Merry Christmas

Well, the time of year is once again upon us. We have been out with the masses (many of them unwashed) dropping our debit cards left and right in order to bring the love of Jesus home and to extended family by giving away shiny stuff. Those darn wise men made it rough on everybody! Oh well, I usually get some neat stuff too.

We are spending the day with the in-laws today. We have had a pretty good time. Zach came away from it feeling like he hit the jackpot, and Jessica got enough new books to keep the average 6th grader tied up for at least four months. I expect she will finished by Thursday. Tammi got some nice stuff, and I came away feeling like a big winner. I got a really nice picture to hang over my new computer desk.

We got a new desk this summer, and we now have an empty wall above it. Tammi saw this as an affront to her innate decorating abilities, and immediately set out on a quest to remedy this travesty. I was able to reign her in and get her to wait until I could find the piece I wanted to hang above the desk. I could see the fear in her eyes as she pictured a fender from a wrecked Nextel Cup car hanging there above the desk which is in a corner of our living room facing the couch. I consoled her and said I didn't know what I wanted, but I would know when I saw it.

After much searching, I came across the right picture in Rainbow bookstore. It is a picture of an old farmhouse that has been just stuck to a black board. It is a very simple picture, but it ties in with the black desk, the room decor, and my love for old barns and farmhouses. I knew it was what I wanted. Well, Tammi's mother wanted to know if I would be offended by getting a gift of cash for Christmas. When I was asked I said that would be fine, because I would then use it toward buying the picture. Long story short, tomorrow when I get home from work I am hanging my new picture because she went and bought it for me. Very cool.

It is nice to get what we want for Christmas. There have been many times we don't get what we want, but if we are honest, we quite often do get something that someone who loves us thinks we really need. That is what happened at the first Christmas. The gift we got might not make the top ten list of most wanted Christmas gifts, but it was something that we need. God gave us His Son at that first Christmas. We needed Him to save us from the sin in our lives. It might not be something that we see the need for at a certain time, but that doesn't change the fact that we need Jesus in our lives.

Two weeks ago tomorrow, Tammi realized that she had lived her whole life without having Jesus in her heart. After 36 years she made the decision. It wasn't easy for her. She was afraid of what people might think of her. She was afraid of what people might think of her parents. There were so many things that she could allow to keep her from that need that she had. Finally she realized it, and is now born again without a doubt in her mind.

It would be an understatement to say that I am very happy. I can honestly say that I would gladly have nothing else for Christmas save the fact that my everyone under my roof is on their way to heaven. It is a feeling that goes farther than the joy we can receive from even the shiniest of gifts. It is eternal peace. There is no greater gift than the salvation we have through Jesus.

If there is anyone out there who might ever read this and wonder about a need in their own life, I pray that they would find someone who can talk to them, or contact me, and I would be happy to correspond. Take the gift that started it all. Merry Christmas to everyone!

Nothing on Earth Is Constant Except Change

Well, I got word last night that my route will be changing again after the first of the year. I am going to be getting rid of a few of my new stores, and that is both good and bad.

I won't have Charlevoix, or Boyne City, and that is a good thing because I have not been able to really make any type of connection there. I think in time it would come, but these stores seem to be more headache than anything else. Lewiston will also be going away, and that is fine, as they are again, a store that just never seems to open up and welcome a person. I had that store for three years before, and it was the same way then.

On the down side I will be losing Alpena. This is a double-edged sword. I hate the drive, but I love the people. I really think that this next year would have been really big over there as I worked with those stores. I will miss the chance to see what could have been.

I will be getting Bellaire back for sure, and I will be picking up Houghton Lake, Roscommon, and a couple other stores. I'm not sure which ones, but I hope they will be productive. One nice thing is that I will have a store manager in Houghton Lake that I used to have years ago, and we always got along very well. I look forward to doing business with him again. Also, by going to Bellaire again I will be able to see my cousin Jodi at work there. I called her last night to tell her and she was very excited.

Well, gonna go do some Christmas shopping. Need to do what I can to keep the local economy rolling along! Take care!

A Quick "Catch-Up"

Greetings. I thought I would give a quick little post to let you all (funny) know how the work change for me is going. There are definite pros and cons.

Pros

• No more loading/unloading a van in the rain, snow, sleet, or wind.
• No more standing outside the backdoor of a store in the rain, snow, sleet, or wind
• No more shoveling snow in the bitter cold mornings at the warehouse.
• Jeep Liberty to drive now for work and personal use
• Jeep Liberty fuel card!
• Jeep Liberty is a lot more comfortable/ quiet to drive
• Able to get down to one insured vehicle at our house

Cons

• Cut in commission
• Route that takes me through the following towns: Charlevoix, East Jordan, Boyne City, Mancelona, Kalkaska, Grayling, Gaylord, Lewiston, and Alpena - 1200+ miles weekly
• Twice as much work to do
• Twice the headaches from management
• A loss of autonomy - I used to be able to decide when I would go to a store based on how my day was going, but now I am at the mercy of the semi that delivers for me.
• Again, I mention Charlevoix to Alpena!

