You should see the view when it's only you!

Look! It's Me

2012-01-18T21:57:00.002-06:00

New Toilet....#2

2011-12-05T20:03:00.007-06:00

Well, The first toilet leaked. It's a good thing because someone didn't measure the rough in and bought a 12" when he should have bought a 14". The second one is in and isn't leaking from the tank like the first one. However, I did go through a couple wax rings. Oh well. Here are the pictures of the new toilet installed. I am praying it won't leak. I really didn't really react very well and I definitely needed to seek forgiveness after it went south a few times. Here are the pictures of the vanity, sinks, and faucets installed. Now I just need to hook up the plumbing. Grrrrrr, it's getting frustrating with all the stuff I am finding that is incorrect.

I ended up using our old mirror. We did get a new light but I am not sure I like it. It's fine but I just don't like the quality.

Toilet #2

Installed vanity with back and side splashes

Closer view of the faucets.

The new light and old mirror. Can't get rid of such a big mirror.

Almost There!

2011-12-03T17:40:00.009-06:00

This morning we installed the cabinets. I put in the toilet and some of the small finishing things. I picked up the counter top with the integrated sinks. That will get put in hopefully really soon. The toilet was a little tricky as it leaked the first time I put it on. I threw another wax ring it and that seemed to take care of it. Hopefully nothing else will leak for the rest of the time it sits there. Here are updated pictures.

Shower Head and curtain

The not leaky toilet. Also, not pink.

Cabinet above the counter top his isn't there.

Almost finished cabinets and drawers

Paint and Tile

2011-11-26T17:41:00.012-06:00

Well, I got a great surprise phone call this morning. I was expecting to sleep in but instead my awesome dad called asked if I wanted to put in the tile. Of course I accepted his offer. I am glad I finished all of the painting on Thanksgiving. However, Thanksgiving was a bit of a crazy day with doing all the priming, painting the walls and ceiling, and radiator. I also did all my lawn work and then worked from 11pm until 7am.

When I first put the paint on the walls I literally said "O M G!" I really liked it. Once all the painting was done I really felt like we were getting somewhere. Here are the pictures of the paint and the tile. I just have to grout, seal the grout, and caulk. After that is done we can put in the toilet. We bought the Eljer Titan 4. Supposedly it can flush a bucket of golf balls but I won't be attempting that any time soon.

Here is some of the paint before the tile.

Durock on the floor

More of the Durock and the paint.

Tile on the walls above the surround.

Another view

Here is a view of the tile up to the wood floor transition. There is almost no transition and it sits pretty flush.

Here is the full floor.

Next time you see this picture the radiator will be back in place, the floor will be grouted, and a toilet will be sitting over that hole. Hopefully it doesn't leak. I have read a few older reviews from 2007 of the same toilet but maybe by 2011 those would be rectified.

Tub and Surround

2011-11-24T21:21:00.006-06:00

After the plumbing got completed I were were able to get the tub and surround it. I went with a surround because it will be easier to care for with the kids. It is a direct to stud mount and went it pretty easy. Here are a few pictures of it.

This is the faucet and control. Everything will be finished with a brushed stainless steel. In the upper left hand corner you can see the shelf on the surround. One shelf goes the width of the surround.

The other end.

Here is the shelf. It doesn't look good in the picture but it does look nice when you see the whole thing.

The paint is on the walls but I am not taking pictures until after I put a second coat on and it dries. Next comes the tile and grout and then the toilet. Then we can start using it even though we are still waiting on the vanity top.

Pinkalicious

2011-11-05T15:25:00.008-05:00

The Pink bathroom demo work has begun. Finally, after all the delaying, I have started the "Pink" bathroom. I had so many thoughts racing through my mind about what could go wrong. Mold was the first and obvious concern. I got things moving pretty quick with the help of the best dad a guy could want. After the fixtures were removed we tackled the toilet, floor, shower walls and then the CAST IRON TUB (Thank you sledge hammer and wolf blanket). Everything went so smooth. I was really super excited about the way things worked out. God was smiling down on me. Construction projects never go right for me. So far this has been excellent. After I finished I had my plumber over and he gave me an estimate. This should work out nicely.

Here is the original pink look from 1964

Got started at 7am this morning. I went to bed last night at midnight and didn't sleep much at all. Guess I had alot of stuff running through my head.

This is all cleaned out for the plumber and dry wall guy.

After the all the tile was removed we tackled the tub. About 15 good shots with the 8 pound slege hammer and it was in two pieces. Carrying it down the stairs.....I'm still sore.

Plumber was over today and gave it a look. Shouldn't be to bad to get the new tub in and the surround. He will also replace the valve for the shower and all the drain pipes.

After the tub and shower go in I will have the drywall guy over to put in green board and repair walls. Paint, floor, and vanity installation will follow.

ROCKtober

2011-09-18T08:42:00.003-05:00

It's been a long time since I updated this goofy thing but oh well. I guess I will just join continue to be people that only update blogs 3 times a year. ROCKtober is coming quickly. I found this good looking gal a few years ago, 15 years ago, who said she would go with me to see DCB* for one of their last shows. Not only that, Building 429 and Leeland will also be playing a show in October. I have tickets for both. We are getting back to our roots. We used to go to shows all the time and then along came children and that stopped all together until last year when we went and saw Needtobreathe.

Pictures

2011-05-01T09:09:00.005-05:00

Pep talk before the first game

Warm ups

First at bat...led to a walk

Stole the base

Yankees Win!

2011-04-29T23:10:00.003-05:00

If you aren't up on 3rd/4th grade base ball, that is the headline from tonight. #2 had his first game, it was against the Orioles. They were big and mean, all 4th graders. He played second base and fielded a pretty hard hit ground ball. I think he was a bit surprised he actually caught it. He did make the throw to first to get the runner out. I only saw one of two at bats because I had to leave early for my dodge ball tournament. He was walked both times and scored both times as well. Then, while in center field he caught a fly ball. I am so amazed and proud of my son. I have worried about this first game for so long and prayed so much for him. I just can't believe he did so well. He really needed this as a confidence booster. We took pictures and I will post them hopefully tomorrow. However, after many games of dodge ball and a 4th place finish out of 32 teams, I am kind of tired. We also have a soccer game early tomorrow and then I have to work four hours. Also going to try and hit a Chicago Rush game in the evening.

Organized Sports

2011-04-23T16:32:00.008-05:00

Today was the first day of organized sports for both #1 and #2. 0700 hrs came nice and early for baseball practice. I was just glad we were able to get there a little early so we could get donuts and coffee. I picked up munchkins so it would help #2 with meeting the kids. He unfortunately missed the first few practices. Well, all in all I think he did really great. He did pretty good with the ground balls and the fielding. He also did a great job batting. First game will be Friday.

#1 had her first soccer game today. She hasn't made any of the practices because she was late to get signed up. However, you would have never have known she missed all the practices. She started at right forward, played center forward, and goalie. On one of the first plays she almost scored. It was a great shot. She also had a couple other great shots and passes. I think I was most proud of her during her time as goalie. She stopped a few shots and punted the ball excellently. In fact, not one other goalie punted the ball. When she did, it went half the field. We have some pictures for you to see.

The Dining Room

2011-04-01T16:42:00.018-05:00

We started our dining room a few weeks ago when we bought a new light fixture. It was a great deal from Lowes and pretty easy to install. The ceiling also got painted. We bought new hard wood flooring that will continue from the living room into the dining room. Then we decided to paint. I was glad the store had the same color we used in our living room. Here are the before, during and after pictures.

How it looked when we bought it. The floor was actually in beautiful condition. Notice the retro light fixture. I still have it if anyone is interested.

We added the table. You have to eat some where.

Out with the old.

Floor is out.

Walls are painted.

Installing the new floor

Floor is in

Furniture is in too

Better view of the new light fixture

Close up view of the new floor and quarter round

Now there is no awkward transition piece to a old fashioned parquet floor.

A Place For Evertything And Everything In Its Place

2011-02-28T17:15:00.007-06:00

Well, the kids toys have been a little bit of a disaster for a while and we finally got an organizer. It worked out pretty good. Take a look.

Before

Shelves Up

Toys in Place

Curtain to Conceal

Out of Sight

Next venture will be the light in the kitchen. It may be done already, wink wink. I just have to take a few pictures and do a little painting.

Prepare to be Entertained

2011-02-25T22:37:00.004-06:00

So, the other night we went to IKEA to look at a dresser for #1. We found a few we thought we might consider but nothing really jumped out at as. I was surprised with all the kitchen design items they have. Who would have known you could get counter tops through IKEA? Not me. Anyways, we didn't walk out empty handed. In fact, my hands were full and the item filling my hands was heavy. We bought a new entertainment center. It took us almost a year but we finally found something simple, in our budget, decently constructed, and accommodating of all of our things. So, we move from totally ghetto table/entertainment center.

To something that opens the room and is clean and simple.

I am sure I will have to paint it again in the future, but that is fine with me. I was really hoping this would have that white plastic protective type covering like our computer desk but it doesn't. However, it does organize our things.

I'll Save You

2011-02-10T21:39:00.002-06:00

It's been a while for a few things. One would be an update. The other would be working out on a consistent basis. I was playing basketball weekly, but that stopped when we moved and I don't like getting up super early to play (5:30am) with some school folk. Anyways, I was going to start P90X but I had some worries about it due to a handful of things.
-I tore my rotator cuff over a year ago and it still bothers me
-I recently hurt my Achilles
-Given the above incidents and health conditions my doctor (yes I actually went to my doctor) suggested I try a lighter work out.
-I don't want to fail.

