Road Trip!

I don't mind driving. I really don't. I do it for a living at 2 different jobs. But I'll tell you, doing more than 1,000 miles in about 48 hours is no fun. San Jose to Dodge Ridge on a Monday, about 3 and a half hours. Stay for 4 more days then Dodge Ridge to San Jose, sleep a few hours then to Hollister to L.A. (sleep a bit) to Visalia, to Hollister to San Jose and I've pretty much killed any desire to go anywhere. Today I woke up late, never got dressed, was a TV vegetable, ate way too many carbs and will probably go to bed early.

I remember as a pre-teen I wanted to be a long haul trucker. Get paid to see the whole country. If there was any inkling of that desire left in me, it may very well have died this weekend.

"Good morning, Pooh Bear," said Eeyore gloomily.
"If it is a good morning," he said.
"Which I doubt," said he.

Quotes from the Founders

As of late, the topic seems to permeate the media. Whether in news or opinion the "seperation of church and state" phrase, which has been misinterpreted for many years, continuously bludgeons the sheeple over their collective heads. You have heard the phrase "If you tell a lie long enough people will believe it." This is just what has happened over the last 50 odd years. The left and secular humanists have twisted this phrase to somehow mean there can be NO mention of religion anywhere in government. The original correspondance where this phrase was coined was from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists who were a religious minority in Connecticut. They complained that in Connecticut, the religious liberties they enjoyed were not seen as immutable rights, but as privileges granted by the legislature - as "favors granted." Jefferson's reply did not address their concerns about problems with state of Connecticut's establishment of religion - only on the national level.

The letter was the subject of intense scrutiny by Jefferson, and he consulted some of New England politicians to be sure that his words would not offend the Baptists while still conveying his message: it was not the place of Congress or the Executive branch to do anything that might be misconstrued as the establishment of a state religion.

Now for my need to post some quotes.

Thomas Paine

"The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind.
Where, some say, is the king of America? I'll tell you, friend, He reigns
above.

William Penn (Founder of Pennsylvania)

"If thou wouldst rule well, thou must rule for God, and to do that, thou must be
ruled by him....Those who will not be governed by God will be ruled by tyrants."

Daniel Webster (Statesman, Lawyer, Orator)

"Finally, let us not forget the religious character of our origin. Our fathers were brought hither by their high veneration for the Christian religion. They journeyed by its light, and labored in its hope. They sought to incorporate its principles with the elements of their society, and to diffuse its influence through all their institutions, civil, political, or literary.

John Adams

June 21, 1776

"Statesmen, my dear Sir, may plan and speculate for liberty, but it is
Religion and Morality alone, which can establish the Principles upon which
Freedom can securely stand.

Hat tips to the following for aiding in my information gathering -

• Faith of our Fathers
• Eads Home Ministries
• The Clusty search engine
  

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Parenting Pains

It's difficult to believe that the little girl teetering around the coffee table would grow up and move away. That little life that depended on you for her very existence would reach a point where she really would be her own person and not necessarily need you for survival. That, of course is how every parent sees their child. Needing them, dependent. Picturing that little girl all grown up, independant, making life's decisions, is difficult to fathom. When the decision is made to leave the home for another place with other people that replace the nuclear family, it knocks the wind out of you. Even though the ultimate goal of parenting, raising your child to be self-sufficient and productive, is known from birth, when the moment arrives it's quite unreal. It's rather like slamming your fingers in a car door. It hurts a lot. I can only hope that the future is bright and her ambition is sparked by this transition to independence. God has wonderful plans for her!

About time

I should be punished in some form for not posting. Actually I think the fact that there is only one person that I know of that randomly hits my blog is punishment enough! So Joe, I salute you! Although I must say that the last time I posted a sarcastic comment to his blog he never replied. Now I even wonder if anyone cares about my opinion at all. It seems not to matter whether I am making my own comments or not, no one cares. Now where's that rope I left laying around....

The Vacation So Far....

The plans were mostly set and the outcomes highly anticipated. Then, of course, my vacation started and everything changed. Sound all too familiar? Mine actually started on a Saturday afternoon when I got off work. I was essentially a vegetable the rest of the day and went to bed probably around 8:30 or 9:00pm. Sunday the plan was to make the late service at church except that when I woke up, I was already very late for the late service. I slept about 15 hours. I guess when you go that long you really need it!

