical from blogging that I took beginning last August. Having said that, it blows me away that my very first post was indeed a year ago.

It's Monday once again; comes around once a week.............

2006-01-30T12:46:00.001-06:00

and it so happens that our latest Monday is here after a pleasent weekend. On Saturday the University of Illinois men's basketball team extended their home court winning streak to 33 by defeating rival Purdue. My wife IE and I invited our dear friends J & D to watch the game with us, since they do not have cable TV and the game was on the one over-the-air channel they cannot pick
up with their antenna. After the game, we enjoyed a dinner of sloppy joes, potato salad and vegetables with homemade dip. We then began playing the card game Phase 10. Have any of you played this game? I had not until about two weeks ago when J & D were at our home. Once I got the hang of it, it was fun. There are 10 phases of the game. The cards are similar to UNO, in numbers & colors.
Wild cards and skip cards, but no draw four cards. LOL

Some of the things you must accomplish are "1 run of 3," or "1 set of 4," and so on. In order to win you must complete all 10 phases. It is a lot of fun, unless everyone else is way ahead of you..........

We went to church on Sunday, where I have the privilege (again) of leading the worship time. I was not doing this during my sabbatical from blogging (see August 05 archives). After a restful afternoon, IE and I went back to church to help set up for our Dinner & a Movie night, featuring spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad. It was very good. The movie was "Luther," starring Joseph Fiennes as Martin Luther, who spearheaded the Reformation of the 1500's. It was very well acted, and well done overall. I would recommend it as being a worthy film.

That was my weekend. How was yours?

Been thinking about.........................

2006-01-26T07:55:00.000-06:00

the Super Bowl. 10 more days till the game. 10 looooonnnnnggggg days of neverending hype, analysis, over-analysis, more hype...................did I mention analysis? And that's before the actual day of the game, February 5. FEBRUARY 5???!!! What's up with that?

Is anyone else concerned with the continual eroding of the rights we have historically enjoyed in the USA? The people in the Congress, with the exception of a few, are absolutely disgraceful. I am ashamed that the 2 US senators from Illinois are Dick Durbin & Barack Obama. They SOOOOO do not represent my positions on any item of political significance. And then there is the issue of border security, especially our southern border with Mexico. You may have heard there was an armed standoff between US law enforcement and Mexican soldiers complete with heavy artillery,.....ON AMERICAN SOIL!!
It is high time to start enforcing immigration laws. Illegal immigration is doing no one any good. If I were in charge, the first thing I would change is this: The provision that says anyone born in the US is a US citizen, no matter the citizenship of the parents. There are so many illegals here because they crossed the border and bore children in the USA, thus ensuring they (the parents) could stay. If, for example, a pregnant Mexican woman crosses the border into the US (illegally), then bears the child; under my revision, the newborn is NOT AUTOMATICALLY A US CITIZEN! Period. The citizenship of the parents determines the official status of the child.

Ladies & gentlemen, the America we think we live in, is not that at all. And there are those individuals (generally but not always left of center politically) who are all too glad to do what they can to turn us into what Russia was under communism. It is looking grim, but perhaps it's not too late.

Adios, "West Wing"

2006-01-24T10:55:00.000-06:00

I have read with interest the stories of the past couple days announcing the end of the TV show "The West Wing." The show deserved its four consecutive Emmys in the first five seasons. It was very well written, acted and executed. Like all shows these days, there is bound to be a dropoff, and for WW it happened when creator Aaron Sorkin left the series. Some might say that the departure of Rob Lowe hurt; in truth, it didn't. Lowe evidently thought his character, Sam Seaborn, was going to be the main star. (During his time on the series, his name was listed first in the credits.) When it didn't work that way, he left to pursue other, less successful TV projects. Personally, my favorite character is Donna, played by Janel Moloney. She was an assistant in the White House before going to work for the presidential campaign, but you always knew that she could have handled any job given to her. Donna was wasted as an assistant; she should have been in with the bigwigs on the teams forming policy. Of course the loss of John Spencer is huge, especially in light of his character's comeback from a heart attack (which, ironically, is what killed Spencer) to be the VP running mate of Santos.

Anyway, the show will end with the election of either Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) or Alan Alda (Arnold Vinick). I tend to think it will be Smits. Can you imagine "Hawkeye" as POTUS?

On a lighter note, less than a month before pitchers & catchers report to spring training.
WHOO HOOO! GO ST. LOUIS CARDINALS!!

Greetings once again.

2006-01-24T08:07:00.000-06:00

After a time of self reflection and examination, I have decided to return to posting.
Allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Bob...an ordinary guy living an ordinary life in the Midwest, just east of the mighty Mississippi river in Illinois. I am married to the lovely IE (as she will be known here) and I work in a factory as a quality assurance auditor. My main hobby (if you can call it that) is singing and ministering actively in my local church. Other interests include community theatre, old-time radio shows, and collecting Coca-Cola memoribilia.

I stopped blogging a little more than five months ago at the onset of a personal crisis, that included financial difficulties, and a re-evaluation of who I was and why I did what I did. I was forced to search deep inside myself to see where I had gone wrong. My faith in God has sustained me, but not without some personal cost. However, that has served to bring me back into focus as far as what my purpose is. Bottom line is, I was created to bring God glory, not myself. I freely admit, my faith is the main factor in all that I say and all that I do. From time to time, my blog will reflect that. Since it is my blog, I will share what I feel like sharing. I never mean to deliberately offend; personal attacks on a person's character are not part of what I do. However, I retain the right to comment on what a person DOES, particularly if they are in the public eye.

I hope to hear from anyone who discovers this re-introductory post. Your comments are welcome.

A sabbatical.............

2005-08-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

I am taking a sabbatical from this blog. I have recently been confronted with hypocrisy and inconsistencies in my life which, in order to correct, will take all my time and energy.....plus, frankly, I do not wish to put it out in this forum, for public comsumption. I trust that you will understand. There will be a time when it is right and proper to return. At such time, I will do so. Until then.........

Later people.

Seven years of marriage!

2005-08-12T14:15:00.000-05:00

Hello again everyone.

It has been fourteen days since my last post. In that time, IE (my dear wife) and I participated as instructors at our church's Vacation Bible School, and were able to spend some time with our niece Lexi, among other things. In addition, I received my yearly raise at work. Hoo-ha..............

This Sunday, Aug. 14 is IE's birthday, and Aug. 15 is our seventh wedding anniversary. For the latter occasion, I am planning to take her to our nearest local Red Lobster restaurant. She really enjoys the seafood there. I am not so much into stuff like king crab legs and such, but I am able to find something on the menu I enjoy. It's worth it to see her enjoy herself.

Over Labor Day weekend we will be attending a family reunion in Keokuk Iowa. My mother's side of the family resides there. It's always a good time getting together.

I'm sure I'll have more to report on early next week. Until then.................

Later people.

Now,...........where was I?

2005-07-29T21:26:00.000-05:00

Ah, yes. The lovely and gracious IE (my wife) was returning from Texas, I took a week's vacation, for some reason I stopped posting temporarily......it's all coming back to me now. I'm sure any readers I had have gone elsewhere. But that's okay. I'm doing this for me anyway. After a month off, I will try to continue blogging more frequently in August.
Until then..............

Later people.

Texas.....the adventure begins.....

2005-06-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

IE (my dear wife) has safely arrived in Texas. Got there around 7:50 pm last nite. The trip began from Decatur IL, and took 14 hours, 20 minutes. (No, ladies, I DON'T know how many miles. Men don't look at it like that.) They stopped twice along the way, including one stop at what IE says is the biggest McDonald's in America. She said it stretched over the highway.....and it was somewhere in Oklahoma..........does that sound familiar to anyone? She took pictures...........now if I could figure out how to post pics on this blog.........

I will be spending the weekend inside my air-conditioned house. 96 and humid for today, with mid 90's and even more humidity until the middle of next week. Perfect for working at our other plant across town..........during the hottest summer on record around here, in 1988, the temps inside this building were consistently 125 or above. No matter how many fans there are in this building, it is like an oven.....granted, 200 degrees cooler.......but I digress.