So, given those reasons, I ordered Power 90. Power 90 is a lighter work out compared to P90X. So far I am done three days worth and feel pretty decent. I have had a little pain in the hip flexors and the calf muscles. I didn't anticipate. I will save you from the before and after pictures. One reason being I didn't take them. Secondly, I think it to be inappropriate to post pictures of me in my shorts on the internet. Ok, with that being said, feel free to ask me how I am doing. Hopefully I can do all 90 days, then move onto p90X and then onto Insanity.

The Living Room

2010-12-11T17:17:00.006-06:00

The Living Room is almost done. AS of now we would like some crown molding and then put up a few things on the walls. However, you can look at the furniture in there by checking out this link. Here are the end tables and lamps we just picked up from IKEA. They were not the table we went there for because they were junk. These appear to be ok. We will see how long it takes for them to be destroyed by the kids.

More Construction

2010-11-26T17:06:00.015-06:00

Black Friday is always fun in our house. We did more construction....

This is #1s fun house. I thought the idea was pretty good. She even put turn styles and a ticket booth. There are various things to play on as you go through. At the end is a slide and the person is helping the other person.

We all built this place.

You Could Paint A Car In Here

2010-11-15T17:49:00.012-06:00

That was the funniest thing that was said when we were having new bathroom exhaust fans put in. I went way bigger than we needed and love the results. There is almost no moisture in the room during and after a shower . The mirrors don't fog at all. We had an exhaust in the "Pink" bathroom, but it was loud and small, and wasn't vented out the attic. We didn't have a fan in our master bathroom. I purchased to Broan fans that are 2-2.5 sones, mid range loudness that provides some privacy when taking care of business.

Additionally, we took out the carpet in our hall and on our stairs. We will get them refinished soon. I have a time frame but it may not work out.

For the vents I will just show you the finished products. I also took two pictures of the 4" insulated duct work run from the vents out the roof. A friend helped me install the roof vents and I did the duct work in the attic. The insulated ducts are the way to go in this situation to avoid moisture/condensation on the ducts that drips onto insulation/wood and can cause mold.

Here are the finished bath fans. This is the master.

This is a close up of the master.

Here is the fan in the "Pink" bathroom. The ceiling paint is still drying so the color looks a little off.

Here is the duct work in the attic. Although it looks huge, it is only 4" ducting. The insulation makes it look huge. The other stuff is the ducting for our Spacepac system.

The stairs looked like this.

Here's what we found underneath.

Time To Update

2010-09-20T20:54:00.002-05:00

Well, it has been a while to say the least. The room in the basement is completely out. I just have a few metal pins to either grind or cut out. Then just a little paint on the floor and wall and things will be complete. It was nice getting all the electrical work done. It was more than what we assumed it would cost, but worth it. It is more functional now, and safer. We had a contractor over today to look at the the bathrooms. We are replacing an exhaust fan (not hard) and adding one in our master. Our master doesn't have one and we want one in there. The exhaust fain being replaced doesn't vent out the roof so the kids have been taking cool showers. Well, it's getting cooler and they need to start taking warmer showers. After these exhaust fans are installed I don't really know what we should do next. I was considering the driveway but was advised not to by the contractor. We will probably start the doors and entry way. I wish we had like an extra 50,000 sitting around. Then I could do all the windows, siding, and doors. I will feel like something major has been accomplished if we did that. We could also still use some furniture for the living room. On a positive note, we are getting a bookcase made. I am excited about that because it will not cost much at all. We will have to finish it but I like staining. I have the stain left over from out quarter round too. Solid wood in the stores will cost an arm and a leg. This won't. Other than that, fall is crazy. I just loaded and unloaded about 4,000 pounds of topsoil to take care of the back yard. You can see from previous posts the condition of the yrad where we removed the fence. That is enough for now, I have a killer head ache and I want to go to bed.

The "Lego Room"

2010-07-24T18:04:00.006-05:00

The crew was young and inexperienced...

and the task was large.

They had everything going against them but they worked together...

And accomplished their goal.

GOOD BYE LEGO ROOM!

30s Pizza Factory

2010-07-24T09:25:00.003-05:00

30s Pizza Factory is located in Arlington Heights on Dundee. The nicest people own the place and the pizza is great. I would suggest anyone go there and try the 30's Challenge. 3 people try to eat a 30 inch pizza in under an hour. You get a free t-shirt, your picture on the wall, and the pizza for free if you can beat the challenge.

Here are some pictures from our pizza last night. No, we didn't try the challenge.

It's Not All Just Work

2010-07-07T08:04:00.002-05:00

We actually do some fun things around here and not just work all day. We broke out the fire pit last week. Unfortunately #1 was at camp. It was still fun even though #1 missed it. And yes, we had S'Mores. They were good.

The Landscaping Will Never End

2010-06-29T15:47:00.004-05:00

This house is great. It needs updating but it truly is wonderful. However, the landscaping is a nightmare. In the front of the house I cut down the biggest bush, trimmed up the pine tree almost 8 feet and another tree next to it. I also took out a small tree. There were nasty bushes next to the garage I took out and dug out the stumps. What a serious amount of work. I trimmed up our two cherry trees and a ton more trees in the back yard. Now the yard is a bit more open and enjoyable. The back patio area and garden are the next big outside projects. Here are some pictures of the back trees and the missing bushes next to the garage.

The Kids Rooms

2010-06-29T15:40:00.005-05:00

All we did in the kids rooms was paint. The girls picked pink. I picked a graphite color for the boys room. I think they turned out nicely. Best part was we (wife and I) did it together.

The Fence

2010-06-27T10:00:00.002-05:00

See ya fence!

Dining Room

2010-06-27T09:55:00.001-05:00

First, I have to say thanks to my father in law for the table.

The House and Pictures

2010-06-27T09:41:00.007-05:00

Well, Here are the pictures of the living room and all the work we did on it so far.

No furniture, but the room looks nice. Next...the dining room.

Almost A Month

2010-06-20T11:56:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been almost a month since we bought our house. We immediately went to work in the bedrooms. We painted the kids rooms. Then we started on the living room. Out came the book cases and the carpet. The walls got fixed and and painted. The hardwood is in as well as the trim. The quarter round is getting done today. I have been working like a dog and haven't slept much. On top of everything, work is getting busy again. Summer is busy. The money seems to be ok though. We have a alot of work to do but are praising God for a great situation. Thanks to the C family for everything. They have been too wonderful to even describe.

No Longer Homeless

2010-05-30T08:33:00.001-05:00

As of the 27th, we are homeowners. How nice it is to know we have a place to call our home. It is such a blessing. We started working on it too. We ripped out carpet and built in book cases. I have started patching the wall where the built in book cases were. We put in hardwood floors in the living room and got the first coat of paint on the girls room. The boys room is taped and will be painted today. It's what we wanted. A house in excellent shape that needs to be updated but everything is functional.

Details

2010-05-19T22:51:00.001-05:00

So much going on but I just don't want to type anything. Oh well, brings new meaning to spare me the details.

Testing

2010-05-09T14:08:00.004-05:00

Just testing out the new camera. Here's some fooling around.

I'm Sinning Right Now

2010-05-04T22:27:00.003-05:00

So, I know pride is a sin but I don't really care right now. I am so proud of every person in this house that is not me. First, I have to say way to go! to numbers 1,2, and 3. They rock and roll! #4, well, she's just number 4 and you can't help but love it all. However, Wifey continues to blow me away and amaze me more and more every day. Every day I see her, talk with her, laugh with her, hurt with her, fight with her (yes that happens too), live with her, I love her more and more. YOU ARE THE ABSOLUTE GREATEST EARTHLY THING IN MY LIFE!

I'm Tired

2010-04-27T20:30:00.004-05:00

For the last few days on the ride home from work I have been really tired. Actually, for the past couple of week I have been tired and I couldn't think of what has caused it. Well, DUH! I just remembered I have been doing WAY MORE presentations at work. I usually a couple here and there. However, this week I have already done 8 presentations in 1 school. I have about 6 or 8 more scheduled for the rest of this week. I don't just stand in front of the classes and talk like Ben Stein. I move around and change my voice tone up alot and I am very animated while I talk. With that being said, it wipes me out. On top of all that myself and the other guys I share an office with are totally and completely swamped. Most of the time I have no idea what I did all day because I did so much I can't remember. Also, I don't know how I get things done on time because I have so much work to do. This is by far the busiest I have ever been at a job ever in my life. There doesn't appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel either. School stuff, grant work, and other work we do in the summer is going to make things even more crazy. Oh wait, I forgot. We're buying a house. After we close there will be alot of work to do too. This all gives new meaning to the words of Jesus when He told us, "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, 16 and I will give you rest. ... 30: For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

How Time Flies

2010-04-10T15:19:00.002-05:00

Well, time has flown by since my last posting. I like that fact. I am not glued to this dumb computer. However, some great things have happened in the last few weeks. First of all I had one of the coolest experiences last week. I had the chance to ride in the locomotive of a commuter train. It was completely amazing and had to be one of the most fun things I have been able to do connected to work. It loved it. However, I was speaking with the engineer and he told me over the span of his 30 plus year career he has been in over 27 accidents. How crazy is that. Also, we put an offer in on a house. It is old but immaculate and totally lovingly maintained. It seems to be a really great place. Hopefully we can get through contract negotiations, home inspections, air testing, and closing with out any hiccups. I really was motived to write something really long, but I just don't want to sit in front of a screen any more.

