Dove Wars

We saw something this evening that we haven't seen before. An aggressive dove. We labeled it the Dove Warrior. First we saw one dove chasing another as they ate. Playing? Courting? The more we observed we came to the conclusion. That this is one bad dove. We threw a Rick (sorry Rick. I meant rock). The other dove flew. The Dove Warrior stayed. We sprayed the hose. It flew but came right back. We made noise. Talked. Sprayed some more water. The point is everything we did - normally the doves fly away. Doves are a "fraidy cat" ( is that an oxy moron?) breed. But not this dove. This was one bad dude ( or dudette - we couldn't tell). As I type it is still eating ( is our bird seed that good?). We tried to recruit it to go up against the mocking bird in the 12th annual WBWF ( world bird wrestling federation) championships. We also tried to see if it wanted to audition for Angry Birds, but the thing won't stop eating. Oh well.
Note: we love doves and we don't normally try to scare doves but this was an experiment. And NO BIRDS WERE HARMED DURING THIS BLoG.

The Wierd and the Wierder - Dreams

Within the last week, I have had 4 dreams that not only confused me, but downright terrified. I wouldn't call them nightmares, just weird dreams. And the terrible thing is 2 of the last 3 dreams, I can recall vividly. And another bad thing, all 4 had something to do with work (either work or someone from work).
The dream I had Monday night (6/27/11) and the dream I had Tuesday night (6/28/11) - I can tell you every detail of those dreams. The dream I had last night (6/29/11) - I could give you most of the details but some are sketchy.
So, do I try to interpret them? I would lean toward no but I would say if Joseph (from the Bible) lived next door to me, I would have to ask him about them.
So my quick thoughts....maybe I am having these dreams with people from work in them (note - there are many folks in my dreams - but someone from work seems to always interrupt me with a problem....WAIT that is reality!!!!!).....maybe I am having the dreams because it is an unconscious way to say goodbye to them. Maybe I will be leaving.....YYYYEEEEEEEEEEHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!
Well, at any rate, last night's dream was not as vivid. Maybe that is a sign that the weird dreams are fading....
Sweet Dreams.....Happy Trails and Kumbaya!

Messin With The Man ... The Telemarketing Man (or Woman)

You're relaxing on the sofa after a hard work day. You're feeling the chill then the phone rings. You answer it and immidiately wish you hadn't. It is the dreaded telemarketer on the other end. Do you hang up? Do you politely say no? Do you listen to the sales pitch? Or do you have a little fun? For a long time I used to hope for those calls. I had lots of fun with the folks on the other line. I was never rude. I just had fun. Some of the telemarketers laughed with me. Some didn't care for it. Some just sort of kept going on their sales pitch. I never, however, reached my goal. My goal was to have one of the telemarketers hang up on me. I felt I had a right to mess with them because back in the day I used to do telemarketing for radio. Of course I called businesses not homes. And it was still hard.
So I do feel for telemarketers.
Today - on my office phone - I had the same call from a credit card company. They act like they are calling from your credit card company. Knowing it was baloney I hung up the first time. The second time I couldn't help myself. When the guy came on I started speaking ChiJapVietnamese (my version of the Asian language).
It was funny. But you know - I didn't get the joy out of it that I used to.
Am I maturing? Am I feeling for the telemarketer?
I don't know. Maybe I will do the respectable thing and politely say no thanks. Or let the answering machine earn it's money.