Next week will be a slow week for blogging........but having said that, I will attempt to update as often as I can. Thanks to all who have stopped by my blog. It is really cool to make new acquaintences in this manner.

Later people

What a nitwit I am....................................

2005-06-21T12:37:00.000-05:00

the things that happen when you don't write something down. When I said I wouldn't be blogging this week, I was a week ahead of myself. I will not be blogging the week of June 27.....geesh!!!!

IE (my dear wife) begins the journey to Texas today. After getting off work, I will take her to Decatur IL, where her birth mother Sue lives. After a day of things that ladies do........get their hair done, shopping, etc....on Thursday morning they will leave for Arlington TX, where IE's sister Theresa lives. The sisters have not seen each other for three years, so even with only a four day visit (it takes 12-13 hours to drive from IL to TX), it will be a great time for them all.

So that means I am playing the role of bachelor (does anyone use that term anymore?) for about eight days. Having played the role from age 18 to age 33, I can handle it. But, you can only watch so much TV............maybe I'll catch up on my sleep......................LOL.

Thanks for stopping by.
Later people.

A week has gone by.............

2005-06-16T11:21:00.000-05:00

until today's new post. Still getting prepared for the lovely IE (my dear wife) to go visit her sister in Texas next week. There seems to be a bit of uncertainty, because Sue, IE's birth mother, has not officially gotten the inheritance money which will allow this trip to take place.....at least on the original timeframe, which is I drive her to Sue's on this Sunday afternoon, they leave for Texas at 7 am June 20, and return June 27. This schedule is flexible depending on when the check arrives. Yet another meaning for "the check's in the mail." LOL

IE will be caring for Ronald, the special needs child, again the second week of August, in the same manner that she did in May. (See my May posts entitled "The story of a special child.") She and I will stay at the house while his parents take a trip to Branson MO, the Las Vegas of the Midwest.

I most likely will not blog at all next week. I will be working at a different plant within our company, and we are having dialup issues at home. So, until then, have a great weekend, and week............

Later people.

Deep in the heart of Texas................

2005-06-09T14:30:00.000-05:00

So I'm at work today when I get a message on my cell phone. (Inside my office I do not get very good reception, considering that my office is one of many rooms inside an old airplane hangar left over from a former Air Force Base........but I digress.) ;)

IE (my dear wife) has left me a message. But, she was at Ronald's house (for more on Ronald, check my previous posts titled "The story of a special child") and the reception at Ronald's house is bad; so bad that I could not make out any of the message. Long story short: IE's birth mother (whom I will call Sue since that's her name) wants to take IE with her to Arlington TX, where her other daughter, and IE's sister, Theresa, lives. They will leave on the 20th of this month, and be gone a week. I'm happy that this has come about. Theresa found her sister (IE) five years ago after years of searching. IE always wanted a sister, and now she has one.

The new grill has been great. But I learned that you have to be smart about when you use it, and under what conditions. Yesterday, just as I wanted to begin cooking, it started raining........slow at first, then a downpour. No problem, I thought, we have a carport...........not a great idea. I cooked outside, under the carport, but I wouldn't advise it. Besides, I'm new at this grilling outdoors thing..........I have much to learn.

Have a good day.
Later people.

Yep, it's been a while...........................

2005-06-06T15:05:00.000-05:00

since I last posted. Memorial day weekend was good, although we stayed home rather than travel, which is our usual practice. Oh, well, there's always Labor day for that.....................lol.

IE (my dear wife) continues to heal from a recent surgery to remove her appendix.

Over this past weekend, we bought a new outdoor gas grill at The Home Depot.

Work, for me, remains slow; for IE, it is nearly zero. Due to various circumstances, she has lost two of her clients. She works in home health care, and these clients, are no longer clients of the organization she works for.

Hot, humid Illinois summer arrived this past Saturday. Midwest humid summer days are such a joy...........(he said jokingly)...........but it's time..........to me, summer begins on Memorial day, and ends on Labor day........no matter what the calendar says. Looking forward to testing out the new grill today..........food just tastes better cooked outside, on the grill.....................yum..........

Later people.

MAS*H marathon...............................

2005-05-26T16:05:00.000-05:00

So, last Monday I went to Wal-mart to get some blank video tapes, because we wanted to record a program. While I was in the electronics section, I looked at the display of DVD movies and TV show collections. I have wanted to collect the DVD's of The West Wing for some time now. But, our particular Wally world had only season 3, at a cost of $44.92. I thought that was high even for Wal-mart. I saw a collection for one of my favorite all time shows, M*A*S*H. I eagerly picked it up, thinking "I'll start my collection today!" Alas, it was for season seven. No stock of seasons 1-6. But the price was only $23.97. Works for me!

And so, for myself and IE (my dear wife) our evenings have been spent watching the episodes of season seven of M*A*S*H, without commercials, in broadcast order. Season 7 was the final full season for Gary Burghoff, who played Radar. I suppose we will have to go to Best Buy or Circuit City to see what they have in stock. IE, before we were married, collected VHS copies of the classic Star Trek show from the 60's. Personally, in addition to M*A*S*H, the other two series I would like to collect, are the Carol Burnett Show, and the Dick Van Dyke Show. Maybe I'll check eBay.......lol.

Otherwise, how are things? IE is just about fully healed from her surgery. However, she found out today that her only home health care client, is back in the hospital. She had worked for H earlier this week. H has MS, and it is quickly taking its toll.

Have a good day.
Later people.

I've been tagged!

2005-05-23T15:48:00.000-05:00

I am now really a member of the blog community!
I've been tagged by Leandra! :-)

Here goes:

1. Total # of books I've owned: well over 200
2. Last book I bought: Heaven is a Place on Earth by Dr. Michael Wittmer
3. Last book I read: The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren
4. Books which mean a lot to me:
a. The Holy Bible. The owner's manual for my life
b. Any titles in the "Left Behind" series
c. Peanuts Classics/Peanuts Treasury by Charles M. Schultz
d. The Encyclopedia of TV Game Shows, 3rd Edition.

I tag groovyvic, Bridget Unnel, and Pincushion.

:-)

Chapter 11 and other random things......................

2005-05-23T15:03:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday, the company I work for, Collins & Aikman based in Troy MI, filed for chapter 11 reorganization. I have been here 17 years, and have gone through several ownership changes, but this is the first time any of them filed chapter 11. In doing so, they are restructuring the company and have been promised some operating capital, but I don't have much to do, because most of the vendors we do business with will not send us material unless we pay cash up front. However, we have all been assured that there will be no interruption in paychecks, and no layoffs at this time. We'll see....................

IE (my dear wife) continues to recover from the surgery. Saturday, we went grocery shopping. We had not gone for a while, and so we stocked up. By the time we checked out, IE was spent, and in some pain. So I loaded up the van, and I drove home. That is significant because IE drives the van, always, even if I'm with her, no matter where we go. It seems to be a trend. Around my area, if I see a vehicle with a male adult and a female adult in it, 80% of the time the woman is driving. It's an issue of control. Don't let anyone tell you differently. However, I digress..........................

I am still struggling with my voice. I want to avoid another doctor office visit; but if it gets no better, then I have no other choice. IE thinks I have an allergy to grass (the green kind that grows in your front yard, not a doobie..........LOL), but I'm not completely convinced. We'll see what happens.

I don't even watch the national news anymore. I am to the right politically, but by the same token, I am not in lock step with the Republican party. The GOP has problems on the national level, and here in Illinois, it is nothing but a sick joke. I am leaning more and more toward the Constitution Party, which advocates strict interpretation of the US Constitution, with the national government doing no more, and no less, than what is set forth in the document. No political party is perfect, and it certainly is not the answer to the problems that beset our country today.

Here endeth the political rant..........................

Have a good day.
Later people.

As the week winds down.............

2005-05-20T15:10:00.000-05:00

all thoughts are towards the weekend. Ahhh.......rest and relaxation. Maybe.