Tour

2010-03-24T11:53:00.001-05:00

Today I received a tour of a very interesting business here in town. This business is responsible for product testing from huge multi-billion dollar corporations. I saw how they do fire testing of fabrics, washing clothes, scraping paint off of products to test for various chemicals, etc. It was pretty interesting. The craziest part was when the person providing the tour told me they throw out all of the items they receive from the distributors. WOW! What a waste. Always looking for a deal I threw a plug out for an event I organize. Hopefully they will send some merchandise my way. Of course it will only be stuff that passes the tests.

Now, onto something different. Happy Birthday to my brother!

Getting Closer

2010-03-03T16:46:00.002-06:00

I know I haven't written on here in a while. Alot of things have been going on in our lives and I have barely had time to spend with the family or with other important things. As far as our house is concerned, it is sold. Well, kind of. We didn't close yet. We close this month. If there is one thing I have so much over the last few months is God's timing and then how He really has all things under control. We put in new carpet last weekend. I addressed one of the four things from the home inspection. I have another estimate coming in tomorrow for something and I think it will be good. Then I just need to get two other things squared away and we will be good. We had our appraisal the other day and I think it went well. We haven't heard back from it but our realtor is confident it will be fine. We have been working with a good attorney and he has been very helpful in explaining things to us. So, we just a have a few more things to do and then we should be able to close. I have alot of work when it comes to finishing packing a few things and then moving. Ugh, I don't want to move and put things in storage just to move it all again in a few months.

Job Security

2010-02-17T10:03:00.002-06:00

Yesterday I had a meeting with a parent. Needless to say, it is people like this parent that give me and my co-workers job security. This person has to be one of the most uneducated people I have never met. So, with this person's uneducated state a compensation is usually made in other ways, i.e. breaking the law. Funny. On to other things. I recently heard a quote after the earthquake in Haiti that went something like this, It is amazing how quickly the important become unimportant. How true is that in our lives? I don't think I have thought about this more than now. It honestly doesn't have anything to do with the earthquake. I think about friends and illnesses, their families and illnesses, friends experiencing disasters in their homes, etc. Here I am with a house and live in another house and am worried about selling the first one.

It is amazing how quickly the important becomes unimportant.

I Thought You Fell Off The Face Of The Earth

2010-02-15T20:01:00.002-06:00

As the great Toby Mac once said, "I thought you fell off the face of the Earth" Well, I didn't. I haven't had a desire to really get on the computer for much more than five minutes. I have been very busy at work, doing a lot more reading, cleaning, and have been just plain busy. Not much to update on either. We are still trying to sell our house. We have some potential interest again. We just have to wait it out and see what happens. We are praying for God's will to be done and for Him to be glorified in this whole situation.

Work is busy but I played hooky today and took a much needed Jeff day. I went snowboarding with my sister's boyfriend. I must say I am not too bad for an old man. Ha ha ha! We have seen some good friends as of late and had some good company with them. Still having a hard time believing how good God is to us and how faithful He is. It is almost unbelievable and unfathomable. So, that is just an update on a few things. Keep praying for a house sale, our house sale to be specific. I know of a couple other we could pray for too.

Tea Party

2010-01-18T20:59:00.007-06:00

I'm back and I'm manlier than ever! That's right, below you will find pictures of my most recent tea party with #4. How is it manly you ask? It's called being a father and spending quality time with your daughter, God's daughter, soon to be someone's spouse. If I don't show her how a man should treat her, who will? How will she know what to look for in a husband if she doesn't see it in me?

What If?

2010-01-04T22:07:00.000-06:00

What if you're right?
And he was just another nice guy
What if you're right?
What if it's true?
They say the cross will only make a fool of you
And what if it's true?

What if he takes his place in history
With all the prophets and the kings
Who taught us love and came in peace
But then the story ends
What then?

But what if you're wrong?
What if there's more?
What if there's hope you never dreamed of hoping for?
What if you jump?
And just close your eyes?
What if the arms that catch you, catch you by surprise?
What if He's more than enough?
What if it's love?

What if you dig
Way down deeper than your simple-minded friends
What if you dig?
What if you find
A thousand more unanswered questions down inside
That's all you find?

What if you pick apart the logic
And begin to poke the holes
What if the crown of thorns is no more
Than folklore that must be told and retold?

You've been running as fast as you can
You've been looking for a place you can land for so long
But what if you're wrong?

New Year's Resolution

2009-12-30T15:30:00.000-06:00

Many years ago I made a new years resolution to never make another resolution again. Well, I am about to break that resolution. Here is what I resolve to do in 2010. I resolve to again read the entire Bible in a year. The hardest thing will be to reduce my sugar/candy intake. I am going to start small by trying to only eat one piece of candy a day. Now, you may say that should be easy, but my office is constantly loaded with candy, treats, cookies, etc. I would also like to drink more water a day. I drink some but I want to drink about a liter or more a day. A 2 liter would be better. I think the best way to do that would be to take an old two liter and fill it up. Anyways, I am not making any more resolutions. I also want to keep track of the last time I threw up. I had a REALLY long streak going but threw up after some of the most awful chili I have ever consumed. So, I know I have thrown up in 2008 and possibly in 2009. I will start keeping track in 2010. Aren't you glad you read this post?

What Are You Reading?

2009-12-29T15:10:00.002-06:00

(Fill in name here) is reading: (Fill in book info here). There is usually a little sign on the door posts of the administrator's offices for the schools I work in. If I had a little sign on my door post it would have a few book titles on it. The first would be the Bible. I am working on my 4th or 5th year or reading the entire Bible in chronological order. I am also hammering through Mold:The War Within, and have recently started The Language of Love and Respect. All three are pretty good. Putting the Bible aside (that sounds bad) I am engrossed in Mold: The War Within. It is written by a family that became severely and life-threateningly sick after being exposed to mold and its toxic properties following Katrina. There are three sections to the book. The first section is pretty much about research, the effects of mold on the body, and other studies on mold. The second section is really about the family and research they did to find cures and the trial and error processes of becoming more healthy. The third section of the book is several interviews with doctors, toxicologists, etc. I am almost done with the first section and read part of the second section. It's good but pretty tough reading. There is a lot of medical terminology and reads somewhat like a text book. I wouldn't recommend it for a leisurely read. If you want to know more about the subject, I would say this would be a great place to start.

Came and Went

2009-12-27T08:48:00.001-06:00

Christmas came and went. It wasn't that eventful. It was fun and low key. I really enjoyed it. I got everything I wanted, to see my kids open their presents, a healthy wife, and to spend time with my family. Our Christmas was uneventful compared to the first Christmas a little over 2000 years ago. I can't even imagine how awe inspiring it must have been to be in the whole situation. Angels, gifts, wise men, an angry king, rough journey. Man, only God could write a story like that. Hollywood, you got nothing on GOD.

Against The Silence

2009-12-21T22:53:00.002-06:00

That's the title of the new Stavesacre EP. Hands down, one of my favorite bands. It was great seeing them so many times, even at my church back in the day. The music on my blog is not from the new EP because I couldn't find any on the site I use. This EP is great. If you like Stavesacre you need to pick this up. It also comes with a DVD about the history of the band as told by the band. Gonna keep this short because that is what I am going to do next, watch the DVD.

He Changed Music

2009-12-12T15:09:00.002-06:00

Now, I will be the first person to tell you I DO NOT APPROVE OF MICHAEL JACKSON'S LIFE STYLE, BUT the man changed music forever. At the risk of sounding like a 6th grader, he was way super talented. So is Prince, but that is a whole different post. So, back to the King of Pop. As of late I have been on a huge Michael Jackson acoustic guitar cover song kick. For whatever reason, I am totally diggin' some of the stuff I have found on YouTube. Go ahead and get on there and do a quick search for the title of your favorite MJ song and throw the word acoustic after it. I bet you get tons of hits and find some some really great covers. Now after all that I have to go all God like on you. Think about the kind of music MJ could have put out if he used his God given talents to make Christian music. Oh man, everyone would have wanted a piece of Jesus.

Radical Changes

2009-12-01T19:32:00.003-06:00

There have been and will be radical changes in my life in the up coming months. First and foremost is that Oprah is leaving free tv. Not like I really care, but that is a big change. Recently I have changed some of my opinions on Mike Huckabee. Jay Leno's new show leaves very much to be desired. I changed my underwear today. Ha ha ha ha! Always have to have a clean pair just in case I have to go to the hospital. That is what my mom always told me.

For the most part the radical changes I really have been thinking about have been in our lives. Gone are the days of chips, pop, processed foods, and so many other comfort foods. I miss ice cream. And the convenience of having some pre-made of prepared foods, forget it. PIZZA! Oh how I miss you so much. Short commute times, I miss you too. I can tell you what I don't miss. For sure I don't miss my wife's constant pain and suffering. I don't miss waking up in the middle of the night to her crying and being doubled over in pain with no logical reason from any of "highly trained" medical "professionals" we have talked to. I don't miss the stress of doctors visits and trips to the ER with no answers. I don't miss our crazy, old life that was filled with more stuff than we could ever use or even think about using.