My Last Meal

We were having boiled crawfish and crabs tonight and as I sucked the heads and pinched the tails and picked that delicious lump meat out of the crabs ... I had a thought.
If I knew I was dying tomorrow. Passing on. Adios amigos. Heading to heaven. What would I want as a last meal?
As much as I love Broussard's ( restaurant) Louisiana Bouillabaisse and turtle soup ( by the way, New Orleans has so many wonderful eating establishments. And I love many of them - but if I had to pick a favorite - Broussard's. If you haven't been - GO. NOW!!!!! If you are disappointed I will buy your meal)(... Back to the rambling) I would have to pick - as my last meal - a good down home seafood boil with family and every friend I can think of. Crabs. Crawfish. Shrimp. All of the fixins. Raw oysters. Some good Des Allemands fried catfish. Some of the alligator sauce piquant my mom makes. Some white beans.
And no seafood boil is complete without hot dogs for the kids. Man that sounds good. Even as I type this - hands burning from the spicy crawfish and belly full - it makes me want to dig in some more.
One last thought. If a person on death row requests Fresh Louisiana boiled crawfish as their last meal - and it isn't crawfish season. Would they get a Stay?

What are Green Beans anyway? ... and a Mexican Truck Driver

One night in the recent past, I opened a Tupperware container that was in our fridge and leftover green beans were in it. So, not really being hungry, I decided to take a bite - not sure why. They were so good, I ate all what was in the container. As I chewed and swallowed I thought.....What are Green Beans anyway?
The pod is green, the little balls inside are green. They don't look like a red bean or white bean or pint bean.
Why don't we call them green pods?
So I looked up the green bean on the web.
Green beans - a.k.a. French beans or Runner beans - "are the unripe fruit of any kind of bean, including the yardlong bean, the hyacinth bean, the winged bean, and especially the common bean, whose pods are also usually called string beans in the northeastern United States, but can also be called snap beans." from Wikipedia
Green beans are found in two major groups, bush beans and pole beans.
There are over 130 varieties of snap beans. WOW. Snap Snap.
I love Green Beans.
Oh, the Green Beans and the Mexican Truck driver have nothing to do with each other, but I figured it would get your attention.
My drivers bring loads to the Texas/Mexico border. there, a Mexican driver comes across with an empty trailer and my driver swaps trailers with the Mexican driver. On Wednesday when we made the swap, the Mexican driver handed my guy a DOT (Dept. of Transportation) write up. It had nothing to do with us, but the Mexican guy had no clue what it said or what to do with it.
The driver from the Mexican transport company, Transportes Lopez E Hijos Sa De, was written up for .....and I quote...."Driver must be capable of reading and speaking the English Language, sufficiently to converse with the general public." Now, before you laugh, this is an actual rule in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation Handbook. It is under Section 391.11(b)(2).
If you ever get one of these books, you should check it out. There are many interesting items in it.

And while I am at it. Not all truck drivers are bad, so before you listen to some of those lawyers on those TV commercials, check out the entire situation. At the same time, I will admit, there are some drivers out there that should scare the general public.

Adios.

how i feel today - in pictures

Do You Ever Get To The Point...

That is a loaded question, but it actually isn't a question... (hence the ...) ...
That statement is sort of funny coming from me, because if it were a question, my answer to myself would be yes, but it takes a long time. I tend to talk (and sometimes write) in circles.
What I was originally getting to with this blog thought was possibly starting a "DO YOU EVER GET TO THE POINT..." series.

Like, DO YOU EVER GET TO THE POINT where the jokes you make about selling everything and moving to Mexico REALLY sounds like something you should do. The joking is almost gone, that reality is looking pretty good. Until you do it and get salmonella from the rotten chicken you bought at the 2 pesos DVD market.

I bet if you really think about it, you can come up some really good DO YOU EVER GET TO THE POINT... thoughts.