IE (my dear wife) continues to recover from the emergency appendectomy. She tends to be a slow healer...........and I am not as patient as I should be. Funny how that works, since my crud has lingered on for more than a week now. Voice still rough........prolly a sinus infection.......if it gets worse, I will see the doctor about it. From the end of January, when this blog was born, through today, I have spent so much time in doctor's offices, ER's, and hospital rooms that I could just scream..............if indeed I could even make an intelligible sound. LOL

IE thinks that this latest illness with me is because I am allergic to grass. Specifically the act of mowing grass. And not just because I don't really like mowing, either. Funny how I seen to be sick and falling apart three months after turning 40...............

Thanks to all who stop by my blog. Please feel free to comment........if you do, I'll visit your blog.
I am so excited because my blog is listed on TWO others! Today, hit the links on this page to PinCushion's blog, and Fiddle Dee Dee especially.

Have a good weekend.

Later people.

It happens when you least expect it.....................

2005-05-18T12:50:00.000-05:00

I have been busy since I last blogged.

Last Thursday, I mowed my lawn. Not a big deal..............except that I became very ill as a result. Friday night and Saturday I had a loss of energy that rendered me unable to function beyond the very basics. Sunday, just as I was beginning to regain some energy, IE (my dear wife) woke up with severe pain in her right abdominal area. She was in a lot of pain, but wanted to ask her mother (a retired RN) about it. Finally, at 3:30 pm, IE got hold of her mother and described her condition. UW (her mom) said, get her to the emergency room.

Arrived at ER around 4:25 pm. Examined IE, and put her in a room just off the ER. Tests were run.....cat scan and so forth,......which included a horrible lemonade-mixed concoction for her to drink prior to the tests.........finally at 9:30 pm, we had the results. Her appendix was very inflamed, and needed to come out. They called in the surgeon.....he talked with us at 10:30 pm, and she was taken to surgery at 11:30 pm. It was a laproscopic procedure........inserted a tube with a video camera thru her navel......then two small holes in her belly with more tubes.......and they broke that sucker up, and sucked it right out. It took around an hour.

I was escorted to an empty waiting room on the third floor of the hospital to wait. All the boring (and I do mean BORING) magazines I could stand..........and a TV locked on one channel. No remote. So I got caught up on the glamourous lives of soap opera stars, and two infomercials on real estate investing. She got back to her room just after 2 am.........I stayed with her for about 25 minutes, making sure all was well.......then I drove home. I needed sleep, and not in a little hospital recliner. Got home around 3 am, called off from work (I clock in daily at 6 am), and went to bed.

Woke up around 7:30 am, got cleaned up and dressed, and back to the hospital. When I got there, IE was going to sit up and take a sponge bath. When she sat up, she lost her breakfast. So she laid back down. She still had pain, and took frequent hits of the morphine drip. Came to find out, it was the morphine making her sick and unable to pee. The surgeon came to see her at noon, and decided to keep her another night. She made progress through the day, including a big reduction of using the morphine drip. As a result, she was able to then pee, which was one of the conditions for her to go home. The other being able to eat. I stayed with her until 9:30 pm, and went home to sleep.

Tuesday morning when I got there, IE had eaten breakfast, and kept it down. Her surgeon signed the papers for her release. After a shower and picking up prescriptions, we got home at 12 noon. She is still sore, but doing well. Meanwhile at this writing, I have lost my voice due to a bad cold and sinus infection with junk in my chest,...........I don't think I need to elaborate.

So now you're up to date. Even in her illness, IE can still find it in her heart to mock me and my lack of voice......LOL

Later people

Back to "normal".................

2005-05-10T15:25:00.000-05:00

My usual work hours are 6am-2:30pm. It sounds good from the standpoint of clocking out at 2:30, but 4:30 am (wake-up time) comes awful early. Oh well.....................

After work yesterday, I stopped by my church to change the message on our lighted sign. It's easy enough, and doesn't take long. Went home and began doing the dishes. Before we married, IE (my lovely wife) and I decided on who would do two of the most important household chores. She does laundry; I do dishes. Everything else............depends on who gets to it first. After a week away from our house, our refrigerator had become...........well............less than fresh and clean. So I began the project. After working on it for awhile, I needed to bring in the big reinforcements: AJAX cleanser and Formula 409. Removal of contents first, and then the cleaning ingredients applied. Then IE and I went out to eat. I figured that the combination of cleaners would work on their own, and all I had to do was wipe it down and out. That was correct. With the cleaning of the fridge accomplished, I turned to the next project: installing a new outside light near our front door. I read the directions (OMG; a MAN reading directions? LOL) and got started. It was the pictures I had trouble with. I called IE for help. She is good at reading picture directions. But even these got her frustrated; so I became frustrated, and we yelled at each other. She went back to her PC mahjongg game. I did get the light installed, without electrocuting myself. I did apologize for my behavior. She did not deserve to be yelled at.

IE, who hadn't been feeling well all day, wanted ice cream. Not just any ice cream though. A Dairy Queen Banana Split Blizzard. So we got in the car to go, and it began raining. By the time we got there, it was POURING DOWN rain. I got our treats, the rained had calmed down, and we went home.

I have more things to do at home today, and IE has a meeting of our church's women's ministry tonight. Seems pretty mundane..........but you know what? Mundane is not bad...............as long as you don't make it a habit..............which I am easily prone to do. And as long as I recognize that, and try to keep things interesting, then everything will be okay.

While you're here, hit some of the links I've put on here, especially the blogs. They will be worth your time.

Later people.

The story of a special child...conclusion...and weekend wrapup

2005-05-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

Hello all.

The story ends Friday evening around 8 pm with the return of Ronald's parents D & M. After going in to see him, they ordered pizza, and we four adults had dinner together. Around 9:20 pm, IE (my dear wife) fell. More to the point, the kitchen chair she was sitting in collapsed under her, sending her to the floor. It seemed like it happened in slow motion. I saw it going on, but could do nothing to stop it. She landed on her right side, with her fanny absorbing most of the fall. She had a sore butt the rest of the night, but thankfully, she was not injured.

Saturday, I got up early to complete some projects at my church. Arriving home just after noon, IE said that her paycheck had come in the mail. She works as a "homemaker" for an agency providing care to the elderly, and for the IL Dept. of Human Services as a CNA. It was in the latter capacity that she was caring for Ronald, and he remains one of her clients. Anyway, we went to the bank to cash her check, then headed to Champaign IL (15 miles south, home of the University of Illinois) for lunch at Steak-N-Shake. Next, we visited The Home Depot, where designer Doug Wilson (Trading Spaces) was appearing. We missed his presentation, but got an autographed photo. IE also got a Trading Spaces book, and Doug turned to a section that had his design tips, and signed it just for her, with X's and O's. She got a kick out of that. We bought some painting supplies, and then went to a local antique show. IE looks around in antique malls and shows for memorabilia having to do with Garfield, the cartoon cat. Didn't find anything......

After Baskin Robbins ice cream, we ate dinner at our favorite buffet restaurant, and then went to a concert by local Christian band Sons and Daughters. The lead singer, at one time, was signed to CBS Records, in a group with a hit song, but found it empty. He rediscovered his faith, and he and his wife now lead this group. They are very good musicians. www.sonsanddaughters.org

Sunday, after church, we took our friends Jim and Diane (who are like parents to me, since my mom and dad are both gone) to a new restaurant in our town called Polito's Cafe. The owner is a real chef, and specializes in Cajun foods, like blackened fish, and even a dish with alligator(!). It was a Mother's day buffet, and the food was OUTSTANDING! Afterwards, we visited Jim's mother at the nursing home where she resides. It is a private institution run by the Knights of Columbus organization. Very clean, bright, and the staff is top notch.

Sunday evening was another church service, then IE and I went home and I cooked hamburgers on the George Foreman Lean, Mean, Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine. For good measure this weekend, I installed a doorbell at our house, and bought a new floor lamp. AND called all four of my mom's surviving sisters for Mother's day.

!Whew!

And to think......I once believed that I had nothing to say on this blog.........................

Can't promise it will always be this interesting, but I will continue to document what happens..........and go from there.

Later people.

Thank you everyone.

2005-05-05T17:42:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by this week.

And, thanks to a special friend, I now can add links to my favorite blogs and websites.
A few of them can be found to the left of this page.

