Sunday, June 28, 2009

The unexpected continues

Good day at church today. Always a pleasure to be with my church family.

Got home and the headlines on the internet was "TV pitchman Billy Mays found dead in Florida home." Commercials will never be the same........BILLY MAYS FOR OXI-CLEAN!!!!!!

Cooled off around here today. More of the same through most of the week. Good.

Cardinals lose 2 out of 3 games to Minnesota. Humph.

Joey Logano, a rookie, wins the rain shortened NASCAR race today.

I'm tired. Seems like I have been for years. Oh well.


Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Big News Day

So far this week three popular entertainers have passed away. Tuesday, Ed McMahon. Today, Farrah Fawcett and, shockingly, Michael Jackson.

Farrah Fawcett was the iconic pin up girl of the 1970's. I was not one to have posters on my bedroom walls. But I had her poster. :-) She later showed that she was more than just a pretty face; she could act as well, evidenced by three Emmy nominations. Cancer, as with so many others, took her life at the too-young age of 62.

Michael Jackson most likely was the most talented of the Jackson clan; Janet runs a very close second. His albums "Off the Wall" and "Thriller" are some of his best work. The strangeness that engulfed the last half (or longer) of his life, sadly, is what some will remember most. Even with all that, he should be remembered as a talented performer. The King of Pop......gone at age 50.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Day Off

Even though Thursday is my day off, I had figured on working today. There are four of us in the meat department @ Champaign Walmart. One of my co-workers lost his mother this past Sunday night; the funeral is tomorrow. Another (the least senior member of the team) took 3 days off, yesterday, today, and tomorrow for a family wedding. I asked about working today, and was told that the store manager does not want any overtime. Which today would have been for me. So, I am home today while the department lead works alone. Not ideal, but what can you do?

I still am stoked about yesterday and seeing my friends the Dowells. They came all the way from Virginia as a result of connecting with a few former church family members here in Rantoul. As I said yesterday, an example of the correct use of Facebook.

Tuesday evening, my niece Elexus hit a GRAND SLAM home run and pitch the first 3 innings of her game. Immediately after the homer, she was taken off the mound and put in center field. She had a five run lead at the time. The other team came back to win 12-11. Bummer. Another game tonight...if it doesn't rain.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Renewing Acquaintences

I worked today from 6 am to 3 pm. Not my normal shift, but it worked out wonderfully. I was able to visit with an old friend. Not old age wise, but in years known. Anyway, Facebook can be a great thing. It had been twenty years since I had seen Greg and his dear wife Mary. They are living in Virginia where Greg has pastored a church for the past six years. They had been on Facebook and found a few friends from the past on the site. In response, they took two days and came to Illinois to renew old friendships. Ingrid and I visited them at my aunt and uncle's home; they had visited other folks earlier in the day.





Ingrid and me with Mary and Greg Dowell.

At Greg's insistence, a pic of the two of us. Brothers in Christ.

All in all, a really good day. An example of how Facebook, used correctly, can be a positive thing.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Slowly doing better

During the past week, I have worked even in the midst of the gout attack. Today was the best day I've had since the initial trouble. A few more days and I'll be back to normal (or whatever normal is for me). It appears that I will be working one more day this week, and going in very early on Wednesday. My coworker in the meat dept. lost his mother Sunday night. She had been hospitalized for nearly 2 years. I am not sure at this time when he will return to work.

Went to a cookout tonight after work. Our church has a Men's Bible Study on the third Monday night of each month. We met at our pastor's house for food and bible study. I merely had to walk across the street in order to attend. Good food, for body and soul.

That's all for now. Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Fighting Through

Gout, that is. The nemesis of half my life began to rear its ugly head Sunday morning. I made it through church just fine. By mid afternoon, the pain and swelling was such that it was difficult to stand and walk. Even with various OTC meds, (for those of you in Rio Linda, that means over the counter medications...lol) by early the next morning I was in no condition to work. So I stayed home.....using ibuprofen to relieve the swelling....I was finally feeling better at around 8pm that night. So I went back to work today. The gout pain remains in the left ankle. I was able to get around at work, but took longer to get things done. The saying I have heard is true.....

When your feet (and ankles) hurt, your whole body hurts.

So here I sit in my recliner.......I like my recliner. :-)

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Softball Update

Elexus, my niece, played softball tonight. It was their first win of the season, 7-4. Elexus started at shortstop, and had two hits, a walk, a run scored, and a run batted in. She can really hit. It was the best game of the season so far.

I'm Tired and Weary

It's my day off. I'm tired...........physically and mentally. And even culturally.

I am tired of what America has become. No longer is there common sense, civility, restraint, or any other virtues. These days, the only thing that seems to matter............the number one "right" in America today..........is the right NOT to be offended. Certain people cannot say anything out loud, it seems, for fear of swift retribution. We see it politically, in business, in dealing in everyday life. Certain people cannot express opinions without fear of the "thought police" ruining them.

Now I agree that there are things that are harmful.............using disparaging words about ethnic groups, and such. Even with all the awareness of the last 20 years or so, there is still bullying. It is constantly said that "educating children about bullying being wrong will stop it."

BALDERDASH!

Bullying still exists. Name calling still exists. Hazing still exists.

That's just one example. "Political correctness" is a stench in the nostrils of what America should be about. It is nothing more than the silencing of people who hold moral and conservative views.
What makes me maddest is this: The very same people (who tend to be liberal politically) who preach 'tolerance' and 'acceptance' will vociferously shout you down IF YOU DON'T AGREE WITH THEM. They have no problem loudly and constantly pushing their ideas, opinions, and beliefs, but anyone who disagrees better shut up; they say "don't you push your ideas down my throat.' IT IS THEY WHO ARE PUSHING THEIR IDEAS DOWN MY THROAT, AND I AM SICK OF IT! IF THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO IT, SO DO I!!!!!!!!!

I am tired of media of every sort giving only one side of important issues. Why does this happen?
Because every person only cares about their own agenda. It used to be that reasonable people could come together for the common good. Not any more. The only thing that matters these days is our own agenda. Yes, there are times we have to be concerned about things that matter to us. But must we be SO self-centered that nothing or no one else matters? Is it necessary to hurt others so that we can have what we want?

America is done as a decent, moral, powerful country.

That's my opinion.
What's yours?

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Change of plans

After a long day of work, Ingrid and I were planning to go to my niece's 8:30pm (!) softball game.

At 7:55pm, it started raining. It is such that we are not now going.

Instead we have on the tv the show "18 Kids and Counting" on TLC. I can handle this show better than Kate and 8 plus Jon.....the show jumped the shark when the network.......the NETWORK.....paid for Kate's teeth whitening and tummy tuck. Plus she treats Jon like crap. Whatever he may have done (and he acknowledges bad decisions), I have never observed him disrespect her on the show like she disses him. Plus, no matter what anyone says, the children pick up on this. We are all products of the environment we were raised in. We take on in our own lives those things we observe in our parents (or whomever raised us). Remember the old line "do as I say, not as I do?" If we're honest, we all have times when we either heard that or feel like that. Those who recognize negative things and have resolved to make changes in their lives are to be commended. (Full disclosure: I am not a parent; but I have been a child, raised by a single mom, plus I have over 20 years of observing parents raising children.) I am not elevating myself to some pedestal. I'm just expressing my opinion. Which, since this is my blog, I am entitled to. I do not wish to push anything down anyone's throat, so to speak.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

Now I have a headache.

Until next time, keep your stick on the ice.