the petty things..

We just went through McDonald's on the corner of Cherry and Glenstone. I've decided that they are the worst Mickey-D's to ever exist. I used to go in hoping they had somehow improved. I don't even do that anymore.

Today Cory needed supper before practice so we swung in.
Speaker Dude: Welcome to McDonalds. Can I take your order?
Me: Yes, I'd like a double-cheeseburger, a medium fries, a side of tarter and a sprite.
Speaker Dude: Can you wait a minute?
(Long silence)
Speaker Dude: Welcome to McDonalds. Can I take your order?
Me: *Contemplates beating head against something*

Then when we got to the front window she handed me two drinks. At first I thought maybe they were finally redeeming themselves. Until I noticed it was coke, not sprite.
...
It's been a crazy week. A lot of small random stuff. Everybody's probably heard it already.

Finished the first week of school. So far, not too bad. I just need to figure out how to fit in the move and those two clep tests.

Thursday was different. I managed to get rear-ended at National and Elm. Poor kid. When I pulled forward to separate our cars you could hear his radiator hiss. I'm still waiting to hear from the insurance agency.

Saturday night, Jason and Erd stopped by and introduced me to The Phantom of The Opera (the movie). It's totally sweet. I have the soundtrack and have probably listened to it more times in the past few days than is prudent for a non-classical person. After they left, I imposed my presence across the street at Gloria and Angie's house. Cory and Emerson were both there it was just totally cool to sit and chat. I always find that apartment to be intellectually challenging.
Didn't hit the sack until about 2 am.

Last night we went out to MNT and got iced in. So we crashed out at the DiFranco's place. Can't say I was much fun. My Monday had caught up with me and I fell asleep on the couch. I hear their Wii is pretty cool, though.

Hamp Humor:
Tabi: We got a Wii at our school!! Mommy, did you have a Wii at your school when you were a kid?
Mom: Yes, we called it a toilet.

...
Gov. Blunt is not seeking re-election. May not bode well for Le Tour de Mo. I admire his decision.

.

Heath Ledger is dead. The Dark Knight isn't even out yet. Weird, I guess. Just goes to show how futile life really is.

Might be time to grab the One Thing that isn't pointless.

...
I'm living in one of those storms right now. Just another part of life, and I love it all. But last Sunday I was freaking a little. And this verse came to mind. Both a rebuke and a reassurance: But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? Matthew 14:30,31

I've become a firm believer in daily devotions. I love a week spent in the Word. Time and time again I find myself sitting in the Sunday service and realizing that the Holy Spirit has been guiding my studies the entire week, preparing me for the pastor's sermon.

Kind of a bummer this week, since I got sidetracked half-way through....
(Firm believer. Still working on the practitioner part.)
....
Sweet race yesterday. Erd and I got plenty muddy and had heaps of fun. We ran the first course in good time and then after one bike loop, he took off and ran it again. I think he covered a solid 6 miles of crazy terrain. Seems like he also fit in an endo and a flat tire. Hard core.

I elected to do the bike course but ended up running a lot more than I wanted to, too. Stupid guy that I am, I failed to pack a tire patch kit. So I ended up jogging with my bike quite a bit. Really humiliating. Someone loaned me a tube on the last lap, and by the time I got my flat repaired I had 2 miles to cover and 10 minutes to do it in. That was crazy. I was pealing like a mad man. Airing off stuff and praying I didn't hit a tree. There was one point where the bike slid out from underneath me and I rolled a couple of times. The woods are a lot softer than the pavement so I just got up and kept riding. Finished with two minutes to go.
sheesh.

And our poker hands reeked. I think I had a pair of kings and Erd had a pair of aces.
.....
I stole one of sis' CD's last night. This was on one of them. I think I listened to it three times on the way to church. And then Pastor Ron finished out the sermon with "I Surrender All".
I guess God was trying to get through.

My hands hold safely to my dreams
Clutching tightly, not one has fallen.
So many years I've shaped each one
Reflecting my heart showing who I am.
Now you're asking me to show
What I'm holding oh so tightly.
Can't open my hands can't let go;
Does it matter?
Should I show you?
Can't you let me go?