When I step back and review my life over the last few months and years I wouldn't trade it for anything. When I step back and look at all the stupid things I have done and wrong decisions I have made, I wouldn't change it. In my worst times and my times of most unfaithfulness to God, He has shown himself to be more faithful than the sunrise. In times when things have been the hardest emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually, God has carried me through and has given me strength to face the days ahead and to lead my family. I feel we are at another turning point in the battle our family is fighting. I know we will win. God has promised us that. It may not be in this life, but this world is not my home. I think about Joshua when he was called by God to lead the Israelites after Moses died. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.

Haooy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T12:01:00.002-06:00

As I sit here in my temporary shelter I find myself thinking about all the things I am so thankful for. It's funny though, they are extremely different than any other year I think. I am thankful for my family, but more so, their health. I am thankful for a place to live and be healthy in. I am thankful for my doctor. Funny huh? I am thankful for our church family and friends. I am thankful for our current situation no matter how much I dislike it sometimes. I am thankful for God's sovereignty. There is so much more but I don't really like to type long posts. I am lazy for one, and for two, no one wants to read it anyways.

I do how ever think about all of the other people that have so much less than we do and yet are more thankful than we are. I hope and pray God truly blesses those people more abundantly this year than ever before.

Titleless

2009-11-16T10:49:00.001-06:00

Last night we heard an amazing message from an amazing man. Pastor R. has been on staff with our church for over ten years. I have laughed many times when I think about how much I used to dislike him. On the flip side, he has become a truly inspiring person. He passion for people and the gospel of Christ is like none you have seen before. Thanks Pastor R. for everything.

Moving on, here are a few things. If you missed our encounter service on Nov 15^th listen to the podcast. It was great. Also, if you missed the parenting conference this past week that some of the folks from our church went to, you missed it. So, the theme of this weekend was, “If you missed it, you missed it.” That is all I have to say. Have a great day.

Podcast

2009-11-03T13:07:00.003-06:00

Here is the link form the podcast from the last post. LISTEN TO IT! It's very good.

Podcast

Change of Plans

2009-11-02T19:55:00.002-06:00

Often times things happen that we don't plan to happen. That doesn't mean the things that happened weren't planned. This past Sunday night in encounter we heard a great message about the plans for our lives. Our plans are often not what God has planned for us. Most of the time we would never plan for calamity to come our way. I am surprised I just used the word calamity. Anyways, I want will leave this post at this until the podcast is up and then I will put a link to it. It is good.

Just Waiting

2009-10-30T09:30:00.002-05:00

With all the busyness of life we are in a position of just waiting. We are waiting for some more money to do some more work in our house. We are waiting for an offer on our house. We are waiting for it to stop raining. We are waiting for for many things in the midst of all that is going on. I know houses are selling. My cousins have a house under contract. I am happy for them. That is a big relief. Live has been hectic and chaotic. It has been so wonderful to have nothing at the new place we are staying in. It is freeing to have nothing. I don't want anything either. I like having nothing. Just a place to live, the fam, my guitar, and a computer is about all we have. I would like internet. Maybe we will get it. I don't know. Anyways, keep praying for an offer on the house. It would be great to get one this month because the first time home buyer credit will be expiring soon. Seeking God's direction with a price is difficult but we think we have it priced appropriately. Time will tell and reveal God's direction.

2 Days In A Row

2009-10-20T07:48:00.002-05:00

I was able to play golf 2 days in a row this week. The first round was with a few friends from church and we were in Michigan. It's a pretty decent course and costs almost nect to nothing. I was shooting a great round (for me) on the front 9 and totally blew it on the 17th hole. If I would have shot better on two holes the whole day I would have had a great round. Yesterday I played the WIU course for $18 with a cart and as much as I could eat pork sandwiches. WIU's course is very nice and challenging. It has some beautiful holes on it as well. I was playing very good again and my putting was dead on. My short game was decent and I had some really good drives. That was probably the last round of the season. I guess I need to clean my clubs now and put them away.

Staying Busy

2009-10-11T11:46:00.002-05:00

We have been very busy lately. Moving to this other house so far from school really adds to the amount of time we spend in the car and takes away from other things. I have been working feverishly trying to get the house emptied out. Wifey was able to come out to the garage the other day and make a big dent in things. We only have a few things left to go through other than Wifey's clothes and #1's entire room. There are a bunch of other clothes as well. I would love to be able to be done by tomorrow. I took off tomorrow (Monday) and we should be able to do alot then. Maybe I can start patching by Tuesday. I am trying to have a goal of getting the house on the market by Nov 1st. Earlier would be better.

Being in this situation has really showed me how materialistic we have become and how much we have focused our efforts on the things of this world. This is not our home.

Guess What?

2009-10-07T21:44:00.003-05:00

Guess what I have been doing lately? Let's see. It starts with "P"and ends with "acking". Ta da! Needless to say, I hate it. It is such an overwhelming task. Doing it alone isn't great either but I know it is totally worth it. Seeig as how my wife would be miserable spending time in the house, I can deal with it. She and her health is more important than a house or possessions. I want to be able to be packed completely by the end of next week. Hopefully it wont take any longer than 2-3 weeks to paint and put in new carpet. I want the hose on the market by November 1st. I know that it wont happen especially with all the stuff I have going on at work. We have been extremely busy with a bunch of senseless stuff. Not having my boss around for about 2 weeks hasn't helped either. I feel good and thank God for that. Even though I am working long hours of very busy and stressful work, I am doing good. Even with all the time I am spending after work around the house I am doing good. Even with all the sleep I am losing because of getting up earlier I am doing good. God has definitely given me the strength and energy I have needed to keep plugging away at things. The house still has a TON of stuff in it but it is getting there. Oh well, I am tired and want to go to bed....so I will.

Packing, Packing, and More Packing

2009-10-03T22:34:00.002-05:00

Can anyone guess what I have been doing lately? Anyone one? Yes, you there in the back. Absolutely correct. I have been packing. I have been packing and purging. What a great feeling but truly overwhelming. God is good. We are in a wonderful house that Wifey feels good in! YES! Unfortunately, I have to pack the other house. WE HAVE ALOT OF STUFF! I have the entire living room and kitchen done. I am done with almost all of my stuff too. There is a family from our school that needs some thing after losing their stuff in a fire. Hopefully the things I can put aside for them will be helpful to them. That is a great feeling. It's good to be able to help someone out in a crisis even when you are struggling with one of your own. I wouldn't do it to feel great but to do what we are called to do. Anyways, things are progressing slowly but surely. I know the absolute hardest will be the kids rooms, especially #1's room. Oh man, oh man. The bathrooms are done too. I forgot to mention that. The dining room is almost done except for the big computer and some of Wifey's things. So, I will keep plugging on.

On a different note, we did karaoke tonight at church. It was a blast. I bet since there was a camera there, we will end up on facebook. I will link to it if it goes on there. Ok, battery is going to die. See ya later.

Cleaner Air

2009-09-28T20:48:00.003-05:00

Today we bought an air purifier. It wasn't cheap but it it isn't cheap either. Does that make any sense? This is a very good quality and well made machine. One day I anticipate running one in every bedroom in the house. For now, we can run it in our living room and then it will be good for Wifey and I to get purging and packing. Tomorrow Wifey is going to get the vacuum that was recommended to us. We will be able to vacuum things and begin packing. Wednesday we will be looking at the house by our church. I really hope this is where God wants us for a little while. It seems to be such a blessing in God's perfect timing.

As far as the other stuff with the house goes, I wasn't able to pick up any vents for the crawl. There are just not enough hours in the day. I need like 10 more hours each day. I will try and get them tomorrow during work. Working while trying to do these things gets in the way. Let's see, I have too many things going on in my brain. I can't type them. Oh well, I better get back to work.

The Goodness of God Through His People

2009-09-27T20:22:00.003-05:00

Tonight was our weekly evening church service called encounter. I was part of the worship team as was my sister. That was pretty cool. She is new to our team and I think she did a good job. Anyways, we played an opening song and then Pastor Rob gave the second part of his message from the book of Hosea. You can listen to the podcast if you would like.

Anyways, after Pastor Rob finished his message we finished our worship set. It was great. As we were cleaning up I was approached by a person in our church, who also happens to play on one of our worship teams. We sat down and began talking about my family and our housing situation. He offered a house to us. He said we could live in the house, rent free, for up to a year. We just have to pay for utilities. I began to tear up. The goodness of God through His people almost knocked me off of my feet. I was glad I was sitting down when we talked. We will look at the house on Wednesday. I am totally floored at how good God is and how amazing this has been unfolding. I will continue to update as things continue to develop.

What's Next....Again

2009-09-27T08:24:00.003-05:00

Let's see, the vapor barrier is down and look great. Hopefully it does the job more than look good. I will be getting our dehumidifier hopefully within the next two days. Vents in the crawl are the next project. I wouldn't call it big compared to the other things we have to do. Packing, purging and getting rid of stuff will be alot of work and then all the sanding, patching, painting, and carpet replacement. I think we can do this with all with in the next two to three weeks. That is my goal, but we will see if we can get it done. Then it's onto the market. Hmmmm, all this work. I hope it sells. My time line seems pretty easy enough but there are many other factors that come into play here. We need to pick up our air purifiers, the new hepa vacuum, and see if Tonya can be in the house long enough to purge and pack. I can pack if she can purge. Oh well, God has got His hands on all of this and us and we think we are following what we think He is showing us to be His will.