Father's Day thoughts - a few days late

The morning of Father's day I was thinking. Father's Day and Mother's Day and other special days we celebrate are really nice days. But do we, as a people, make those days more special than any other day?
It is awesome to honor our dads and moms on those days. It is wonderful to honor our kids, and spouses and other family on their birthdays. It is a great thing to remember your anniversary and treat your spouse to something nice. But do we treat them better on those days than any other day of the year? Do we gear up for those special days and lay it all out and just go about the rest "ho-hum"?
I'm not saying we buy a gift everyday as if it were Father's day or Mother's Day or a birthday, but I am asking again, do we take the other days for granted.
Lets take it a little further. Do we honor Jesus only at Christmas? Do we remember his death only on Good Friday? Do we celebrate the resurrection only on Easter?
This blog isn't solely intended to discus when we think of Jesus (although it could - maybe should be). It is about honoring and loving those close to us EVERYDAY with the same enthusiasm and joy as if it were a birthday or a Father's or Mother's day. It is about showing Love to others, everyday.
I have asked before in the church, why does the church (I am thinking of the greater Church here) pretty much Celebrate Christmas at Christmas, Easter at Easter, etc. There is no Wrong day to celebrate the birth of Jesus. There is no Wrong day to remember Jesus' death. There is no Wrong day to get excited about Jesus' resurrection. There is no Wrong day to tell a dad Happy Father's Day. There is no wrong day to tell a mother Happy Mother's Day. There is no wrong day to tell someone Happy Birthday (even if their Birthday is months away). The point is, there is no Wrong day to tell people how important they are to you.
For the record, I had an awesome Father's Day. And I am blessed to have many wonderful days.

Planned Obsolescence

Planned Obsolescence - I first heard this term a long time ago when I sold knives for Cutco. Actually I sold for Vector Marketing. That was a job that literally made my stomach hurt. But it was a wee bit fun at times. I actually was the third top seller in the South for one quarter. Then I ran out of friends and family to sell to. I remember one of the dudes talking to us at a conference always used the term "Poss" (as in positive). He used it so much I think I felt negative towards him. They taught us to talk about other knife companies using planned obsolescence when it came to their knives. I will say this - we still have our Cutco knives. But this blog isn't about knives at all.
It is about the Dental world. I had a crown pop off the other day. It actually took the whole tooth and it just came out of my jaw. The screws that held the crown in place on the tooth broke. Don't worry. It never hurt. I immediately thought of planned obsolescence. Could it be? Does the dental world use "not so tough" cement? I don't know. I doubt it. It could be my imagination. I actually started this post this morning in the dental chair waiting for the dentist to cement my tooth/crown back in. He came in acting weird. I wonder I he was reading over my shoulder.
In any case. Dentist probably do their best to fix it right the first time. But they sure are not cheap.
Also today. I had to get a lecture on not scheduling my cleanings. Hmmmmmm more money.

Aromas from the Nail place and contemplating Conversion ... and other Saturday thoughts

We had to bring Mr. Blue to the shop for them to re-do an alignment. Then I came with my honey to her nail appointment. I don't venture into nail places (what is the proper term for these places - manicurist?) very often but the 2 or 3 times I have been in places like this I can't help but be amazed by the interesting aromas floating in the air. The predominant smell has to be the acetone type products. But I can't put my finger on what else is mixing in the air. All I know is that I like it.
I posted a Top 5 Smells blog awhile back ( you can check it out in the archives). I think I need to revisit that at a later date. The nail place may make the new list.

Pyromania vs. Shredder
Today is a big day in my life. I am exploring the probability of converting. Yes, you read correctly. You see, one of my best backyard buddies is our chiminea. One of my favorite past times is burning credit card receipts and other sensitive documents that most people would shred. Well the fire pit has officially wore out. Plus with the dry days we have been in, burning may not be a great idea. I bought a 19 dollar shredder yesterday so I will take another path to destroying documents. Sometime today I will take the (what used to be) the garbage bag full of burn papers and I will explore Shreddism. I will keep you posted on that quest.

Lastly this morning: sonic: I like sonic but when you swipe your card you have to punch your zip code on the key pad. Those key pads are gross. To think a bit further. Think of everything you touch in public. ATM machines. Gas pumps. Shopping carts. Doors. Money. I feel sick.
Is the thought of junk in public?
Is it my missing the burn pit?
Or is it too much acetone?

Have a great Saturday.

