Sometimes I think this is the way to go.

Thanks to my friends, the Clarks, for showing me this webpage...I'm hooked now! Anyway, I'm tired of hearing "The statistics show..." when in reality the SCIENCE might not be so convincing. Anyway...

from xkcd.com.

The Thanksgiving Chronicles (long)

Well, I had intended on a post a day while home in the Hill Country but issues with my CrackBerry internet connection to my Laptop AND the land of "No-up" (in other words, the only internet was at my parent's office which is a 5-10 minute drive) meant that was not possible. So, I'll do my best to try and put together my adventures on this past week of Thanksgiving...

Day 1 - The Trip
It never fails that one forgets something when leaving on a trip for a week. I managed to leave two important items at my house and realized this while getting gas in Canyon. SO, I had to turn around and get the aforementioned important items which put me an additional 30 minutes behind. This normally wouldn't be a big deal but it did put me in the heart of deer country after dark. If you haven't traveled through the heart of deer country in the fall, you need to drive a tank as the sheer number of deer along the side of the road grows exponentially after sunset thus increasing the risk of having tenderized venison as well as a damaged vehicle. Fortunately there weren't too many numbers on the road and I made it safely home. Oh, I also found out that all the extra weight on my Jeep results in a 13 MPG average AND that each quarter tank yields 50 miles.

Day 2 - So Much for Sleeping In
It was announced that we were going to work cattle the first morning I was home. At 8 AM. Giving me 6 hours of sleep. While I'm on vacation. Oh well, small price to pay when spending time with Dad but giving young steers vaccinations after eating fresh hay and protein supplements...well, you get the idea. The rest of the morning was spent installing Mom's XM radio and making sure it worked. After lunch, it was our first day to hunt and although there were a few cull bucks and does around (we have a wildlife management permit) nothing caught our fancy. There was the funny incident with the buck that got something up his nose and sneezed quite a few times...

Day 3 - The Fear Factor Incident
Such a benign start to the day after finally being able to sleep in. I was needed at my parent's office to install their new all-in-one HP printer/fax/scanner/copier machine as well as solve a few other computer issues. Walking out of the office, the cold front had just pushed through so it wasn't too cold but it had started to dry out a bit. It was perfect weather while I installed my XM radio adapter for the Jeep (didn't have it on the way down...had to order it to the Hill Country so I wouldn't miss it on the way back to the Top o' Texas). Dad and I hunted a blind no one had been at in a while and although there were a few deer, cattle had wandered over into our vicinity which spooked the deer. Arriving home, I was a bit chilled and wanted something hot to drink. This started the "Fear Factor Incident" which I will tell you about in person the next time we run into each other in deference to my Mom. It is an interesting story...

Day 4 - Thanksgiving
No big plans, just spending that evening at my Aunt and Uncle's house with quite a few family members around. I did spend part of the day working on projects that my grandfather used to do, all of which were heightened by the smells involved. Hoppe's No. 9 oil, brass casings, a bit of cedar, and scent masks in my grandfather's room at his house all brought back so many things I used to do with him. After a very light lunch and an afternoon siesta, it was time to partake in the family thanksgiving dinner. This was the first Thanksgiving without my grandparents and it was hard not having them there. However, I am very thankful for the knowledge and memories I have from them. And for many of y'all who read this blog, my friends; I am thankful for the time we spend together, laugh together, cry together, and live life. Thankful for Jesus, for him finding me and walking along side with me. And no, I didn't gorge myself...I only had half helpings of the pecan and pumpkin pies. It was the first time I didn't leave feeling overly full!

Day 5 - Lazy Day of Cold and Football
No big plans...watched football all morning (which started at 10 am thanks to sleeping in), had a BIG lunch that mom cooked, and then got ready to head out and wrap up a project from the previous day. The cold weather had set in but it wasn't raining yet so Dad and I headed out for another afternoon of hunting. Picture this - sitting in a small blind wrapped up in two layers of clothes, a blanket, and a heavy coat, cold and damp wind blowing, supposedly waiting for the deer to arrive. Sort of a "classic" view of hunting for those who choose to participate, right? Well, I also had my CrackBerry working somewhat and was looking through the binoculars for deer, updated the score on the game, blow my nose, look through the binoculars for deer, etc. With overcast skies, things turned dark early and Dad was anxious to get in the warmth of the pickup. Nothing like riding back to the house and being able to listen to the Aggies pull of a win/upset in classic fashion. Made for a Great day!