Have a great weekend, people!
I'm out.

The story of a special child.....part 3

2005-05-05T14:55:00.000-05:00

Winding down....................

Our time with Ronald is winding down. One more night, tonight, and then we expect his parents, D & M, to arrive home between 5-6 PM, central time, on Friday. IE (my lovely wife) is hoping to be able to take him outside in his specially designed chair; the temperature is supposed to reach 70 degrees today.

Something I haven't blogged about is the two cats who live in the home............Mariah, and Miko, both females. Mariah is pure white, and skinny (not unhealthy so), and sooooo soft. She is the social one........she will climb on your lap when you are seated, and follow you around, especially if you are attempting to go outside. She would like nothing better than to escape to the outdoors. Miko, on the other hand, runs if you get too close. She is definitely D's cat; he is the only one who can touch, pet, or hold Miko.

There is an amusing characteristic about Miko.......if someone happens to be using the downstairs bathroom (where the cats' food and litter box is located), and doesn't close the door, Miko will walk right in and stay with you the whole time you're in there. Once IE discovered this, she took advantage. Because of Ronald's specialneeds, the cats are locked in this bathroom at night. And Miko hides at night. So................IE goes into this bathroom in the early evening, to use it, and here comes Miko. After taking care of business, IE quickly gets out of the room, leaving Miko all alone. From there, it is quite easy to gather Mariah and deliver her to the room. 3 nights ago we had quite a time capturing Miko. She was behind the couch. So I went to one end and moved in to touch her. Naturally, she went the other way, where IE was waiting (like a hockey goalie) to scoop her up. Since then, using our new found knowledge, we have them in their room by 7:30.

IE can't wait to get back to our home. She says that when she gets there, she will drop her bags, go to the bedroom, and go right to sleep. And yet, in the short term, she will miss Ronald, as will I.
IE usually at Ronald's for a few hours a week, as needed, Thursdays-Sundays. During the week, (M-W) she is in home health care working for an elderly lady who needs help with homemaking.

I think I'm going to miss being around Ronald as much as I have been this week...........but I can always visit........and this year I want to be a better uncle to my two nieces (age 11 & 7) and my 3 year old nephew. You know, do stuff with them, take them places........last year we took the 7 year old to the (IL) State Fair. She had a good time...........and so did we. :-)

Thanks to all who have left comments. Especially to PinCushion, who has added a link of this blog, to hers! WOW!!!!!

Please check out her blog site:
www.painauchocolat.blogspot.com

You will like what you see there. I know I did.

Speaking of which, can anyone give me some pointers on how I can do the same here on my blog? There are several blogs that I would like to link to.

If there is no post tomorrow, I will wrap up our story on Monday.

Later people.

The story of a special child.......part 2

2005-05-04T14:52:00.000-05:00

The last couple nights & days have been rough. IE (my dear wife) has had to deal with young Ronald pulling out his feeding tubes on at least two occasions, prompting calls to the nurse to reinsert them. IE is a certified nurse assistant, but is not allowed to do reinsertions. She has gotten less sleep than usual, and today developed a headache. She has been so caring and loving toward this young guy who cannot do anything for himself........but truth be told, she is exhausted. I try to help where I can; laundry and other little things that she asks of me. It will be sometime Friday evening before we are back in our own home. She does not complain, though. It is something she wanted to do.........the adoptive parents, D & M, have needed this time away, and they are so deserving of it. Three grown children of their own, and they have fostered or adopted five others, who have had various problems. People with loving hearts for children like that.................you just can't say enough about them.

On the lighter side, I was the winner in a local radio trivia contest this morning. The question:
"What four word phrase did Richard Nixon say on Laugh-In?"

SOCK IT TO ME

Among the prizes are movie tickets to "The Phantom of the Opera." After this past week, this should make for a nice evening out. IE deserves it. Many times I feel like I don't deserve her, but I shake that off, and realize just how blessed I am.

Later people.

The story of a special child.

2005-05-02T12:30:00.000-05:00

Last Friday night, IE (my wife) began a one week term of providing home health care for a special young man. His name is Ronald. He is 13 years of age, and he has cerebral palsy, and Crone's (?) disease. He is unable to stand on his own, he cannot speak clearly, and he is fed and medicated by tubes entering his left side. His adoptive parents, D & M, have finally gone on a much needed, and deserved, vacation; a cruise to the Bahamas. IE is in their home 24/7 caring for Ronald. As of this writing she has not been outside the house since Friday afternoon, because of the special care Ronald requires. She has not complained; she is devoted to this young boy and his care. She is, as you might imagine, exhuasted. I have been staying there with her; D & M insisted that I was welcome to do so. They even purchased food for us to eat during our stay. D & M are so devoted to their family, which includes 8 children, half of whom were adopted, even with their special needs.

I now know why IE is so devoted to Ronald and his care. Even though he cannot speak words, he is truly a sweet and delightful boy. One of the duties that must be performed is catherization; for Ronald, this is accomplished by inserting a thin clear tube into a hole in his navel, and draining his bladder. As you might imagine, he absolutely hates it. Whenever possible, I have helped IE as she does this task. Not being a trained medical professional, my contribution is holding Ronald's left hand in mine and rubbing his chest during the cath, in an effort to calm him. When it goes well, it is quickly accomplished. When it doesn't, it can be a chore. But it is worth it. In his own way, he communicates with us. He makes sounds that, when interpreted, mean, "Good guy, good guy." He says that a lot during cath. And we remind him that he is a good guy. If not for going to work each day, I would be there now.

A comment was left for me concerning my previous post of April 28.
To Anonymous * I say: Thank you. I did not take you as being mean. You were, and are, correct. I hope that today's post is the beginning of a whole new attitude when it comes to detailing what is going on in my life. Because, for this week at least, my perspective has changed quite a bit...

If you have a special child, or children, in your life, let them know how much you love them. They are precious gifts....no matter what their limitations might be. And if your kids are what we would term "normal," do the same. Whether they acknowledge it or not, they need that from the adults who love them.

More tomorrow. The length of this post is unusual for me; I beg your indulgence.

Later people..

I wish my life were more interesting so blogging would be more fun.......

2005-04-28T15:20:00.000-05:00

This post will be dedicated to sharing some blogs that are worth your time to check out.

anonymousmidwestgirl.blogspot.com

leandraisms.blogspot.com

bridgetunnel.blogspot.com

willshebeback.blogspot.com

thisdaybaseball.blogspot.com

Ok, there's five..............that should get you started on an afternoon or evening of exciting blog reading.

Later, people.

Administrative Professionals Day.

2005-04-27T10:05:00.000-05:00

Hello people.

Administrative Professionals Day. These are the people who keep things organized and running, saving the ample behinds of their bosses on a daily (hourly? moment-by-moment?) basis. The days of simply referring to them as "secretaries" is over. Does anyone besides me remember those days? Of course, I have never had a "secretary" or an "administrative professional", so I'm sure that I am not the best person to comment on this. But the best part of having a blog is that, I can comment on it, because it is my blog.

By the way, anonymous comments are now welcome at my site. This has been done to allow people who don't have blogs to comment, as well as anyone else who wishes to leave a thought.

Concerning my thoughts on adoption: It is a wonderful thing. As I have said, my wife was adopted. She has since met, and developed a relationship with her birth mother. My wife always says, though, "Sue (birth mom) is Sue; Mom (adoptive mother) is my mother." The difference is clear.
It is interesting, isn't it, that those who would adopt must go through the rigorous process of inspection and determining fitness to be an adoptive parent, while those who can conceive "the old fashioned way" don't go through any of that. Should all prospective parents be licensed? Would that curtail teen age sex? Of course not. Would it cause those who don't want kids to use birth control or other protection? Who knows? I certainly don't have the answers. And I do not mean to cast aspersions on all those who work in the adoption industry. But the fact that it IS an industry makes me leery of the bureaucratic side of it all. Just my thoughts; again, this is MY blog. LOL

Later, people. Have a good day.

A sad Saturday........