A Good Thing When You Have It

2009-09-25T00:10:00.002-05:00

All I have to say is that I have a great thing in my life that I have taken advantage of and not been as appreciative as I should have been. That thing is a person, my wife. This has been the absolute most difficult time in our life and she is truly amazing. She keeps such clarity in her head and sees the whole picture of all that is going on. She keeps our family together even when it seems it is completely falling apart by our current situation. Even though she is falling apart and tearing at the seems, she holds it together and keeps chugging on. She has been the strength to mount up on wings like eagles.

On another note I got a major accomplishment done today. With the help of my neighbor, we completely cleaned out my crawl space and put down a new vapor barrier. It looks great but I hope it will do more than look great. I ordered our dehumidifier today as well. That should come soon. I have to pick up a hygrometer for the house as well. The next step will be venting the crawl space better and throwing some gutters on the house. We will also be buying an huge air purifier and an industrial type hepa vac. We will sand the walls, patch, paint, new carpet, and then get the duct work cleaned. During all that we will be going through everything in our house and packing and purging. We will be down to the bare minimum to function. Getting rid of clutter is freeing. I am just glad we are starting to get going on this and hope we will be able to sell our house soon. The good news is our hygienist seems to think the small amount of bad mold in our house has come from a previous living environment that was also tested and found to have mold. God is near to each one of us. That is the line I just heard on my new DC*B cd. I can't think of a better way to end this.

What Else Is Going On

2009-09-19T13:26:00.002-05:00

You would never know all the good things going on in our lives by reading my blog. We recently returned from an awesome vacation in Disney World. It was so much fun and we had an absolute blast. It was a really great time for our family to forget about our lives in the burbs and just have some care free fun.

The three oldest kids are in school right now and are doing well. They are adjusting nicely. They are tired. I know it takes a few weeks to get into the swing of things and they are adjusting good. I know for sure sleeping in the tent doesn't help their rest level. Church is back in the swing of things and the kids stuff I am doing is going well.

Work has been crazy but good. I am so thankful for my current position and hope to stay in it as long as possible. I enjoy working with the different schools and the districts. The staffs are great and this year I have been working closely with the superintendents. I don't really want to write any more because I am sick of computers, electronics, belongings, etc. I want to be with my family. Good bye.

It's A Roller Coaster Ride

2009-09-16T23:08:00.002-05:00

A roller coaster ride is how I describe my life right now. The best part of it God controls the roller coaster's speed, turns, loops, flips, etc. And I can say there is no one else I would rather have sitting next to me than my wife and kids. Let's rock and roll of this journey of ours. We will look back and talk about all the scary parts, the ups and downs, twists and turns and realize when it is over that it wasn't really all that bad and we made it to the end.

Whew!

2009-09-15T20:52:00.002-05:00

So today I talked with a hygienist who game me some very reassuring news. He talked about the testing we had done and some of the reports. He gave us good information and will be doing some additional testing and we should have some better answers. Hopefully by the beginning of next week we will have a bit more information and a game plan on how to go forward. It would be awesome if we could be done with all of this by the end of October. However, this is me getting my hopes up and not waiting on what the Lord has in store for us. It is amazing how sometimes you can feel so close to God in a time of crisis and sometimes you can feel so far. It also amazes me how quickly that can change.

To my friend H who reads this blog, Andrea is Andrea Fabry. She is married to Chris Fabry the author and radio person for Moody. Well, I am not sure if he is still on Moody but was back in the day.

Some Answers and More Waiting

2009-09-14T20:07:00.003-05:00

God is faithful and God is good. We have received our detailed lab reports and I guess they aren't too bad. I don't really know what is considered bad and what is good but they don't look all that bad. I have been in contact with a career toxicologist who will be reviewing our lab reports and will help us take the next steps as far as remediation and our belongings is concerned. We are trying to find a temporary place to live. Unfortunately no one wants 6 new room mates. We would only take up a small room and use the bathroom and kitchen as needed. We would buy all new stuff for the house we move into as well.

Today was a good day for me. I read Andrea's blog all day and felt good. I was encouraged by it. I was also encouraged by our pastor. He shared some good wisdom that I already knew but was nice to hear from someone else, especially a person you really respect. My wife is struggling but today I was strong. We have been strong when the other was weak. That has been good. It was also very healing to just be able to cry last night. Well, I have dishes to load into the dish washer. I have no motivation to take care of our house. I know I would not be a good steward of our home if I failed to take care of it now. I guess that is where I am off to now. It's funny. I know only you read this blog honey, but for me to say all these things actually makes me feel like people might be reading it.

What's Next?

2009-09-14T09:18:00.002-05:00

Well, what's next. We don't know and that is very difficult. Patience is a skill to be learned, that is for sure. In all of this I have seen how materialistic we have become as a family and as a country. This is not a rant on our nation. This is just me opening up my heart. To think we may be walking away from EVERYTHING in our house is stressful, sad, overwhelming, angering, unfair, etc. Last night at church we had an amazing service about the minor prophets. It was crazy to see how the Israelites prostituted themselves to foreign gods and idols. So, there I sat during one of the songs crying my eyes out knowing that during this trial in our lives, I have made our house and all our stuff in it an idol. I have put them before God and have not trusted in his mighty power. It was horrible to see how I thought God was not bigger than my house or my things or my memories associated with them. Well, He is. I have let go. I am prepared to walk away from everything if we have to.

Things

2009-09-05T19:32:00.003-05:00

Here I sit in the place that is supposed to be the safest place, but it is the place that is making my family sick. Welcome home. Well, that isn't how I feel about our house. Here is the good thing, we have found out why my wife is sick, unfortuantely it is our house. After many years of suffering and more to come I am sure, we have determined our house has elevated levels of mold. Isn't that interesting? Personally, I think it stinks with a capital P.U. We're not slobs and we have never had water issues. This is what is upsetting. Anyways, here is what happens from here. We don't know. We will be getting more detailed labs back and then get some remediation estimates. So, that is the bad. Here is the good.

The garage doesn't seem to mess up my wife so that is where we have been "camping". Um, it's detached and will get a little chilly in the winter. God has shown His faithfulness and His timing in all of this. He has drawn our family closer together and to Him. I for one have not been so stressed with the kids, which amazes me. I have felt closer to my wife than I have in a while, and our communication has opened up alot. So, I have seen the good in all of this. We have some major decisions to make with our family and house, so if anyone reads this, PRAY HARD.

Faith

2009-08-27T22:06:00.002-05:00

More to follow.........

Needtobreathe

2009-08-24T20:24:00.002-05:00

Today I got my new Needtobreathe CD in the mail. So far I can say I think it rocks. I changed my music played to reflect some of their music. Unfortunately none of their new music is on there as it was not available. However, that should prompt you to but the new CD. Ha ha ha. I like these guys alot and the lead singer sings with such emotion. I also think his voice is cool.

Update on my shoulder, it is feeling pretty good. I still have some decent pain, but it will get better with time. I was unable to see my doctor today because of a visit from Mark Kirk to our town. Needless to say, when 1000 people show up to a town hall meeting, they need all the help they can to keep things safe. Anyways, I was stupid to worry so much. I know I have nothing to worry about. God can see the whole picture and He's taking care of it.

Sail Without Wind

2009-08-21T09:52:00.001-05:00

As of last Monday we were the second place “champs” in our softball league. We did have the best record and I can say the season was a lot of fun, until Tuesday. I woke up with intense pain in my left shoulder. I normally don’t worry about things very much because I figure it is just me getting a little older. After a few days I popped in to my doctor’s office and talked with him. After a brief exam and some conversation he feels I may have torn my rotator cuff. Boooooo! I am on some anti-inflammatory medication until Monday. Come Monday I will talk to my doctor again and see what he says. As of now, it still hurts. I have more range of motion with less pain. There are still some movements that hurt decently.

Let’s get to the windless sail portion of this blog. I am totally bummed out. I would like to consider myself athletic. I enjoy golf, biking, snowboarding, and any other sports I can play. Now I am very worried about not being able to do any of those things. I have been equally frustrated with how I am unable to concentrate on things at work and get motivated because I keep thinking about my stinkin’ shoulder. I know things will be fine but this is really putting a kink in my plans. I have some golf days coming up, a vacation, and some other things that will require me to be active. As I sit now, I am really depressed, wind out of my sail depressed.

The Motions

2009-08-19T23:01:00.001-05:00

Just something I have been thinking about lately.

Rude

2009-08-12T23:05:00.002-05:00

The other day I was working a special detail at one of our train depots. Several colleagues and I were working at the train deport politely reminding people not to cross the tracks when the lights and bells were flashing and sounding. If people started to cross, we simply told them to stop because then they would avoid the $385 ticket and a day off work due to a mandatory court appearance. I think that is pretty nice of us. We could just stand out there and write tickets all day long, but no we give warnings and do everything we can to not write a person. Here is where the "rude" part comes in. Apart from the F-Bond being dropped and directed at us I came to realize even more how rude and indecent people are. More and more are we becoming a society of snobs, arrogance, and egos. Almost every person I looked at I said hello or good morning to, especially if we made eye contact. I would say 90% of the time, my presence wasn't even acknowledged. I don't need someone to acknowledge me or my presence to feel some sort of heightened level of self worth. I just feel it is common courtesy to return the greeting of the day and be nice to people. I guess that is a thing of the past. Some of the things people say to people employed in my career also kind of blows my mind. Never once would I think of raising my voice or swearing but we get it all the time. My field is truly one of the only profession where the employees freedom of speech is taken away. Sometimes I wish the golden rule was adhered to. Maybe it should be mandatory. This would be a great time to believe in karma.