Day 6 - Friends and Family
The rain came in the middle of the night and apparently something knocked the power out. Fortunately I had set a different alarm and was still able to get up and make the trip to Fredericksburg. I had gotten back in touch, thanks to Facebook, with some long out-of-touch friends who live down south and we decided to get together and reconnect over lunch. There were also a few friends who needed be to bootleg, import, bring back some Circle E Candles for them. If you are ever in Fredericksburg and want to get the best candles in the world (IMNSHO), head over to Circle E. I walked in and once again was knocked back thanks to the overpowering wall of 30+ odd fragrances wafting through the air. So I perused the usual selection when something caught my eye. Something I never thought I'd come to find. They now make a candle that smells EXACTLY like:

L E A T H E R !

Ahhhhhhhh...my house now smells like the tack and saddle shops of old. I LOVE IT!

After obtaining the goods from Circle E, I met up with my friends from the Wesley Foundation at Texas Tech and we spent 4 hours getting caught up, reminiscing, and making plans to get our group of friends from the Wesley together soon. To my South Texas Friends; thank you for driving in the rain and cold to reconnect after over 4 years. I had a blast. A quick change of clothes after getting back home, the family gathered once again to celebrate my uncle's 60th birthday with steak and shrimp.

Day 7 - The Trip, Part Deux
After seeing my sisters off for their trip home, I headed into town to double check the weather and road conditions. There was snow between the Hill Country and Lubbock but all roads were reported to be open. I loaded up the Jeep, gassed 'er up in town, and hit the road. All was well up until Eden when the snow really started to fall and the road conditions went south. It wouldn't have been too bad except that all the Texas Tech students were heading home and by golly, they were going to drive 70 regardless of what road conditions were like. There was one young punk in his poorly lifted GMC pickup that decided to ride my tail. Well, I know what my Jeep can do and let's see if you know what your pickup can do. Slowly reach down to the 4WD lever, select 4-Hi, and "drift" out of the ruts into the accumulated snow, gravel, and slush. A wave of that stuff then flings up in the air promptly coating the Tech student's pickup. And then the young punk backed off, headlights swerved to avoid him, and he decided to back off. Once the roads cleared near Snyder, he passed me and gave me the one-fingered salute. Then there was the one that swerved off the road into the ditch because he was going too fast. These students (yes, they were students because 75% of the vehicles had TTU greek organizations, TTU emblems or Tech stickers of some sort, and were relatively young) need to learn to take the time to slow down, enjoy the view, and relax! I say that only because I was one of them a while ago...

So here I am, back in the Top o' the Panhandle. Doing Laundry. Checking E-mail. Writing a Blog. Reminds me of something else I said at home. There were a couple of cows sitting under a tree when it was cold and drizzly. You remember the Budweiser commercials with the guys sitting in their living room? The "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzuuuuuuuuuuuuupppppppp" guys? After the "Whazzzup" craze ended, they went into the "True" series. One guy calls up another and says "What you doin'?" to which the reply was "Nothin. Watching the game. Drinkin' a Bud." which the answer was "True" and then the question is repeated again. Anyway, back to the cows -Dad mentioned they looked pretty content even though it was cold. So I cracked the joke "Yeah. They are sittin' the the cold. Chewin' their Cud." to which Dad (oblivious to the commercial) said "True." Priceless...

Fall is here...unfortunatley

It is a sad day when I come to the realization that summer has finally gone and winter is on it's way. Granted, we have had an "Indian Summer" here in the top o' the Panhandle the last couple of weeks but it finally looks as if the cold of fall and winter is just around the corner. How do I know this you ask?

I had to put the hard top on the Jeep.