Surrender, surrender, You whisper gently
You say I will be free
I know, but can't you see?
My dreams are me. My dreams are me

You say you have a plan for me
And that you want the best for my life.
Told me the world had yet to see
What you can do with one
That's committed to Your calling.
I know of course what I should do
That I can't hold these dreams forever.
If I give them now to You
Will You take them away forever?
Or can I dream again?
- Barlow Girl

Mommy! Mommy! can we play in the mud?!

I'm listening to a lot of softer music these days.
I think that means I'm maturing.
Ok, maybe not. But Celtic Woman and Jack Johnson ROCK.
..................

The bike race this weekend is looking great. Erd got permission to dig Josh's bike out of the in-laws place. So I spent a couple of hours getting it ready. I had forgotten what a nice ride he has. I mean, hydraulic disc brakes is sweet stuff. Josh (co-worker) and Alex spent an hour bleeding those brakes for me. The bike's like new now (except the rubber band holding one of the brakes together.... I'll order the real part next week.)

Jeff has loaned me his super-light Giant XTC. It's like a $3,000 bike. Here's to not scratching it.

And Kay loaned the shop truck.

We're gonna tear it up tomorrow. (The race, not the truck)
........
On the way to work yesterday I saw a sign for an apartment. When I called the number, it turned out to be a customer. This dude is pretty insane. He competes in 50k trail runs. That's like longer than a marathon. Like I said, insane.

Several years ago he bought a little storefront for the heck of it. He lived in the top and rented everything out. What we're looking at is the basement underneath it. Above it there's a little knitting store and two more apartments. Apparently one of Cycle's Unlimited's employees lives there already. Might make a cool riding partner.

So tomorrow we're suppose to sign the lease. I'm jazzed. Lord willing we'll be out of this place by the end of the month and let Southwood Properties do their renovations without having to ask us to move.
....
The elevator's out again. Arrg. I'm carrying bikes up and down four stories. It's a good workout. Ok, so maybe Jeff's bike doesn't qualify as a workout.....
..
There's no real rule for the lyrics I choose. Been singing these the last few days. ( I know, gross thought: me. singing. Be of good cheer, no one was around.) Besides, Blake Shelton has good hair.

She left without leavin' a number
Said she needed to clear her mind.
He figured she'd gone back to Austin
'Cause she talked about it all the time.
It was almost a year before she called him up
Three rings and an answering machine is what she got:

If you're callin' 'bout the car I sold it.
If this is Tuesday night I'm bowling.
If you've got somethin' to sell, you're wastin' your time, I'm not buyin'.
If it's anybody else, wait for the tone,You know what to do.
And P.S. if this is Austin, I still love you.

The Fridge

Man, my head was so befuddled last night. I ended up going down to mudhouse around 7 and spent an hour writing in my journal and reading the Bible. I think I filled up like 5 pages. (Maybe not epic, but darn close for me)
So the head's mostly emptied for a change.

Here's the leftovers:
///
Naterz can do the darndest things with balls. He's decided he's gonna tryout for that pro soccer team in KC. I watch him mess around and it amazes me. Give his feet a ball it's like they have a mind of their own.

At MNT this week he was showing off to Erd and did a left foot kick at a door about 20 feet away. Nailed it. Sweet.

Later, he and I were standing by the kitchen chatting and, as usual, he was fiddling with a ball. "Bet you I can hit that door." he stated
Same door. All the way across the gymnasium. Blocked by a volleyball net and a Mr. White who was walking by.
"All right, do it."

He fiddled with it for a second and then kicked. It sailed away at an angle, a little off course from the door. It cleared the volleyball net. Missed Mr. White and then executed a beautiful left curve and slammed the door a couple of feet below the EXIT sign.

That boy has got moves.
///
Later that night I got the munchies. Everything nearby had closed because of the storms so I went to Ziggies. Ended up talking to an old truck driver. "You young people, you don't have chance in today's world. You'll never be able to get ahead." At which point we got to talk politics for the next hour.

But it has gotten me thinking. He's worked two jobs his whole life. For what? I'm not faulting the guy. Even billionaires are poorer this year as the American dollar slides below Canada's (and virtually every other). But do I really want to spend my entire life working for paper?

