Landscaping

Digging up plants so you can make them into multiple pieces and re-plant them is a process i've been involved in before, but still don't understand.

Unless the plant is actually bothering me in some way (none of these were), I see no reason to dig them up. 

Too Many Options

There are too many options for what to write about that covers things since the last post.  Unfortunately, they vary in moods so dramatically that I wouldn't be able to do any of them justice.

My best attempt at this point is just to list them, and maybe return to expanding my thoughts on them in future posts.

Friday:  Plumbing went will with Ryan, except the wound on my head that looked like somebody drew with a red Sharpie.

Saturday:  Barbecues are fun.  The Albertville Outlet had some awesome deals, so shopping went well.  Found heartbreaking news that a student from First Baptist committed suicide.

Sunday:  Beginning to honor those who are/have served in our armed forces this memorial day weekend.  Helped make 6 homemade pizzas.  Played uncle for a few hours pretty successfully today.

Each of these has so much more behind them, but can't pick any of them to talk about coherently right now.

Money Talks

I enjoyed teaching about money and tithing from the book of Deuteronomy tonight.

I feel most people have the wrong idea behind why tithing was instituted and what the purpose of it is/was.  This legalistic, God demands my money so I check it off the list each period drives me nuts, so i was glad to teach its history and modern day application.

Now for some sleep before I continue with some electrical work at Ryan's.

Not a Morning Person

Tomorrow I'm headed to a conference at the Target Center.  The people I am going with are meeting at the church at 6:00 a.m. 

That seems crazy to me.  Who gets up during the 5 O'Clock hour?  Tomorrow, i'm going to, and that means I won't be functional or happy for most of the day.

Best Score

It's been so long since i've typed any thoughts for the web.

Had a great men's retreat this last weekend.  Enjoyed the results of a burger cooking competition, grilled my own steak, and had unlimited potato wedges, so the food was always good. 

Ran into an acquaintance from college that turned into a relationship that will be greatly beneficial in how it pushes us forward in our spiritual journeys.

My teaching time went well, and got some great encouragement from many of the men of my church at some of the things I'm doing, and their appreciation for them.

And, as the title of the post says, shot my best score ever in a round of golf.  Now, it wasn't just my score, it was the result of a golf scramble tournament.  My team won, and was a team that was really 2 and a half of us, as the score would have probably only changed by 2 or 3 strokes had it actually only been 2 of us.

We ended up shooting 11 under, and with some better partners, could reasonably have shot 14 under or so.   We were actually 8 under through 9 holes.  It was a blast of a weekend.

Preparing for a Long Day

Tomorrow starts like any typical Thursday, with a 7:45 coffee meeting.  The day is then non-stop until my last meeting ends sometime between 9:00 and 9:15, 13 and a half hours after the first meeting started.

However, tomorrow, when that is done, my options change.  Generally, Jenny and I either head home, or out to eat with the young adults.  Tomorrow, though, I'll be starting my 3 hour drive to Trout Lake Camp for a Men's Retreat.

Will be a fun day.  Will be ready for sleep when I get to camp.  Will be ready for fun when I wake up.  Will be ready to teach some biblical things at the retreat.

Will wish I was able to go to steak/rib dinner on Saturday night with family, but will at least be enjoying my own steak at the same time.

More Handyman Services

The weekend had the door installation.  Tomorrow has electrical rough-in on the agenda. 

I'll have a work meeting in the middle, but the rest of the day is to help one of the young adults get his basement roughed in for electricity during the mornign and afternoon.

Should be a good time of bonding, and get some work done.

I Didn't Expect That

Sometimes you just don't know how the day will unfold.

After dinner on Saturday night, Jenny and I got in our comfy clothes and put in a movie.  We figured we were in for the night.  Until around 10:00 when a friend called and asked if we wanted to partake in a prank he was pulling on his brother.

Fill an entire first floor with dixie cups full of water.   We decieded we would join in the fun and spent the next while placing dixie cups on the floor, filling the plastic ones with water and the paper ones with cat food.  We hadn't expected this turn of events.

Then the next turn of events happened.  Our friend noticed he had left the living room light on, and couldn't walk there anymore, though he was convinced he could jump to the opening of cups by the door from the couch across the room.  The other 5 of us gathered in the doorway to see if this leap would be successful.  As far as clearing the cups goes, the leap was successful.  However, his momentum continued carrying him towards the corner of the room and the door.  His body hit the corner, and part of the door, but his hand, put up to brace himself, found the one glass pane in the door and broke through it, cutting his hand enough to need stitches.