Yup, that is your scientific answer. My long-term forecasts are based on whether I can ride in the Jeep with the top down or buttoned up with the hard top on. NO, NOT REALLY! The meteorology does show that we will probably be experiencing a cold snap this upcoming week of Thanksgiving and although the Jeep warms up quite nicely with the soft top, it doesn't allow one to scrape the windows off nor can you use the rear defroster and wiper. As I will be traveling quite a bit for the holidays, I decided to put the hard top on for a much quieter ride as well as for that extra added warmth I can get.

So it is with a bit of sadness that I tightened the last Torx bolt down on the hard top realizing it will likely not be removed until sometime in the spring of 2008. Yes, I could easily pop that thing off and drive around town on the warm winter days we tend to have up here but it is actually quite a bit more of a hassle than people realize. I truly enjoy driving around with the wind blowing through my hair and my body being warmed by the sun as well as sitting at a stoplight at night and being able to look up at the stars. That and the lines of the soft top look more fitting for a Jeep than the rounded and "stiff" lines of the hard top. Sigh...the soft top is truly convenient for converting to an open-air ride but it doesn't have the additional quietness and protection of the fiberglass hard top.

Oh well, it's not like we won't ever be warm for an extended period again. I'll just have to make due until the spring of next year :-) !

Frustration

I am frustrated. Frustrated with myself mainly. It seems that I cannot focus on the things I really need to. Perhaps someone infected me with a form of adult ADD that makes my mind race from one subject to another. Mainly the frustration is with my walk with Jesus right now. Quiet times have been anything but as I'll be sitting there reading the Word and off my mind goes into a problem that I am working on or an event that happened within the last couple of days. I even hate to admit that I've been dozing off when praying or have my mind once again wander off into some distant place which frustrates me even more. A couple of times it has been so bad that I consciously give up and roll over and give up by going to sleep.

The biggest reason I think I'm frustrated is that I don't know why I am in this place and the lack of being able to put my finger on it and fixing whatever "it" is started a continuous feedback loop that I need to be kicked out of. In other words - the more I focus on the problem, the more I feel despair that I cannot see the problem so I focus more intently and so the "feedback loop" continues to increase. Is it work-related? Is it relationship (or lack thereof) related? Is it the lack of feeling close to Jesus related? Is it all those things added together???

I'm writing this mainly because this afternoon was one of those days where I just want to give up. Church was REALLY good and my heart jumped a couple of times during the lesson because I know it was what I needed to hear. I walked out of church with the feeling that I can't leave Amarillo anytime soon because amazing things are going to be happening through the body of believers at Amarillo South. Then I get home. A strange odor was in the kitchen and then I wondered why there was water splashing up on my arms from the faucet. I realized it wasn't splashing UP from the sink, it was dripping DOWN from the cabinets. A hose was leaking in my upstairs bathroom which I didn't realize and was draining through the floor into the kitchen. Crap. The same one that did this two years ago that was supposedly "fixed". Trying to shut the water off, I break the valve under the sink. Double Crap. THEN I find out I don't have a normal water main and will have to figure out how to turn the water off to the house. That means I'm going to have to call a plumber to come out and take a look at all this. OH, did I mention my parents are coming into town for a couple of days starting TOMORROW and this is the sink to their bathroom??? AUGGHHHHHH!

I want to give up so badly. I want to go find some cabin in the mountains, get snowed in, and not have to worry about all this stuff with my house and my life. I want to know that all my dreams, plans, and ongoing things are what Jesus wants for me but how the HECK am I going to do that with all this "stuff" going on?

I need a retreat...at least once I can be sure my house won't be flooded when I get back.

Pun for the Day

I was cleaning out my e-mail and came across this...

A MECHANIC AND HIS DOG

A mechanic who worked out of his home had a dog named Mace. Mace had a bad habit of eating all the grass in the mechanic's lawn, so the mechanic had to keep Mace inside. The grass eventually became overgrown.

One day the mechanic was working on a car in his backyard and dropped his wrench losing it in the tall grass. He couldn't find it for the life of him so he decided to call it a day.

That night, Mace escaped from the house and ate all the grass in the backyard. The next morning, the mechanic went outside and saw his wrench glinting in the sunlight. Realizing what had happened, he looked up to the heavens and sang out loudly, proclaiming...

"A grazing Mace, how sweet the hound that saved a wrench for me!"