Nope. I don't. So instead, give me Jesus. Give me random bike rides and cool trips. Give me a loving family. And when the next Depression comes around I'll have Jesus, cool memories and a family. The rich guys will have a pile of paper. woo.
///
Got to see a bunch of the Lebanonites at mudhouse last night. cool gang.
///
Our property has been sold to Southwood across the street. Think I'll move before they kick us out and start renovating. Moving again! arrrg.
///
So there's this cool Poker Run/Ride event this weekend. It's at one of the local off-road courses. You run the first lap. And then bike the rest. Everytime you come through you get another card. The player (dirty, cold, grumpy athlete) with the best hand at the end wins. So I've drummed up what hardcore guys I could find (the erd and naterz), and now I'm just chasing down enough bikes for everybody. Good thing I work at a bike shop.

We'll prolly go through a bunch of tubes......
blech
.............
I won't break my back for a million bucks
I can't take to my grave.
So why put off for tomorrow
What I could get done today:

Like go for a walk
Say a little prayer
Take a deep breathe of mountain air
Put on my glove and play so catch -
It's time that I make time for that.
Wade the shore,
Cast a line.
Look up an old lost friend of mine.
Sit on the porch and give my girl a kiss.
Start living, that's the next thing on my list. - Toby Keith

title IV, and XXI, and XIII

Went by mom's and got the hair trimmed. I look less like a washed up 80's rocker now. Just kinda' clipped it off in the back. She did a sweet job.
...

Me: "What is that music? It sounds like trekkie phasers or something."
Alex: "That's Incubus" (defined by him as, 'the best rock group ever.')
Me:"Oh, that's Incubus? Man, I am soo sorry. I'd hate to insult the rock gods."
Alex: "Yeah. Don't be insulting the rock gods. You don't wanna end up in rock hell where they only play John Mayer."

Mayer, I might be able to live with.
Just as long as it isn't that high-pitched guy singing "You're beautiful".

..

I start the day, the war begins
Endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again
Your truth Is drowned out by the storm I'm in

I know you've cast my sins as far
As the East is from the West
And I stand before you now
As though I've never sinned, but today
I feel like I'm just one mistake away
From you leaving me this way

ch.
Jesus can you show me
Just how far the East is from the West
Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Come rising up in me again.
In the arms of your mercy I find rest!
Cause you know just how far the East is from the West:
From one scarred hand to the other

I know you've washed me white
Turned my darkness into light
I need your peace to get me through;
To get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel
But by the truth your word reveals
I'm not holding on to you
But your holding on to me - Casting Crowns

I John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship
one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us
from all sin."

It's been a crazy week.

Our family did Christmas on Sunday. And then Monday one of my best friends got himself hitched. It still seems a little surreal. I hadn't thought he'd be ready, but he's really matured and grown in Christ in the last year. They'll be awesome. Besides,they make a cute couple.

On Tuesday another couple of friends tied the knot. As I was sitting there listening to them recite their vows I realized that I couldn't remember any of the vows from the previous day. I think I was too busy thinking "Oh my word! He's actually getting married!". (Did I mention surreal?)

But both days we're great. We saw so many friends and even brought in the New Year at church. Last night I was so tired. I hit the sack at 10 and got up at 8 the next day. I know. I should be ashamed of myself.

//The rest is a ramble//

You know, every year I set big goals for myself. Never reach them all, but it helps.

And so I’ve lived. I’ve chased some careers. Spent money on possessions. Pursued cool experiences. And I look around at the world and see everyone else doing the same thing. We chase, we pursue, and then we turn forty and freak out because our life isn’t satisfying. So we decide (rightly) that we’ve been chasing the wrong things and ‘reevaluate our priorities’. New hobbies, new cars, new wives….

The problem is, the priorities are still ours. And when we die, they mean nothing.

And so, after a lot of soul-searching I've trashed about all of my other goals. I want Christ to be my focus. I know we say it, but for me, it's long overdue.

And pray for me. He's already showing me what a wretch I am, and frankly - but for His grace - it would be hopeless.

......

“The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” Ps 34:10