That mean, a late trip to the E.R. for stitches.  It also meant that our friend needed to replace the door on his brother's house the next day.

My Sunday was then spent with my friend, his dad, and me installing said door.  The friend of little help as he couldn't use his hand at all, leaving him fairly useless in a construction project. 

Saturday night I though I was sitting down for a movie, turns out, I really was planning the next 24 hours of my day.

The door got installed, everyone is fine, everyone is happy.

Spent

There aren't many days where I get to feeling as spent as I do right now.

At a conference with my volunteer team, other paid team members, and Jenny for the day was an experience that will help us continue to dream about what we can accomplish.

Leaving after thinking that way all day left my mind in a mush for the drive home and prep time for tonight's service. 

The service took a lot out of me tonight as well.

Fortunately, Jenny and I both have the day off tomorrow, and the new Robin Hood movie is out.  Should be a good way to relax for a little bit.

Being Noticed

Sometimes people wonder what it would be like to walk into a store and have people recognized you.  To have done something that people notice enough to say something about it in public.  Speaking in front of crowds consistently is one avenue to ensure that this will happen.

Today, I walked up to a cash register in Target and as I approached heard the cashier say:

"Hey You!  You're the announcement guy!"

Clearly someone who attends the 9:00 service at Grace where each week I am in charge of doing the announcements.  She simply thanked me for my effort in bringing creativity and humor to the announcements so as not to just be reading her own bulletin to her.

Though it may not be the thing I would hope to be known for throughout life, it was kind of nice to be noticed in a random place.

Just Over 10 Months

I've worked at Grace for just over 10 months now. 

I figured today would be a good day then to start to make my office feel like my own.  I re-arranged some of the furniture so that I have more working space, and will start decorating and personalizing my space tomorrow.

Pretty soon, I'll even put up all the functional things I want.  After a year or so, it should actually feel like my office.

Catwalks and Lifts

Hanging 20 feet of rope from the rafters of the church sanctuary, tied to a mesh bag holding a 40 pound boulder.

Will be a fun pendulum illustration in the service this coming Sunday.

OG OD

Jenny's mom chose Olive Garden for mother's day lunch.  My mom chose Olive Garden for mother's day dinner. 

I didn't finish my second OG meal of the day which means there are leftovers for lunch tomorrow.

3 straight Olive Garden meals may put me into overdose heaven.

Intuition Run a Muck

I went to a midnight showing of Iron Man 2 with 2 other guys tonight.

After 1 preview I felt strongly that one of my biggest movie pet peeves was among me.  Some of the murmuring led me to believe that this may be one of those audiences that thinks it will be appropriate to clap during the movie...an observation I told the two gentleman with me.

It then came true 3 times during the course of the movie.

Not the time I want my intuition to be right.

Disturbed or Thankful?

I've been in my fair share of public male bathrooms.  I expect that in doing so, it is likely that if i need use a stall, i'll have to wipe the seat first.

Such an occassion arose today.  Upon wiping the seat however, the automatic flusher went off.  This wouldn't have been a concern except that it flushed powerfully enough that some of its water splashed back upon the seat.

I couldn't decide if I was disturbed or thankful for such a thing.  Am i supposed to be happy that perhaps all that was on the seat was water from the last flush, or disturbed that I have to wipe again?  Happy that it is likely hard to clog this kind of toilet, or disturbed that it may flush and act as a (insert appropriately spelled french word that phoenetically comes out 'buh-day')?

I still haven't decided if I was more disturbed or thankful, though spent all the time on that toilet wondering what the consensus would be.

Job Reviews

Had my first job review today at Grace Fellowship.

Was warned in advance to not expect a bunch out of it as my review was going to be very positive.

If every job reveiw I have goes like the one did today, I'll count myself lucky.

It essentially functioned as a big pat on the back, and my supervisor soliciting ideas for ways I think he could help release me to be more effective by eliminating any areas of my job that I don't like.

I think that is as close to an ideal job review as one can get.

Coffee Shops and Comptuers

I spent 5 1/2 hours in coffee shop meetings today, and 3 hours in a computer meeting/photoshop lesson.

I don't even know why I have an office sometimes when a properly equipped laptop would suffice for all my needs.

Now that I think about it, I don't even know my own office number...

Suppose we'll see tomorrow what I do with my time at the office.

Jenny's Back

I survived the 10 days as a bachelor.

I'm being well taken care of again...or at least am more accountable for the choices I make.