2005-04-25T11:50:00.000-05:00

I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but IE (my wife) and I have a cat, named Lily. She would officially be described as a shorthaired domestic tabby. She will be seven years old next month..........or sometime in May, we're not really sure of the date. We got her when she was 3 months old, and our marriage was 2 months old. Anyway......................
late Friday nite, IE's brother called us at like 10 pm. He, his wife and daughter have 1 dog and 2 cats. K (brother) has allergies to many different things, including cats. However, since his wife C likes cats, he went to the county animal shelter and adopted the two cats. K has suffered ever since, and this past week it was confirmed that C, the cat lover, is allergic to the cats. So they wondered if perhaps we could take them. Long story short: Lily doesn't like other cats in her space, and the male cat bit me as I tried to make nice with him. So it was our sad duty to take them back to the animal shelter, from whence they were adopted initially. I fell apart. I knew they couldn't stay with us, but it was still hard. I do hope that they will be adopted out again.

Otherwise, the weekend was good. Church services were good. I have the privilege of leading singing in our services, and I also sang a solo. It was well received, and for that I am grateful.

Hope your day goes well. Later, people.

I read several other blogs......................

2005-04-21T09:38:00.000-05:00

on a regular basis, and they are generally well written and entertaining. There is one, however, that is..................
well, shall we say.........if you'll pardon the expression.......
titillating. And maybe I shouldn't be reading this particular one; however, it just pulls you in. Check out www.leandraisms.blogspot.com

It is a rainy start to the day here, but the sun should come out later. I find that my mood is really affected according to whether it is sunny, or cloudy, or rainy...........you understand. I am also finding that the more I interact with children (whether my own nieces & nephews, or kids I know), the more my heart aches to be a daddy. Unfortunately, my wife and I cannot conceive the "natural" way. We both have issues in this regard. Adoption is a wonderful thing; my wife was adopted. It simply is not in the cards at this time. Mainly from a financial standpoint; in Illinois it would cost anywhere from $7000-$10,000.......plus the scrutiny of home inspections and background checks. If we were having a baby the old-fashioned way, there would be none of that. Sometimes I just wonder if these agencies really care about the children, or just maintaining their cushy jobs. I don't know, I'm ranting now...........

Later, people. Have a good day.

Note to Anonymous..........................

2005-04-19T11:22:00.000-05:00

no, I couldn't do it. I have checked AMG's blog every day for new posts. And it sounds to me like you do as well. (If you're wondering what this is all about, check my previous posts for the blogsite I'm referring to.)

Weekend was good. IE (my wife) and I did things together. Since we don't have kids, we can do that. LOL One of our stops was at the county humane society. They have come up with a concept that I have not seen before. Two rooms of kitty cats, not in cages, but with unlimited run of the room. The cats can interact with each other, and with visitors. I think it's a good idea. We opened the door of one of the rooms very slowly, and yet a skinny white cat (who had obviously been waiting right by that door) scurried right out, and down the hallway. I went after him, and finally caught him about 30 feet from the room. Being heavy as I am, I was fortunate to catch him. I grabbed him and we returned to the room. If you have not visited your local humane society, you really should. (Unless you have allergies to cats or dogs, of course.) The animals enjoy the attention, and who knows, you might find a new friend.

Later, people. Have a good day.

AMG RULZ!!!

:-)

I never knew...........

2005-04-15T13:00:00.000-05:00

how many of you were actually out there reading my blog. To think that a rather innocuous(?) comment on a certain blog (which I will not mention today, but the link can be found on previous entries) has motivated several comments on the other blog about me. One person asked the question, "Have you seen his blog?" but has chosen not to make his or her profile available for viewing; thus, I cannot visit their blog. Oh well......maybe they will visit my blog again, and perhaps leave a comment this time...........hmmmmmmm?

Shaping up to be a good weekend around here. Nice weather, and activites to go with it. Even though I am not much of an outdoors person, I have my moments. Camping is one thing my wife (IE as she is known here) and I would like to do this year, after not going the past two years. There is something about being in a nice quiet spot, with no everyday distractions, no job concerns, no silly things demanding your attention even though they don't really matter...........peace and serenity..............ahhhhhhhh.....

Have a good weekend, people. Leave a comment or email me.

Good morning.......

2005-04-14T09:00:00.000-05:00

how are you today? I trust all is well with you. This blogging thing can be a lot of fun. I have had some good exchanges and comments made by some nice people. If you still have not gone to
www.anonymousmidwestgirl.blogspot.com, do it today. She is consistently entertaining.

Have you all done your taxes yet? Did something different this year. My wife (IE, as she will be known here) and I went to the local Jackson Hewitt tax service, this past Sunday. I never would have considered doing that before, because Sundays are my time for worship and rest. I, for some reason, was surprised that they were open on Sunday......then it was, DUH! It's tax season, of course they would be open. Anyway, after all was said and done, we will be getting back nearly $500; combined federal and state. I realize that instead of a "refund" it was an "overpayment;" however until I get smarter about taxes, or the IRS is abolished and replaced with a 17-20% flax tax for everyone, I will continue "overpaying" so that I don't have to write a check to the government.

If, by chance, Anonymous (the one who commented on AMG's blog about the comments I left) reads this post, leave me a comment and your blog address, if you have one. I took no offense at what you said; in fact, I found it amusing.

Later, people. Leave a comment and your blog address. I will check it out.

I wonder why I bother..........

2005-04-13T15:15:00.000-05:00

continuing to do this every so often. I don't know if I have any readership or not........most likely not. Although one time early on, the blogger of my favorite blog site, www.anonymousmidwestgirl.blogspot.com, did leave a comment. Which is cool, because you simply must check out her web blog. She is smart, funny, articulate, and sooooooooooooooooo pretty.

Last week during an AOL exchange of instant messages with my former college sweetheart, she said that in order to get her life back on track, she needed a break from any communication with me. Fine, I said. I hope it works out for her as well as it is working out for me. My mind has returned to the things I enjoy the most........I am even considering joining the local community theatre here in a fund raiser for the Children's Miracle Network. It would entail acting in made up scenarios designed around Hollywood films or TV,......such as Gunsmoke (or westerns in general), Gilligan's Island (sitcoms in general), and so forth.

I found myself consumed with the details that WW (code for the ex)
would share with me concerning her life. Knowing her as I have for 21 years, I could talk and talk and talk.........and she does as she wants. Which is usually the opposite of what I tell her she needs to do. Isn't that the way it usually is? We say we want advice, but when it doesn't fit our already-made decision, we simply cast it aside. And so it goes. This situation reminds me that I have a wonderful wife who loves me.......even if we don't have deep intellectual conversations in which we ponder the philosophical complexities of life. IE (my wife) loves me. I love her. What could be better?

2 days ago it was 80 degrees. Now it's barely 60. But the sun is shining. This past Saturday we went to Decatur, IL to see IE's birth mom and the family over there. Spent time with my niece (11) and nephew (2). I don't do that often enough. Shame on me. And now with spring here, I have a seven year old niece here in town, who I promised that we would go to the park when it got nice. So as Aunt Bee said to Otis the drunk, "Snap to it!"

Later, people. Leave a comment or e-mail me.

Let's try starting over.................

2005-04-06T11:09:00.000-05:00

Hello, my name is Bob. I am an average, ordinary 40-year old guy in a midsize town in east central Illinois which had, as its focal point, an Air Force base from 1917-1993. We like to think we're still a big town, but we're not.......any more. Although we are scheduled to get a new Wal-mart Supercenter near the exit off of Interstate 57. There has been talk of a Walgreen's coming to town, but nothing firm.

So what do I write about? Whatever strikes me that particular day. For instance, yesterday (April 5) was the countywide municipal elections. I served as an election judge in my precinct. I learned last month that I have been assigned permanently to my precinct as an election judge........unless I choose to run for office. Not much chance of that, so I'm sure I will have a long run............

The University of Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball team came up 'juuuuuusssssttttt'
short in their quest for a national title, falling to North Carolina 75-70 on April 4. Congratulations to national Coach of the Year Bruce Weber and all the players for a very fine, terrifically exciting season.

I hope somebody sees this, even while hitting the "next blog" button. If you do, leave a comment.