I planned to make my first day of vacation a do-nothing day. I caught up on all the TiVo'd programs that were just taking up space since I never have time to watch the toob. One of those being Shootout on the History Channel. There were a couple episodes about Marines and Army Rangers in Fallujah, Iraq and Afghanistan. They document actual firefights with the soldiers who were there. Another episode was about the Doolin Gang and a bank robbery that went awry. Guy shows, I guess. . "My Name is Earl" is a show I watch when I get the chance. Unusual. I would have to say though, for a vegetative state of mind, that would be a top notch show. My particular favorite is "Monk" on the USA network. It is one of the few comedy shows on TV that is laugh-out-loud funny. In fact it is good enough that I would actually buy the DVD's of the show. I find the buying of DVD's of a TV show to be a rather peculiar act so I guess it would say something of the show if I were willing to spend money on it.

But enough of the vegetable stew. The real vacation involves finishing (a stretch) my kitchen remodel that has been going on for waaaay too long. I have counter tops to install and tile, cabinets to trim and complete, floor tile to remove and replace with slate, etc. Ahh, the joys and relaxation of a week of vacation! Don't forget the unfinished (is there ever really a "finished") honey-do list! Bathroom towel bar, living room curtain rod, garage, backyard, painting, need I go on? Quick, get me my drink with the little umbrella before I just plain give up and go back to work so I can rest a bit!

The Benefits of Injury

While that seems to be an odd statement at first glance, upon reflection it makes perfect sense. My particular injury has kept me from working my second job on the 3 days a week that I normally work there. While this creates a void in the budget it increases the personal benefits of being home with my family. While the family isn't always home with me (college age kids), I'm able to be there for the sometimes fleeting few minutes where they are passing through. That should be all it takes to impart my great words of wisdom as they galavant off to this gathering or that class. I've realized how quickly the days go by and how I wish I had told them things long ago. They both are, of course in the "I know, Dad" stage of life where my arcane and ancient knowledge couldn't possibly apply to them in todays hip and cool circles that they are circulating in.

I have been pleasantly surprised at the time that my wife and I have been able to spend together. She always thought there would be a gnashing of teeth over the kids being too busy to be at home with us. She has subsequently changed that position to a healthy "well this is nice". We have been able to do things and go places that we normally wouldn't because of "the kids". There is a certain giddyness to knowing you don't have to be a full time parent anymore. It has become more of a part-time position where you step in or up as needed. At the same time the increased independence on their part leads to less budgetary subsidies and expenditures on their behalf. As dearly as one loves their children, empty nests are not all that bad!

Hot, hot, hot and did I mention...it's hot

Another day of 90 degree plus temperatures! It's rather mind-numbing. Nothing is worse than trying to go to sleep while it's still daylight outside with a fan blowing hot air on you. All the things that need to get done in the yard that don't because it's unbearably hot. Maybe I'll just stay inside and brew a batch of beer with my Mr. Beer brew set! My last attempt didn't turn out. I think it didn't get warm enough because I brewed it during the winter and I don't believe the brew keg reached or maintained a temperature of at least 70 degrees.

That sounds like a really good project for today! I will have to simultaneously mix up a batch and record the TNT mini-series "Into the West" for my buddy who will be coming by for dinner this week. He's single and doesn't cook so when my wife makes spaghetti with a jar of Prego sauce he thinks he's at a gourmet Italian restaurant. His refrigerator contains at least one of the following at any given time:

• Pepsi - not diet!
• Ketchup
• Taco Bell hot sauce packets
• Monster energy drinks
• Budget Gourmet frozen dinners

Quite the culinary delight there!! I'm not sure he even makes toast because that would require using an appliance. I better lay off or he won't come for dinner and he may starve to death because of it.

Time Warp (or at least I would like to blame it on one!)

Amazing how quickly the time flies. My last post was right around the time that we got a new supervisor at our warehouse. I used to have plenty o' time for blogging!! He unfortunately comes in at 5:00am and normally hangs out all morning until I leave for my other job. It kind of puts a damper on my posting frequency. You say to yourself "why don't you blog at home?". To which I would reply, "I don't get paid for blogging off the clock."

Actually it seems as if my free time is spent doing the things around the house that I can't do because I'm working two jobs. My free time is really the time I use to do things that otherwise don't get done.

I have to tip my hat to Joe at Joe's Big Blog for getting me off my duff and posting again. He verbally berated me for being a lousy blogger. At the time I had to agree with him because I WAS/am a lousy blogger!! I hope I've reconciled with this post. There is a certain lack of content to this post, however. I am not exactly sure if I can be credited with an actual "posting" or just a puff piece to satisfy my detractors (read: Joe).

I'm striving to create a substantive post...really...I am!