Another Victory

2009-08-10T20:26:00.002-05:00

Tonight we had another softball game and yet another victory. Sounds bad to say that. I am so very thankful for the victory. I am more thankful we have been meeting great guys from other churches. Most of all I am thankful for the safety we have experienced. Unfortunately, one of our players broke his finger last week. That isn't too bad considering we are all old. Ha Ha Ha. Next week we play for the opportunity to play in the finals. If we win next week, we play the championship game right after. If we loose we play for 3rd place. We do have the best record so far. The highlight of my night was picking off the guy on first again.

Worth It?

2009-08-08T07:07:00.006-05:00

Lately I have been asking myself this question alot. Is it worth it? I have been asking it about alot of things in life and one of the areas has to do with my health. I am not dying. Now you can breathe a hugh sign of relief. What I will say is that I am probably killing myself slowly. Don't go call the suicide hotline. What I mean by killing myself is eating better and exercising more regularly. More regularly, is that grammatically correct? Oh well. Here is something that sounds really appealing to me but I have to ask the question, Is it worth it?

What is it? Well, I would say it is probably one of the best tasting chocolate and peanut butter milk shakes on the planet I have never tried. But..............

THE WORST DRINK IN AMERICA
Cold Stone Creamery Gotta Have It PB&C Shake
2,010 calories
131 g fat (68 g saturated)
153 g sugars

Is this the worst drink on the planet? All signs point to probably. First off, it has more sugar than 12 Fudgsicles, as much fat as a stick and a half of butter, and more calories than 37 Oreos. Oh, it also has 3 days’ worth of saturated fat. Need more proof? Let’s hope not.

So, there in lies the problem.

2 Moves, Encounter, and a Three Legged Dog

2009-08-02T21:27:00.002-05:00

As the title states, I was involved in two moves, encounter, and saw a three legged dog. First I am excited that two friends live closer to us. I helped both move and I am glad I missed my calling as a professional mover. I must say after I helped the second friend move I looked in the mirror prior to showering and I looked ripped. NICE!

Tonight was our encounter gathering. I played back up like I do most of the time. Apart from one song where I stayed on a chord too long I think it was really great. I was a little nervous for one song because I was playing all the rhythm while our worship leader was playing some lead lines. I was basically leading for a little while. That part didn't bother me. I was nervous about us starting together after a break in the music. Continuing with music. Tonight Pastor P and I were recruiting for S.S. singers. I think I might have one, and maybe another guitar player.

On a sadder note, I saw a three legged dog. I was sad when I saw it but I think by the way he was acting, he didn't want any sympathy. So, I kept driving while the dog was being walked.

Hmmmm, anything else. Not really. Time to go to bed.

Traffic Court

2009-07-27T08:12:00.003-05:00

Say the words "Traffic Court" and people tend to cringe. I think a person's feelings about traffic court all depend on which side of the badge or bench they sit on. I personally find traffic court entertaining and funny. For instance, this last month, there was a lady at court contesting a fire lane citation she received at her apartment complex. She had been living in the complex for the last 12 years and said she never saw the signs. I find that funny. She also said she was only parked where she was to unload a heavy item. Last time I checked, when you say you are parked in a fire lane (no matter what you are doing) you just admitted to the judge you broke the law. After a long story about fire lanes, saws, signs, injustice, racism, and some crying (20 minutes later) the lady was slapped, a figurative backhand, with 100 hours of community service. It was either that or a $795 fine. I think I would have just paid the original $50. HELLO PEOPLE! Do you not understand that in traffic court you don't need to be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Stop watching television police dramas. It is simply a preponderance of the evidence. Unless the officer doesn't show up or the judge is being nice, you will probably lose in a trial. You can bring in pictures, tell stories, make up lies, give excuses, etc, etc but the outcome will be the same. In the words of the crazy Russian guy on Rocky IV, "You will lose."

When it really come down to it, I think people aren't bothered by the fact they received a ticket. What they are bothered by is they were actually caught. I would put money on the fact that the person who was caught for (any violation you want to name) has probably done it at least a dozen times before without even giving it thought. I think a dozen is too small a number. Probably more like 100 or 1,000 or even 10,000.

Weekend Warrior

2009-07-20T15:40:00.002-05:00

This weekend was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time (since the last fun weekend with the G family). We planned a weekend with the P family and were able to go down to his Grandma's cabin. At first it was not that great. We hit A LOT of traffic on the way there and it was raining. However, by the time we got there it had stopped raining and was very nice out. We scoped out the cabin and then went straight for the PRIVATE beach. This was the beach from the movie Road to Perdition with Tom Hanks. It was awesome. Some of the most beautiful sand I have put my feet in. We, J and I got a little excited and decided to hit the water in our shorts. It was a blast. We swam for a few minutes with the waves pounding us and went back to the cabin for some great conversation and fun. The kids played games and it was off to bed for an early morning.

In the morning we had breakfast and headed down to the beach for some swimming, sand castle building, burying people in the sand, lounging in the sun, and just an overall great time. We climbed a monsterous sand dune a couple of times and ran down it. You could really get moving. The craziest part was standing on top of the dune and looking over the lake. you could see downtown Chi town. We had a philosophical discussion of how many pieces of sand were on the beach, how long it would take to count a handful, and if God has a name for each piece of sand. We concluded that God is amazing beyond belief and comprehension and left it at that. The evening ended with a bar-be-que and a huge bon fire on the beach, with S'mores of course. The next morning J and I caught an early round of golf and I hit my normal few awesome shots that keep me coming back to a game that is excessively frustrating, challenging, and fun. We did a ton of other things but don't really have the motivation to write it all.

After we left the cabin, #1, #2, and I went to a baseball game with my father in law. It was a great time. It felt like a mini-vacation and it was exactly what I needed to recharge myself. Tonight we have another softball game and I would like to extend our record to 4-1.

Victory

2009-07-13T21:44:00.004-05:00

Tonight we had another softball game and another win. I like when we win. I like it better when I play like it did tonight. I started on second base but because our pitcher was blowing it so bad I went back on the mound. I was killin it. I struck out a few batters too which is always a treat. I have to say my pitching was good, but my hitting was AMAZING tonight. I hit a home run and drove in a run. I hit a triple, couple doubles, and a few singles. I batted alot. It was a fun game and the other team had a great attitude even though we won via slaughter rule. I just thank God that everyone was safe and we had a great time.

Parallel Parking

2009-07-11T16:38:00.002-05:00

Today I witnessed something truly funny. I often laugh every time I see someone try to parallel park in the burbs. It is safe to say most people in the city are able to parallel park and do it decently. Today I had to laugh at a lady trying to parallel park in a spot you could have put a sky scraper lying down in. After several attempts and me laughing at the person, she motioned me out of the spot I was leaving so she could have two spots to try and park in. It's not hard really. I drive a very large car for work and can parallel park no problems on both sides of the street. Come on people. Oh well, thanks lady for the good laugh.

2 and 1

2009-07-06T22:47:00.002-05:00

That's our record for softball, 2 and 1. Tonight was a tough loss. My first two at bats I got out but sacrificed once. The other at bats I got on each time and scored a few times. My last at bat we had two outs and needed a few runs to tie and take the lead. Knowing it was up to me and knowing I could totally blow it I stepped up to the. I felt some pressure. To top it off, one of the wives shouted out, "It's all up to you!" Wow, that didn't help. Needless to say I stinkin' cranked the ball and drove in two runs. I was the 4th person to wipe out rounding first but still made it to second. I would have gotten to third and maybe home had I not fallen. Oh well. I made some decent plays too.

I pitched the whole game and did quite well. Using strategy the other team never swung at a ball and took their chances on each pitch. I walked a couple but ended up finishing out pretty darn good. It is frustrating when no one swings at really great pitches that are just inches from being strikes. We did it too only when we absolutely had to. Isn't the whole point of the game to crush the ball?

Oh well. I wont say anything about the other teams book keeping skills, or lack there of. Not too bad for a bunch of family guys playing a bunch of high school and just out of high school aged kids. God is good because the game was good and no one got REALLY hurt. The most fun is playing with a bunch of guys.

Festival Time

2009-07-03T01:08:00.003-05:00

Ah, the summer brings with it some many things. Heat, swimming, fun, and of course the local 4th of July festivals. The absolute best thing is seeing all the people I know, particularly my family. When the kiddos run up to me shouting DADDY I love it. Plus, there are tons of people but only one catches my eye. Hint hint, wink wink.

Quick side note. One of my kids is talking so much in their sleep right now its hilarious. Something about pizza.

Anyways, this year and tonight specifically brought loads of people. It was one of the busier nights we have had. It ranked top three for busiest in the fest history. I con only think it will be crazier this weekend. I really enjoy working the fest because it is actually fun. I can't think of another time, other than our parade, when I get thanked for what I do. It is nice to be appreciated especially when most people hate you most of the time.

Conjunctivitis How I Dislike You

2009-07-01T09:05:00.003-05:00

If there is one thing I dislike probably more than anything else is when my kids are sick. With most things I can just roll, but when the kids are sick it actually hurts me. I know I am not the most compassionate person (thanks to my profession) but when they are sick I totally feel for them. #2 has Viral Conjunctivitis. That is a cool medical term for PINK EYE! Aghhhhhhh! All the parents grab their kids and run away screaming now. Actually, because it is viral there is nothing they can do about it. I just hate to see kids, especially mine, who are normally happy, fun, and full of laughs and smiles be sick. They are miserable and makes me want to take the sickness from them and put is on myself.