Hi

2005-03-31T02:52:00.000-06:00

What's up people? I took a break from blogging because in reading other's blogs, it was apparent that they live so much more interesting lives than I do. I suppose that's my own fault; life is what you make of it. So I haven't really had much to say...........until now

Terri Schiavo passed away at 8:03 central time this morning. No matter what side you come down on in this debate, starving someone is cruel beyond words. The USA is now beyond repair. The laws on the books are subserviant to the whims of appointed judges, who are simply to interpret law. We, however, in the "daddy" state we are in, seem content to let a judge decide what is right and wrong, even to the point of "creating" new law where there was none before. America is no longer governed by the Constitution; it has become a relic of an earlier time. Law is no longer enforced; if it were, Florida governor Bush would have had every right to move in and take custody of Terri. The law of the state of Florida backs him up. He is the highest state authority. Not judges, not legislators, but Gov. Bush is. Yet, as we saw in Massachusetts when 3 judges DEMANDED that the state legislature create gay marriage, Gov. Bush said he could not disobey a court order.
(Of course he can, if it is WRONG, but I digress.)

And so, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the "new" United States.....of Amerika.
Where the rules and regulations are whatever serves each individual's agenda on any given day.

Until good, solid-thinking, common-sense people rise up and say ENOUGH!, America continues down the path to destruction. And once we arrive there, what will the liberals complain about then?

Forgive me, friends, for I have been neglectful........

2005-03-11T10:05:00.000-06:00

........it has been ten days since my last blog. During that time, I have consulted with a dermatologist about the continuing rash, which has almost cleared up on my legs but seems concentrated on both feet......very inconvenient when one has to wear shoes not only for practical reasons, but also for societal and cultural reasons. Otherwise there has not been a lot happening worth discussing. Therefore, no new blogs until now. Oh wait...........Illinois' men's basketball team lost their first game of the season this past Sunday........they play Northwestern today at 11 am Central time in the Big Ten (11) tournament in Chicago. Meanwhile Dan Blather (Rather) stepped down from the CBS evening news........I missed it. I'm so upset...........and if you believe that, I have some refrigeration equipment in Antarctica to sell you.

Back to work now.................

Have a good day and weekend.
Bob

Beware the ides of March.....................

2005-03-01T14:47:00.000-06:00

or even the beginning of the month. It snowed last night. Not very much, but enough to collect on the front yard. After temps in the high 40's.....it snowed. I hate winter. (For a more eloquent treatise on this subject, visit www.anonymousmidwestgirl.blogspot.com)

I can hardly hold my head up right now. Maybe it's the meds, maybe it's the 11 or 12 straight nights of waking up at 1:30 am, so congested and plugged up that I could not breathe, and sitting up in front of the TV for an hour till I could breathe, only to be awakened by the alarm clock at 4:00 am.
The good news is, yesterday my doctor told me to use Drixoral, and I got up in the middle of the night only briefly, to use the rest room. And yet, I still feel like I want to sleep for 3 day straight. Ahhhh...........to sleep..................perchance, to dream..............

The rash on my legs has not shown signs of leaving, so my doctor referred me to a dermatologist. I go next Tuesday. Usually at the clinic where my health insurance is, you have to wait weeks, or even months to see a specialist. I got in in a week. So, I am fortunate there.

Otherwise, how are things? Okay, I suppose. I do have much to be thankful for, and so here endeth the complaining. :-)

Have a good day, and in the words of the song........."Shower the people you love with love, show them the way that you feel."

Bob

Lordy, lordy, look who's 40.....................

2005-02-28T15:25:00.000-06:00

.........that would be ME!!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday I hit the milestone.......although these days hitting 40 is no big deal. It's like, now, life begins at 50, or 60, or something like that.............ohh well.

Here's something odd: Why in the world am I typing in such small letters? I've been using reading glasses for two years now......and I like big print.......................so here goes......

Ahh............that's better..........

So yesterday was my 40th birthday. Same as most Sunday mornings.....wife and I got up, dressed and going to church.......we had a little snafu there.......we project the words to the worship songs on a screen, and also current announcements..........well, the laptop computer we use to do this, decided that it could not hook up with the projector.........and so, no words, no pictures, no nothin'.
Oh well.......we still had hymnbooks........ :-) ..........and so the service went on.

We were invited to the home of our dear friends, the Fowlers, for a special lunch of spagetti, garlic bread, salad, and green beans. They have done this for my birthday for several years. Also joining us were the Prentices, a couple who have been members of our church for forty-five years.
FORTY-FIVE!! Talk about perspective.

Later, I filled in as choir director in the absence of our regular esteemed director. The folks there were very patient with me, and I am grateful for that. During the rehearsal, my brother-in-law called my cell phone.........I didn't have it on silent......and above the music of the rehearsal, my ringing phone could be heard. Since it was HER brother, my wife took the call,..........then told everyone it was my birthday. So they sang Happy Birthday. It was very nice.

My 40th birthday was low-key, but memorable. That's cool..................

Have a good day.

Bob

P.S. Don't forget to check out this blog:

anonymousmidwestgirl.blogspot.com

(could somebody tell me how to link to different pages? I don't know how...........)

Finally.......it's here............

2005-02-25T15:35:00.000-06:00

the weekend of my fortieth birthday........it's not going to be a big deal, I'm sure...after all, my wife says that she doesn't have any surprises planned....hmmmmmm.......I wonder......

One more hour of work, and then FREE TIL MONDAY! WHOO HOOO!

I got a birthday card today, at work. It came in the mail from the woman who was my college sweetheart. After years of having lost track of each other, we reconnected last year. It has been a good thing....you can never have too many friends, the way I see it. She is divorced with two sons, ages 8 & 6. Currently she is a major in the Illinois Army National Guard.

This month has been full of illness.......I'm really truly just tired. Waking up in the middle of the night seemingly every night, because of such bad congestion that I cannot breathe, rashes and breakouts on various parts of my body......I would just like to be able to really sleep. Otherwise, things are okay.

Have a good day and weekend.

Bob

Out of my comfort zone........

2005-02-23T14:03:00.000-06:00

because I am working in a different plant today. The factory that I work at has three different plants in the system. I normally work at what is referred to as plant 3; however today I find myself at plant 2. Talk about a waste of time.........hardly any work to do over here......I could have covered plants 2 and 3 both, and not felt like I was stealing money.........oh well, I just do what I'm told...............

The rash on my legs and feet is not healing. If and when I call for a doctor appointment, I will tell them that I have no intention of forking over the copay until I see marked improvement in my physical condition. In the last 28 days I have spent $100 on copays and over $75 on prescriptions that have been ineffective. I have had it!

Hope your day goes better...............

Bob

Nothin' in particular..................

2005-02-22T15:30:00.000-06:00

except that today is the birthday of two special people. Not just Geo. Washington, but my brother in law Kirk, and a dear friend of my wife and me, Delia T. She and her husband Joash are Christian missionaries in Mozambique. He was my best man, and she was my wife's maid of honor.....and yet they have been married two years longer than we have......oh well. :-0

I find myself only five days from the "magic" age of 40..................and it seems that this month, whatever can go wrong with my body, is happening. It doesn't help that I am grossly overweight, but I digress. It is getting old, though........waking up at 1:30 am on the nose, as it were, every night because the aforementioned nose closes and shuts down access to incoming air, which as we all know is most important to sustaining life on this planet.

I am convinced that the more machines that are placed in hospitals, that are supposed to make life easier, the more our health care costs. What's worse, these machines, which are supposed to make things easier, make routine things more complicated. Not to mention that it seems easier to insert yourself into a keyhole, than it is to get an appointment to see your doctor. Then they want the blasted co-pay upfront BEFORE you see anyone!

On the other hand, being fortunate enough to have HMO coverage, it all evens out I suppose. I'm just frustrated because I have felt lousy this ENTIRE month. Which, to say it bluntly, really sucks. Overall though, I have a terrific wife, wonderful family, great friends................so what's my problem? LOL

On the local 'memories' radio station, they just played "Blue Moon" by Frank Sinatra.
If you're not a Sinatra fan, try listening to the two CD's he recorded before he died.......Duets, and Duets II. These were his last recorded work, and you will gain an appreciation of what he meant to American music for most of the 20th century.