Things to Ponder

This will be a busy (busier than normal) work week. My boss is in town and we have several meetings and such. So you may not get posts for a few days. With that said, I will leave you with a few things to think about. A lot of this will be in future posts.
1 - Total Forgiveness - have you ever thought about what this truly means? How easy is it for you to forgive? Does it depend on the act against you?
2 - This little piggy. Especially the "roast beef" part.
3 - onions. Have you ever thought about first time an onion was bitten into?
4 - listen to any good music lately?
5 - Dodger fans. Will we win it all (even though we aren't looking that great right now). Why I think we will.

A couple of more random thoughts.
After watching "Back To The Future" recently, I realized that when you talk to a person and the seem like they are in a hurry and maybe a little weird, that may be for a reason.

When I look at that old beat up dump truck rolling down the highway, I think of the world. That nasty, ugly truck was once new."

And finally. To quote Lebron James on when he was asked if he was upset that many fans were happy that the Miami Heat lost the NBA championship. “Absolutely not. Because at the end of the day, all the people that was rooting on me to fail, at the end of the day they have to wake up tomorrow and have the same life that they had before they woke up today. They have the same personal problems they had today. I’m going to continue to live the way I want to live and continue to do the things that I want to do with me and my family and be happy with that. They can get a few days or a few months or whatever the case may be on being happy about not only myself, but the Miami Heat not accomplishing their goal, but they have to get back to the real world at some point.”

A Simple Question Can Change A Life

This past week the "Men of Integrity" devotional had readings from Eric Bryant's book "Not Like Me" for us to study and think about. They were all interesting and thought provoking entries but one caught my eye before I read it because if the title. The title for Tuesday's devotion was "I Stole It." Needless to say my desire to read what Eric wrote heightened. He wrote about a time where he stopped for gas late one night. He went in to pay and he asked the thin store clerk with scraggly hair and multiple earrings what he did to pass the time working the night shift. Eric - at first - was just making conversation while he paid. But that question turned out to be a whole lot more. The clerk responded "I've been reading through the Bible.". Eric went in to write that this through him off guard so he asked where has he been reading. The clerk said he started in Genesis and now he is "First Cronthans." Eric figured he was new to the scriptures due to his mispronouncing "Corinthians." He went to ask what he thought of it etc. Then he asked where he got the Bible. The clerk said "I stole it from my friend's dad."
With that question Eric knew this clerk was at least interested in the book he stole, so Eric invited him to continue the conversation later. Eric brought him a bible. A week or two later Eric asked Jason ( the clerk) if he believed in God. Jason said "I never did, but now I know he is real because he is speaking to me through the Bible." And as
time passed they became friends and talked more about the Bible and God. Jason had some issues in his personal life. And the entry does not go on to say how or if he worked some of those out.
This devotion struck me because this guy's life was transformed because a stranger asked a simple question. The answer to that question could have been anything. God led Eric Bryant to that gas station that night and He led him to ask a simple question.
How many times do we pass up an opportunity to make small talk? How many times do we get aggravated at people who make small talk while we are not in the mood?
You never know what a simple question or comment can produce.

Saturday random

Road in a car ( actually I drove) with 3 teens today. Boy we learned a lot. Everyone should try it. It was actually fun.

Horse racing. This is the first year in a long time we haven't watched a single triple crown race. Not sure why. Then again. I couldn't tell you how the Dodgers are doing lately. If you know me you know that is very odd.

It has been so dry here. I mowed the lawn today. Weed eated (is that a word?) and blew the grass around. It has been so dry I had to floss grass out of my teeth.

Not much on the mind tonight but then again I have a lot.