As I sit here and type this I think about the love of God that has been shown to us. We were sick and dying. God so desperately did not want us to die and send His son to die for us. Such an amazing love.

And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior's blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be
that Thou, my God, should die for me?

Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?

He left His Father's throne above; so free, so infinite His grace!
Emptied Himself of all but love, and bled for Adam's helpless race!
'Tis mercy all, immense and free,
for, O my God, it found out me.

Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?

Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast-bound in sin and nature's night.
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke--the dungeon flamed with light!
My chains fell off, my heart was free!
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee!

Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, should die for me?

No condemnation now I dread. Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Slaughter Rule

2009-06-30T09:33:00.002-05:00

Last night I played in a men's softball game with guys from our church. We play against other churches in a small league. I don't know if you even want to call it a league, but it is a blast. We are 3-0. We won last night due to a slaughter rule. I think it ended up being 18-0 or something crazy like that. It got to the point we suggested taking one base no matter how far the ball was hit. This is 16 in too by the way. Anyways, having never been super great at baseball and baseball type sports I chose to pitch. I really enjoy pitching and did well. I was able to strike a few batters out. I guess the point to all of this is how much fun I had. All the wives and kids were there cheering us on and supporting us. It was a great time to get together and play. I find people don't make time for that stuff any more. I hope we can continue to play together and honor God by our games.

News

2009-06-23T23:28:00.001-05:00

I actually just wanted to get on here to share some news.

I have nothing to post and wanted to let you all know that. Thanks, and come again.

Buh bye now!

Oh Canada

2009-06-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

By the time you read this, I will be in Canada. That is, if I did this right and it posted on the time and date I wanted it to post.

So, here's what I wanted to say. To number 1. I love you and miss you so much. I miss your smile and your laugh. You are such a huge help around the house and I am very proud of you. You did so great in school. I love how much you enjoy reading and I wish I enjoyed it as much as you do. Thanks for being my first baby. I will see you soon. Camp is going to ROCK!

Number 2. Hey buddie! How are you. Hope soccer camp is going good and you are having a lot of fun with your friend Mr. T. Ha ha ha! I wanted to tell you how cool it is that you have started building your legos all by yourself. That means you are getting really good at them. You are getting so good at base ball too. Pretty soon you will be better than me. Awesome!

Number 3. Did I ever tell you how silly you are? Sometimes you ask the greatest questions and you always know how to make me laugh. Just the way you act like you makes me want to spend as much time with you as I can. Maybe you, me, and Josh can go to Nickel City when I get home. Yahoo!

Number 4. If there is one thing I am looking forward to more than anything else is that "Daddy!" scream when I get home. You are so smart and curious. You amuse me by the way you live your life and go about your daily business. I like when you sleep with your cute little tush in the air. It makes me laugh.

To my lovely and wonderful wife. Well, here it is. I LOVE YOU! I wanted to start by saying how much I appreciate you sacrificing your time for me to go away. It means more than you will ever know. I also know how hard it is. You are the best wife I could ever ask for. Actually, more than I could ask for or even expect. You are the best wife in the history of wives. I know every guy says that about their wife, but I am actually the only one that is right. I love you and miss you deeply. I can't wait to get home and wrap my arms around you and give you a huge hug.

Taser X26

2009-06-08T22:39:00.005-05:00

Today, several of my fellow employees and I had an experience like one I have never had before. We were trained on the Taser X26. This was absolutely the most crazy, unholy, mind-boggling, painful, twisted, thing I have ever experienced. To start off, I must tell you there was some macho manliness in some of this. We were given the option of being "stunned" by this wonderful device. 6 out of 10 chose to go for a little ride on the old lightning. Of the 6 of us who chose to actually get tased, 4 of us chose to be shot with the probes. The other 2 decided they would like clips attached to clothing so nothing punctured their skin. Of the 4 that chose to be hit with the probes, 2 of us decided to be shocked for the entire 5 second duration. Hmmmm, guess where I fell into all of that? Yes, I went to for the full five. I some how managed to say stop during the tasering process and the instructor actually stopped at about 4.5 seconds. I timed it. I don't know why he did.

Let's talk about it. I have never experienced so much pain before in my life. Up until this point in my life the worst pain I have felt was a good kick to the groin during my soccer years. Don't get me wrong, that hurts. BUT, I think it acutally feels better to be kicked in the crotch than being tased. "Don't tase me bro" has a whole new meaning to me. I felt like I was having an out of body experience. I felt paralyzed. I was literally in a state of shock both physically and mentally. I tried everything I could to stop what was happening but could do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Earlier I called it unholy. It was everything but holy.

Rockin with the Cops 2009

2009-06-05T23:22:00.003-05:00

There is a great song that says, "Oh, what a night!" Planning since January has finally paid off. RWC could not have been more successful. It was such an amazing night and it would not have been possible without our amazing park district, park staff, volunteers, officers, sponsors and donations. One of the most amazing things that happened was a monetary donation box for a local family that has been overwhelmed with tragedy this week. It was filled with money and checks. I think I was most excited. about that.

So, here's what the night looked like. Imagine a huge pool with 250 5th graders, a DJ, Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, pool games, dancing, a cannon ball contest, 80 pizzas (no left overs), 50 two litres of pop, 4 cases of water, a K-9 demonstration and evev throw in the mayor.

IT WAS AWESOME!

Rockin 2009

2009-06-04T22:39:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow is the 2nd annual Rockin With The Cops. I am pretty excited. It should be alot of fun. It has taken a ton of work to organize but I think the kids will really enjoy. I guess I must be crazy to invite 250 kids to a party being thrown by the police. Throw in food, music, swimming, games, prizes, and so much more and I think it is going to be a blast! I will just be glad when it is over. It has been a very long process in getting everything ready.

I have been thinking about friends alot lately. One couple is trying to buy a house. In this market and they haven't found one yet. I know God is leading them to the right place and it will come in time. I had a lot of fun on Wednesday ripping apart our church nursery. I get excited by that and can't wait to see how it will look when it s done. I am just so excited to think how many more kids will be impacted by what we are doing and hopefully that includes our facilities.

Let It Snow

2009-05-30T22:20:00.003-05:00

The weather out side wasn't frightful and there was no fire. However, it was snowing today. Sitting outside and watching the fluffy white stuff come down reminded me of winter. That fluffy white stuff I am refering to would be the arch enemy of my nasal passages, COTTON. The cotton trees are shedding like cotton is going out of style. The touch, the feel of cotton. The fabric of our lives. Grrrrrr! The stuff that get's me congested, itchy and watery eyes, fatigue, dry mouth.......The list just doesn't seem to end. Arghhhhhhhhh!

On to better things. I have a new shirt and I am going to wear it tomorrow (Sunday). I leave for Canada soon. Oh man, cant wait for the fishing.

Throwing In The Towel

2009-05-28T16:02:00.004-05:00

Today I played golf with guys from work. We all decided things around our office has been SO stressful and we are starting to really feel it. We went golfing instead of going to work. We went to a place about a half hour from my house. I was really excited to use my new driver. I should have known it was going to be a bad day by the weather. Needless to say I played really bad. I hit my new driver and I think I don't like it. It sounds great when you hit the ball, but I just struggle hitting the ball well with it. It is very frustrating to me. On a positive note, I hit my 3 and 5 woods very good. I also hit my hybrid 3 and 4 clubs pretty darn good too. My play with the pitching wedge was also decent. I guess I am most mad at my drives. I was really excited about this driver and now I feel like I wasted my money. I didn't want to admit that but I guess I just did. In my defense, this was my first time out for the season. I could benefit from a few lessons too. I think I will try a few more rounds with it until I make my decision.

I struggle alot with golf because I see people who are not good athletes or have a horrible swing and play better than I do. That frustrates me. I have been told I have a good swing. I really do enjoy golf but when I play like I did today I want to quit. The better you get the harder the game is. After talking with one of the guys who shot his best round ever, I don't feel so bad. His best round before today was what I scored today.

And........here is where I end the post. Abrupt isn't it?

My Best Golf Score!

2009-05-27T16:55:00.003-05:00

So yesterday (Tuesday) I attempted to take my mother golfing for Mother's day. My dad tagged along and that is always fun. It was a short course, practically a par three but maybe one par 4. I hit first, my five wood, and put it about 20 feet from the pin. Dad hit next and was a little closer but in the sand. Mom had a decent shot and we walked to her ball. As soon as he stepped up, the inclimate weather siren went off and we had to get off the course. We got rain checks. So, I guess I shot a 1. My best ever!

Quality Time

2009-05-18T23:05:00.003-05:00

Tonight I was able to spend just a little bit of quality time with one of the loves of my life, Betty. She's been good to me so far. She makes me happy and sings so sweetly. She never talks back or is disrespectful. She never argues and always pleases me. She smells so good. I have to take good care of her too. Only the best for her. Good guitars are a wonderful thing.

Cheesy Sappy Post Time

2009-05-16T16:45:00.004-05:00

DISCLAIMER: This may be sappy!