Don't miss this blog:

anonymousmidwestgirl.blogspot.com

She has posted a picture of herself, and she really is witty. Writes pretty well, too.

Have a good day.

Bob

10 days and counting...............

2005-02-17T12:25:00.000-06:00

until the big 4-0.........which these days is no big deal..........except that this year, my birthday month has SUCKED. Not just been bad, or slightly off, it has sucked. Sickness, missed opportunity, drugs that make you feel drowsy and tired...........on top of being tired all the time anyway...........but I digress.

Illinois 83, Penn State 63.......div. 1 NCAA men's basketball..........26-0!!!!!!! (BABY)

Baseball and steroids...........we knew it all the time, in the back of our minds, didn't we...............besides, amphetamines have been in the game since the 60's, if not before that. I have read many accounts from former players and broadcasters who admit that "greenies" were part of the game. A "pick-me-up," if you will........so does that mean all records should be changed? No, because no matter who was juiced, or high, or whatever, the things that have taken place ON THE FIELD are documented, and cannot be changed. Someone has observed, "Won't it be funny if this year a guy leads the league with 32 homers?"
Hmmmmmmmmmm...........................

Yesterday in this area it was 57 degrees. Today, 35. And so, of course, my sinuses are kicking my butt. So is the medication I am on to clear up...........um........a slight.....um............rash..............on my legs caused by an allergic reaction to the medication that cleared up the swelling and redness in my face. My, My, what a month................................

Hope your day goes better than my month has been...............

Bob

Correction..........

2005-02-15T14:13:00.000-06:00

My bad..........................

my favorite blog is located at:

anonymousmidwestgirl.blogspot.com

Check it out.

Wow...........what a weekend!

2005-02-15T12:23:00.000-06:00

Which, I hope, begins to explain why there was no blog yesterday (Monday). This past Saturday, as my wonderful wife and I were having a nice lunch at the new Chinese buffet in our town, my cell phone rang. It was my pastor, telling me that a family that had been members at our church some 15 years ago, were visiting from their current home in Indianapolis, IN, which is about a 2 hour drive east of where I live. Anyway, since I live directly across the street from my pastor (and next door to my mother-in law!), we rushed home to receive our unexpected visitors. When Dave and Mary were here in Rantoul with the Air Force, they had two young daughters before being sent to Japan. Dave is now retired from the service, and they have FIVE children.....4 daughters and 1 son. We had a good two hour visit with them.......their youngest, Ruth (that was my mother's name) is just a bundle of energy at 5 years old......it was good to see all of them.

After they left, my wife and I hurried to do the shopping we would have done earlier if not for the visit. I still had to make a dessert for the Valentine's party at our church........the deal was, the men were to bake a dessert, by themselves, and bring it to be judged. I made a Chocolate Chip cookie pie.......literally put it in the oven only 2 hours before the event started! But it worked out well...........served warm, it is rich and delicious, if I do say so myself. I did not win, or even place in the top three, but that's okay. I then served as host of our version of The Newlywed Game. I even had the original theme song playing as I introduced the couples. My childhood dream of hosting a game show was coming true. My wife and I have the board game version of Newlywed, so I used a few of the suggested questions, came up with a couple of my own, and it was a lot of fun. The four couples who played have been married......8 months............11 months...........12 years............and 25 years. (We don't have enough couples married 2 years or less..........so we improvised.) I got to be Bob Eubanks, right down to saying........You're the Newlywed Game GRAND PRIZE WINNERS!!!!!
Hee...Hee.......it was great fun.

Sunday, after church, my wife and I went with another couple to our local Red Lobster.....located in Champaign IL, home of the undefeated Fighting Illini. (25-0, baby!) That was our Valentine's Day dinner. Yesterday my wife left for me, when I got home from work (she was still at work) the most beautiful card I've ever received. After my doctor's appointment, I went to the flower shop and got her a balloon featuring Garfield the cat (her favorite.........she has quite a collection), which was tied to a small red Ty beanie baby bear with a heart on his chest saying, "I love you," and also one silk red rose. Not the jewelry I advocated on an earlier blog, but she liked it all, just the same.

Whew! That's a lot to take in, I know. Hope you all have a great day.

Be sure to check out my favorite blog, anonymousmidwestgirl.blogger.com

Bob

It's Friday..........whoo hooo...........yada, yada, yada

2005-02-11T14:13:00.000-06:00

Fridays are supposed to be cool, right?

Well, did you ever feel like the world was a tuxedo, and you were a pair of brown shoes?

I just finished lunch. Lunch that I had to buy from a vending machine. Left-wing, communist, thieving
vending machine.............the kind where you put in your hard-earned money to buy a soggy tuna salad sandwich, with the sliding plastic door...................the one that pretends to open just long enough for your money to drop in the box but I didn't get the sandwich because the blasted door didn't slide open enough to get it out, but by gar it took my money!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, okay. I enventually did get a sandwich. But I only had a set amount of money with me today, and all that is left over is 50 cents. Oh well....................at least I am feeling better than I have in days...have just about completed the prescription meds the doctor gave me............which reminds me...........always finish all medication given to you by your doctor. Just because you feel better in a couple days doesn't mean you're cured. Just a helpful hint.....

My wife is a CNA (certified nurse assistant). She has worked in a couple of nursing homes, and now works in home care. I am very proud of her. Currently she works part time helping to care for a 13 year old boy who is profoundly disabled. He was adopted by an older couple after their children were grown and gone. They first were foster parents, then they adopted Ronald. My wife enjoys helping to care for him. She has the compassion and personality to handle it. Her mother is an RN
(retired). Just yesterday we were told that, after an initial progosis of reoccuring cancer, my mother in law is cancer free. Exact words were along the line of......."no cancer present in the body at this time." This is significant, because my mother in law has survived two bouts of colon cancer, and a stroke, which would have been debilitating if not for the quick action of my wife to get her to the hospital, where special drugs were administered which not only fought off the effects of the stroke, but saved her life as well. Ursula, my mother in law, is German by birth. She lost her parents and grandparents at the hands of the Nazi regime during World War II. She is nothing, if not tough.

Slow day at work, which is where I am writing from today. Lunch period..........it's okay..........lol

Have a good day and weekend.

Bob

It

2005-02-11T11:52:00.000-06:00

Hey people...........

2005-02-10T07:10:00.000-06:00

Hey people.....
I haven't posted for a couple days because there simply wasn't a lot going on. Not that there is much of anything today either, but I need to keep up before I forget how to even do this.................ha ha.

Right now on the "Bob & Tom" radio show, the comedian Gallagher is ranting about a bunch of stuff. Remember Gallagher? The bald, roller-skating, Sledge-o-Matic wielding comic from the 80's Showtime specials? He's upset about being #100 on the Comedy Central list of the 100 greatest comedians. Truth be told, he's probably fortunate to be on the list at all. Now, personally, I found him to be very funny..........the specials were terrific. However, like all comedians, he isn't everyone's cup of tea, so to speak.

My wife asked me last night what we're doing for Valentine's day...........here we go..........
like me baking a dessert for our church's valentine party & hosting a version of the Newlywed Game, isn't enough already...........lol.............the Newlywed Game for the church crowd..................you can be sure there will be no questions like "Where is the strangest location that you have ever made whoopee?" :-)

Oh well............only 53 more days till Opening Day of baseball season.......even with the cloud of steroids hanging over........somehow we knew something wasn't quite right with all those home runs, didn't we...............?

Have a good day.
Bob

Create a blog, get sick..............LOL

2005-02-07T12:27:00.000-06:00

No entries on 3 & 4 February.........................

If having gout wasn't bad enough, last Wednesday night (3 Feb) I had an allergic reaction
which showed up in my face. It became so red and puffy that I looked like a bad sparring
partner for a boxer. It really hurt, I couldn't breathe, could barely open my mouth to eat......

My dear wife, while taking really good care of me, couldn't help making fun of me. She even
took a picture of me on Thursday when I looked the worst. I looked like a big red blowfish.