I have a new "favorite" song (at least for a few minutes)

I have a new favorite song.
We watched a little America's Got Talent last night. This is a show we have watched - for the most part - somewhat regularly. But it isn't a show where we HAVE to be in front of the tube when it comes on. Thankfully, we really don't have any of those. But when it is on, we watch it if we are home. But I will say that the show - so far - isn't really too good this years - so far.
Last night, an interesting looking dude came on there and sang a folk type song. He got 3 Xs in no time. I felt bad for the guy because he wasn't the best, but he was better than a lot of acts that moved on to the second round. Immediately the Twitter started lighting up about how he was wronged, etc.
Well, to do my part in making sure the world hears this song, it will become my new favorite song - at least for a day or so.
But to add to it, I will use it as a sort of Theme song - if you will. The song is called Truck Drivers aren't Supposed to Cry".
Being in the trucking business, I actually do get a lot of truck drivers crying (complaining, etc). I give them the time of day because we all have to vent, complain sometime......So I type this sort of tongue in cheek. When my guys and gals start to complain, I will just sing this song to myself and smile at them.
Now the song isn't really about whining or complaining truck drivers, it is about ______ (not really sure what it is about). I think it is just about a driver not crying from being out all night or away from home.....

For the record, I respect my drivers and most drivers out there. So this piece isn't about bashing a truck driver. IT is simply me (since It is my blog) joking around and having some fun. without the driver and the transportation industry, things would not move. Just about everything you eat, wear, drive, drink, etc gets moved around by a truck driver.


So, here's to all the drivers out there and here's to Walt Winston for bringing us "What is sure to be a classic." Maybe - maybe not.

Wednesday Quote

"Words are loaded pistols." - Jean Paul Sartre (French writer, philosopher)

What the world sees

There was a man who was bit by a spider.
His name was not Peter.
He had a wife but he could keep her.
He did not like pumpkins or asparagus roasted.
He liked his scrambled egg sandwich with his wheat bread toasted.
He was a man who never ever boasted.
He saw a pigeon fall from the sky.
The branch in it's beak hit him in the eye.
With one eye, he still went on to the show.
He went to see the paintings of Vincent van Gogh.
A giant white goose with a "I love Mom" tattoo followed him into the museum.
The goose holding it's seeing eye glass in it's beak.
The museum had a Thomas Jefferson statue at its entrance.
But the funny thing was ...
The people at the show didn't see the really odd goose waddle by.
All they saw was the man with one eye.


Author's note: there is moral to this tale. If you ask the author will tell.

Camp

I dropped Madeline off at the carpool spot heading for Pine Lake Camp today. As I drove back to work I couldn't help thinking of the camp and how special it truly is. I don't think anyone can go to that place and not feel some special connection to something wonderful. And the longer you are their, the stronger the connection.
We often talk about the camp and memories from our times at camp. It is a special place and a wonderful gift from God. It is one of those places where you feel God around you. The pure nature of the place itself just reinforces how beautiful and awesome God is. You see His living examples everywhere at the camp. And it is a very peaceful place. If you've ever been you know what I am talking about. I can go on and on but just saying that the camp is an inspiring and breathtaking place just about sums it up.

Random thoughts

Since the blog is back ( hopefully I can keep it going), I may or may not go back to a structured deal. Example: I used to do Music Mondays. Quotes on Wednesday. Don't know. I might go back to that I might not.
Today all I have are some random thoughts. I have so much in my head but lately it is hard to get it out. It seems I have lots of thoughts or ideas in the shower. I need a waterproof pen and paper or a waterproof dry erase board. All you have in the shower is you, soap products, towel (unless you don't use one), manicure type stuff and water.

A while back we were watching Back To The Future and I realized that if you run across someone and they seem sort of in a hurry or sort of weird, it may be for a reason.

I'm thinking about doing that 30 Day Song Challenge I see on Facebook. Not sure but in the past I was working on trying to figure out my 100 top songs of all time. Talk about a challenge. I "may" get back on that. Or at least my 100 top albums. Still a lot of work.

Well that about all I got. Hope I didn't bore ya.

Hate is such a strong word. But is it ok when it comes to plumbing?