Last night (5/15/09) was my sister's high school graduation banquet. Well, it was a great night. First of all I can't believe my sister is 18 and will be graduating high school in less than a month. She was all dolled up and looked radiant. I am very proud of my little buga. She has turned out to be a really great woman of God. This was clearly evident by two things last night. She gave a great speech and she displayed her character on the dance floor. Way to go sis. Additionally, I feel it ever so important to give my parents some props for a good job with her.

Here's where it may get a little sappy. I was privileged to have a date last night. It was none other than my wonderful wife. I don't know where to start. She wore a beautiful blue dress that complimented her figure wonderfully. Her hair was professionally colored, cut, and styled with a really neat small braid that wrapped around the top of her head. Then her bangs kind of hung over her eyes every once and a while. That was very seductive looking. My wife has always been naturally beautiful but did put on a hint of make up to accentuate her already perfect facial structure and color. She wore the pearls I bought her, simple and elegant. I don't know what it was that made me weak in the knees and took my breath away more, her smile or her eyes. After spending the evening together and enjoying each others company for a few hours away from the kids, I felt myself falling deeper in love with her. There is no doubt in my mind that I have been given the best wife. I could easily spend every moment of the day and night with her.

A Time For Peace And A Time For War

2009-05-11T20:14:00.002-05:00

I have some great books by a world renowned author. This guy is the end all and be all so to speak of combat and killing. He was a career military man, teaches at Westpoint Military Academy, has been present at the aftermath of several school shootings and 9/11. One of his books talks greatly about the warrior mindset. You have to physically prepare yourself for combat. But, just as important, you have to mentally prepare yourself for combat. You have to think like the enemy. Know you will be injured, possibly mortally wounded. You must be convinced you are going to be victorious or die trying, and make the enemy regret the day he challenged you in battle.

I often find myself going over mental battles, playing out different scenarios over and over again. If the opponent does this, I'll do this. If that happens then I will do this. This type of survival mentally has been ingrained in me since day one. Every time I walk into a room or building I scan the entire room for exit and entry points. I look at all the people in the room and judge them based off of my experiences and training. I am constantly thinking about what is the best tactical position to be in when things to south fast.

For the last last couple of days I have been preparing myself for a battle I knew was coming. I said to myself over and over again I was going to come out on top. I developed a true warrior and victorious mindset. I set to battle against a formidable opponent. I started strong, but felt some setbacks. At some points I felt like everything I was doing was just going up in smoke. I pushed on knowing I would be victorious. I continued on even in the midst of exhaustion. At the end of the battle I was able to look at my opponent beneath my feet and feel the satisfaction of victory. I did not enjoy that battle.

In fact, I never enjoy cutting the grass. The first two paragraphs are absolutely true too.

Funny

2009-05-09T09:36:00.002-05:00

Here's a throw back for you. I especially like what's going on around the 6 second mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu_moia-oVI

A-Stinkin-Mazing

2009-05-03T23:01:00.001-05:00

Watch this

Vince Guaraldi

2009-05-03T08:11:00.003-05:00

Hmmmm, Must be time for new music. First would be a commonly known song from the Peanuts. It is written by Vince Guaraldi Trio. I have two of the CDs. Very good! I threw a little Handel in there as well. That song is probably more know for the Frugal Gourmet on WTTW Chicago. Just a couple songs I like.

Screams!

2009-05-01T22:07:00.003-05:00

As I am surfing around the Internet I have stumbled across a story that is actually a stumbling for me to read. Our First Lady has recently attended a charity event wearing a pair of sneakers that retail for over $500. What is really crazy and makes me want to scream is the fact the charity was for a food depository. I find that to be arrogant and disrespectful in addition to totally inconsiderate and lame. Oh well, not as bad as Biden telling us not to ride trains and go on airplanes. Way to go Joe!

Losing It

2009-04-26T22:04:00.002-05:00

Tonight as I was washing the dishes a few things came to me. First was to not bite almost entirely through your tongue while you are eating pizza. Or, eating any food for that matter. I have a large gap in my tongue right now. I wonder why. The other would be to not get a huge scab on your elbow that looks like it is a quarter inch thick.

Actually, what I was really thinking was about losing a sense. I started to think what it would be like if I had to lost a sense. Which one would it be? I wouldn't want to loose my sight. I wouldn't be able to see all of God's beautiful creation. I don't think I would want to lose my sense of hearing because I love things like music, hearing my kids, talking with friends, etc. Sense of smell is pretty important. There are so many thing that we use are noses for like smelling great food, the after the rain smell, my wife's sweet smelling perfume, and more. I want to be able to talk and sing still. I think if I had to choose it would be my sense of taste. Why am I even writing this? Kind of crazy.

Ok, what is the most important thing we have learned? Don't bite huge holes into your tongue.

Fibromyenemy

2009-04-20T22:02:00.003-05:00

Lately I am finding it hard to believe that one of the earthly things I love the most, my wife, is her own worst enemy. Let me elaborate. Tonya has supposedly been diagnosed with Fibromyalga. I am not sure I remotely agree with that, but that is a while different post. I do know that there is something that needs to be fixed or changed or healed. I think it is crazy that my wife's own body is in a way working against her. From the outside she looks great. She gets more beautiful every day. I find my self constantly falling in love with her in new and exciting ways. On the inside, she is struggling just to keep her body going. I don't see the pain, anger, frustration, defeat, and the myriad of other physical and psychological things she is going through.

I have seen her have bad days and we have talked about how she physically feels. I just can't see the constant internal struggle. I want to fix it and her. That is the kind of person I am. It is extremely hard and heart breaking to have her come sit on my lap or in my arms and cry while I know I can't make her feel better. I really don't do anything for her. I don't know what to say to her when she asks why God is allowing this to happen to her and why she is going through it. I try to keep life as normal as possible. I also can not envision this being how the rest of our life will be. I can't accept it right now and I don't think I will ever want to. At this point I know I would rather take her issues on to myself and just be able to push through them like I always do. After so many years of seeing some of the garbage I see, I have just gotten used to being exposed to man's fallen nature. What is a little sickness to throw in the mix? Bring it. Oh well, I know God has been and is using this for something to glorify Him. I just hope she will get some relief or answers soon.

Waterpark

2009-04-17T21:20:00.003-05:00

So, for Monday-Wednesday and for the kids spring break we went to an indoor water park. It was nice. The rooms were suit style with a full kitchen. We we also accompanied by friends in an adjoining room. We made meals for our families, swam, enjoyed evening conversations with the kids, and had an overall great time. How quickly the time could have been bad. I was standing at the base of one of the water slides waiting to catch one of my children. The park was quite crowded that day and there were many people in the pool.

While waiting to catch my kids, a kid jumped in front of them and went down the slide. I don't think he was more than 4. Probably more like 3 1/2. He came down the slide with such excitement and had a great smile on his face. Then, he hit the water. He made as big a splash as a little person could. The only problem was he never came up out of the water. I watched him struggle for what he probably felt like was an eternity. All in all it was probably only 2-3 seconds. It was crazy. I picked him up and felt his heart beating so hard that I thought it was going to come out of his chest. When he came out of the water he had one of the worst looks of fear on his face. Then when he realized he was ok, it changed. As I held him I asked if he was ok. He said yes. I then started looking for his parents. How sad it was they were no where to be found. I turned around and the life guard was about ready to get into the pool. I would have to say this all unfolded in about 4-5 seconds. It wasn't a long ordeal. The lifeguard asked me to bring the child to him and I did. I set him on the pool deck and told the life guard I did not know who the child was or where his parents were. The kid immediately ran off like nothing ever happened. The guard blew his whistle and made some sort of gesture alerting the other life guards and then they grabbed him.

What really got to me and what I couldn't stop thinking about was how such a great and fun place could have turned into a life altering and shattering event for the family had it gone another way. I fun trip to a water park could have ended up with a funeral for a little boy. life could have been lost in an instant. I keep trying to think about the parents and wonder if they even realized what happened. Did they even know their child ran off and almost drowned? How long would have and did it take for them to realize he was missing? Wow! I don't really have any more to say about that incident. I really don't have any further thoughts about it. I am glad it had a positive outcome than it could have.

Mario Kart, Books, Water Parks, and More

2009-04-12T22:56:00.002-05:00

Well, the title pretty much sums up my life for the last few and coming few days. We have been playing a ton of Mario Kart on the Wii. Our friends J and D came over and J and I played for a while. Since then we have been playing alot. I started reading a new series. The O'Malley series. I like it so far. But, when ever I get a good book my wife always takes it over and never lets me read it. Actually I am glad she has been reading it. It's fun to read the same book and be able to talk about it. Water park coming soon. Getting excited. I think I am more excited to be off a couple two or tree days. Yes, I meant to write tree. I changed my guitar strings on my Larrivee for the first time. I had the cleartone strings on there for a while and they were really old sounding. I am glad the new ones are on there. #4 has been sick. We are going to the doctor tomorrow. Hopefully just an ear infection and a little antibiotics will take care of it. How many more things can I ramble about. Oh well, I'm going to read that book some more.

Oh Man

2009-04-10T18:41:00.002-05:00

Everytime I get some really good ideas to blog about I never have a computer near me nor do I have any paper or pen to save my idea with. So, it is with that I leave this post. Nice, huh? I picked up a new book from the LIEBERRY. It looks pretty good. I will start reading it this weekend and try to get it finished by Wednesday. Other than that, I have started recording a few more youtube videos and have even gotten a couple of requests and a few people asking for instructional videos. So, I will do a few of those this weekend hoepfully.