Who watched the Super Bowl..................for the commercials?
The one where all the cartoon characters of years ago gathered for dinner was cute, and
nostalgic.......and safe from the censors. I didn't see the halftime show.............heard that it was
incredibly lame.................even with Paul McCartney. What did you think?

Next Monday is Valentine's Day. Guys, jewelry is the only way to go. Expensive jewelry.
Empty-wallet-and-bank-account-expensive jewelry. If you buy flowers, they die. If you buy candy,
she wails about getting fat. You can't win.............except with expensive jewelry.

Comments? Leave 'em here or email me.
HuggyMan65@aol.com

Bob

Groundhog Day....no, not with Bill Murray

2005-02-02T09:49:00.000-06:00

Well, well, well..................(now that's a deep subject...lol)

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning........supposedly six more weeks of winter........no problem.....according to the calendar, March 20 is the official first day of spring anyway....so what's the big deal about an ugly hairy rodent popping his head out of his hole....?

Fighting Illini dominate Michigan State 81-68. Remain #1 in the country. If they are going to lose, they better do it before the Big Ten conference tournament. If they can get a favorable seed in March Madness, they could go to the Final Four. Me thinks former Illini coach Bill Self (now at Kansas University) may be thinking that he could have stayed a couple more years...........oh well. :-)

As far as blogs go, there is one I have discovered which is consistently well-written and entertaining. It is from Anonymous Midwest Girl.

www.anonymousmidwestgirl.blogger.com

Our town, Rantoul IL, after months of haggling, fired its fire chief last night because he had the audacity to take fire truck repairs to a place other than where the mayor wanted him to. It had nothing to do with the man's performance as fire chief.....that's just wrong. Fortunately, the mayor is up for re-election in April,.....and I will be actively working for the campaign of his opponent. Our town has been in turmoil over this and other issues.....and it is time for a change.

As always, let me know what you think. Leave a comment or email me.

HuggyMan65@aol.com

Bob

EXTRA! EXTRA!

2005-02-01T23:14:00.000-06:00

The University of Illinois men's basketball team

remains undefeated at 22-0!

Go Illini!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Month.

2005-02-01T11:25:00.000-06:00

Hello again everyone.

So Hillary Clinton fainted during a speech. Awwwww.............so where were the
cameras to record this momentous occasion? Plenty of cameras around when
Bob Dole fell during his presidential run, or of President Ford falling down the
steps of Air Force One. Wonder if political party affiliation had anything to do
with it.......................hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......................

I live fifteen miles north of Urbana, IL.....the home of the current Number One
college basketball team in America, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini.
The team is 21-0 going into tonight's game against Michigan State University.
The 3 guard lineup in Coach Bruce Weber's motion offense has carried this
club so far, plus huge contributions from senior big man Jack Ingram. He is
a mechanical engineering student who is fast becoming a folk hero in this
area.

GO ILLINI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was a week late, to be sure, but David Letterman had a good program last
night honoring the memory of the late Johnny Carson. Dave's monologue was
comprised entirely of jokes that Mr. Carson had sent to him in the past several
months. It is clear, at least to this observer, that Carson and Letterman had a
cordial, if not close, relationship. It is also clear that had Johnny had HIS way
about it, Dave would have taken over the Tonight Show, instead of Jay Leno.
I must say, Jay did an outstanding tribute show of his own on 24 January, in
memory of Johnny.

Got some medicine yesterday for my gout condition (see 31 Jan. blog entry).
Feeling better, hope to be all the way back just in time for 48 degree weather
being forecast for Friday, and 50(!) on Saturday. Crazy winter............................

It's the start of my BIRTHDAY MONTH! On the 27th, I hit the big 4-0. Time for
my mid life crisis..............................LOL

As always, I would love to hear from those of you who read this daily blog.
Email me at HuggyMan65@aol.com

Bob

A new week

2005-01-31T08:49:00.000-06:00

Greetings.

There was no entry for Friday, 28 January. After leaving for home on Thursday, my
gout condition reared its ugly head, attacking my left ankle and foot, making it nearly
impossible to walk or move around. In case you are not familiar with gout, here is the 411:

Gout is a form of arthritis. When uric acid crystallizes on skeletal bones, it causes intense and excruciating pain in the bones and joints. A pill called allopurinol helps to control the build-up of uric acid.

I ran out of my prescription of allopurinol. Needless to say, I thought I could get by with not getting more. And, as always happens, it bit me in the butt. So, I stayed home from work on Friday. I realized as I was home, that the everyday shoes I wear for work had worn out. Being overweight, with flat feet, I am very hard on shoes. Finally bought new shoes last night. Going to see the doctor today at 3:20pm (central time) :-)

The championship game of the National Football League is this coming Sunday, February 6. I hesitate to use the term super bowl since it is copyrighted by the NFL, and they have been known to sue people who use the term without permission. What is this
country coming to......................

I would love to hear from anyone who reads these blogs. Email me at

HuggyMan65@aol.com

Bob

Hello again

2005-01-27T09:08:00.000-06:00

Hello again people.

A slow day at work today, which is where these blogs originate from. The California train derailment
is the hot news item, which gets my interest because my father (RIP) was a freight train engineer for 25 years.
It would have been longer, but he was the victim of pranksters who caused a derailment on the track on which he was driving, and as a result he suffered a back injury which, while not debilitating, rendered him unable to work after that. He did enjoy retirement, having 20 years to pursue his hobby of antique automobiles. During that time, he was diagnosed with diabetes, losing his lower right leg to it in 1999. Then bone cancer appeared, and he passed away on July 30, 2002 at the age of 76.

Anyway, Dr. Condoleeza Rice was FINALLY confirmed as Secretary of State. But not before Barbara Boxer and Teddy Kennedy and Robert (Ku Klux Klan) Byrd had their say. Yet for all of their supposed power, they could not bring this honorable and gifted woman down. Rather than impugn her integrity and character, they should lift up Dr. Rice as an example of how to live and conduct yourself. But I digress..........

Having said that, I find myself wondering if the Iraq policy was the right way to go. At first it seemed that the President made a compelling case for removing Saddam; now I just wonder if he felt bad for daddy (Bush 41) and decided to finish up the job. We are seeing that nation building doesn't work in Muslim/Arab dominated areas. We shall see.........

Always interested in your thoughts. Email me at huggyman65@aol.com

Bob

I'm back......

2005-01-26T15:33:00.000-06:00

Hello again friends.

You no doubt have noticed the address to my blog includes "bobisahugger." Let me explain.

I was raised in a very affectionate family. There were plenty of hugs and kisses to go around.
In many areas today, that is no longer considered appropriate. Funny, since it seems every guest on a talk show, hugs the host, or on a game show, people hug...............but in real life, because of
concerns over child abuse, it is frowned upon for the most part, unless it is within your family. But I digress.......

I am a social and fiscal conservative. Having said that, I do not always toe the Repulican Party line.
In some ways, the national parties, both of them, are so out of touch with those they claim to represent, that I am unsure whether "we the people" will ever be truly heard. For some good insight concerning this and other things, check out www.mensnewsdaily.com From there you will find good articles, and links to other web sites.

I am what people would call a born again Christian. I prefer to say, "follower of Jesus Christ."
We are not the whackos that the mainstream press and Hollywood portray us to be. It seems to me that those who preach "tolerance" mean that you must be tolerant of the one who preaches tolerance, yet the one who preaches tolerance can be as intolerant as he or she wants, in order to satisfy his/her own agenda. Got all that?

Just remember: When someone screams, "That's not fair!" what they mean is "Waaaahhhh! I didn't get my way!" If everyone was dealt with fairly, we wouldn't like it.

More later........

Be interested to read your comments. Email me at HuggyMan65@aol.com

Greetings friends

2005-01-26T11:28:00.000-06:00

Hello and welcome to Random Meanderings, my very own blog. While many people may think that I am not real smart, not real talented, and overall kinda goofy, I hope to prove that every once in a while, I have some coherent thoughts that might actually be worth considering. This post is really just a test to ensure that, indeed, the blog has been established. As I formulate thoughts and ideas, they will be posted for your perusal and thoughtful consideration. Have a great day.