Toilet woes. Well were do we start? A looooooong while ago our toilet in the front bathroom started to "run". You know that heart wrenching sound ...... Shshshshshshshsheeeeeewwww ...... So the obvious problem. The flapper. Or depending where you are from Da Flappa. (flap on flap off .... The flappa). So I changed the flapper. yep. The toilet still ran. So I figured the flapper I bought was "malfunctioned". So I bought another flapper then another. Same result. So after talking to many " home plumbers" I agreed that the gasket that the drain tube is on top of must be bad. So off to the store. About 30 bucks later I come home with all sorts of plumbing parts. Well vacation was looming. Alaska. So I figured " hey. Why stress about plumbing now. Wait until we get back from the AK". ( by the way. After flushing the commode I would just turn the water off. Awesome ). So we have a wonderful Kodiak Alaska vacation. We come home. Get back in the swing if things - sort of. And it is time to "tackle the terlet" I take the tank off of the toilet. That took forever. Have you ever tried to take a tank off of a comode that has been there for awhile? Enough said. So Loooooooooooooooong story short. I change gaskets. I change gaskets again. I put old gaskets on. I use silicone. I keep telling my wonderfully patient wife " I have one more thing to try". Etc. Etc. Etc. ( an IHOP commercial just came on the tv while typing this. Mmmmmmmmmmmm. I have no clue what program is on the tube. But that IHOP ad got my attention) anyway back to the toilet. So I keep thinking it through. When I wake up at night I think about how to stop the " running" and the large leak that I have at least reduced to a small, very small leak. ( hey at least I wake up thinking of plumbing instead of work). So finally. I throw in the chips. Throw in the towel. Kick the dirt. Say " awwwe shucks". Call a plumber. Then for some unforeseen reason. We cancel the plumber. A sign? Back to the thinking. More thoughts. Man if a plumber can do it I should be able to. Well the good news ............. A plumber is coming. I hope I can re post and say the toilet woes are OVER. We shall see.
So 2 thoughts. 1 I am tired. 2. I wish I was a better "home plumber" and 3 (hey I know I said 2 thoughts but it is my blog )3- I am craving IHOP. And 4. To the question of the title. Is hate a strong word when it xomes to plumbing. Probably yes. So I will say I strongly dislike plumbing. Is that the same thing?

Do you ever feel like MONK?

I was in a local Printer/office supply store today picking up my new Rubber stamp (I was getting tired of handwriting "Approved - Wade Cortez - Taft and the date on countless numbers of invoices). while I was waiting I noticed a stack of legal pads on the shelf and one of them (about a third way down on the stack) had some bent edges. That actually bothered me. Then while I was paying for the stamp, they had a rack of various business cards and one was cocked up to the left. Yes - I had to straighten it. And on my way out of the store I had to go straighten that legal pad. And I think I unconsciously looked around the store (keep in mind it is a real small area of store where the public actually does business in) real quick to see if anything else was "out of sorts." So was my "Inner MONK" coming out? Not sure.

Just in case you don't know, MONK is a TV show the USA Network. Adrian Monk is a detective who is obsessive-compulsive. It is actually a pretty good show.

http://www.usanetwork.com/series/monk/

Letting things go. Hard? Easy?

I should be working but something is urging me to jot down a quick blog. As I sat this morning (around 4:30) in the dark house thinking of my plan of action (due to a truck breakdown) I had a calm. A calm I rarely had in these situations. I wasn't totally calm but something felt different. Then I read a couple of quick emails and I had one from a friend giving me a phone number I asked for. Then he went on to say he is having some problems at work this week but he has turned it over to Jesus and he is having a great week. After reading that I couldn't help but respond ( hopefully his email doesn't go "ding" - it was early). I basically said that was calm in the currant truck breakdown issue but now I am calmer. He is right. Turning it over to Jesus is what we should do. So letting things go. Hard? Easy? I think it is both. But I think turning it over to Jesus is not sitting back saying " OK Jesus you got it see ya later". But it is trysting that Jesus will see us through our trials. I say this a lot ( but don't always listen to myself). The outcome is going to be the outcome. But how we act through the situation is what affects us and others. This to me is a positive vs negative fight. So, among my issues today, I will give them 100 % of my self to work through and resolve. But I will TRY and I pray that I succeed in being calm. Because I know that Jesus is in my corner through trials. Large and small.