I don't want people to think I am not grateful. We had one guy lose his job, and two others were demoted. I am very fortunate that I had an increase in volume to offset my cut in commission. I think things will get better, but it is going to take some time.

We are also going to ave some other changes after the first of the year as we will be taking on more items. This is going to give us more work to do, but hopefully it will translate into more money, although they are changing our pay structure so we don't make too much! Also they are looking at changing the routes, and when they do that I might lose Alpena and pick up Houghton Lake. I will welcome the shorter drive, I just hope the volume is there.

So, overall things are going okay. I can't say that I am thrilled, but I can say that I am getting along okay. I know that God will take care of me, and I am resting on that. I still think He has a bigger plan for me, but I am not yet sure what that is. Keeping doors open and ears tuned.

Well, I think that is enough for tonight. Man, I have been a posting fiend lately! Hopefully I will be able to keep up some type of a regular routine. Talk to you all (optimistic) some other time! Can I get a roll call to see who is still reading? Later!

Inadequate

Ever get that feeling? You're rolling along and then for just a split second you lift your head and look around. It hits you like a ton of bricks. "I can't do this! What was I thinking? How the heck did I end up here and more importantly, how am I going to get out?"

It happens to all of us from time to time - face it, we're humans. We like to think that we can just walk boldly along and handle whatever comes our way, but inside, down deep, where nobody ever sees, we are scared to death. What can we do? How can we get over it all?

Like any other problem we have, the first step is admitting it. We were not designed to have all of the answers or to be able to handle the load that we often end up trying to carry. Sometimes that load is given to us, but often we let our pride and lack of common sense dig us a hole we can't begin to climb out of. We need to admit that we can't do everything on our own. We have someone we can go to for help. God is there for us. he has the power we need to do what we cannot do on our own. That power could show itself in many ways, but the key is we need to yield our control to access the power.

The second step is claiming it. It would make no sense to not accept what you need when it is right there for the taking. God has given us His Holy Spirit to give us what we need to accomplish the tasks God has given us. We often try to do things on our own, even though God is right there wanting to help. We might, if we are lucky, be able to pull off something that those around us would consider a victory, but it will not come easily, and there will be pain, scars, and a lot of wasted time.

I know from my own life that when I have tried to do things on my own I have felt all along that I was a phony. I went through the motions because I knew how to "pull it off". A lot of people were convinced that I was doing things the right way, but they couldn't see the problems I was dealing with on the inside. It wasn't until I realized that I was living a lie that things started to turn around.

I finally understood that I needed to let God take the control. I had always been afraid that He would make me do things I didn't want to do, and sometimes He does! The neat thing is that by yielding that control and allowing myself to be used I am enjoying those things now. It is still scary at times, but now when I look up and see where I am and what I am doing, the feeling is different. I'm still amazed and at times a little scared, but I know Who is in control, and that takes a big bite out of the fear that I have.

As John the Baptist said in John 3:30 - "He must increase, but I must decrease." That is the way it has to be. It is the only way that I can feel adequate, capable of handling the life God has given me.

Checking for a Pulse

Well, when I put my fingers on my wrist I do detect a pulse, so that should let you all know I am still alive. I realize that I have not posted in two months, ans that itslef was a feeble attempt at a posting, but I can honestly say that I have thought about it repeatedly, but there has always been a significant lack of time to do so.

So, on this, the most sacred day of gluttony, I would like to tell you all Happy Thanksgiving. I have some other things I need to catch up on, but I would like to get back to posting in the near future. I'm not sure, but I might start using my blog as a place to post some of my Bible Study notes from Sunday School material. We will see. This could also end up not happening just like every other time I say that I am going to do better on my posting.

Well, anyway, enjoy the day!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hello! Anybody miss me?

We are still alive and kicking here in Hide Manor. The biggest thing I have going on right now is a change coming up in my job. The cookie truck is going away at the end of this month, and I am not sure what my job will be after that. I do know that I will be driving a brand new Jeep Liberty, but I do not know if I will be a merchandiser - gopher who puts up stuff somebody else orders, or a manager like I am now. I will be meeting to find out next Friday. We will see what happens.

Other than that, the kids are back in school, and doing very well. Both of them skipped a grade this year, and are doing fine. We are very proud. Jessica just got her hair cut and donated her long hair to Locks of Love. It is very different to see her with chin length hair now. Zach is not doing anything like that, but he is becoming even more like his Dad every day. My apologies to everyone!

Tammi has been very busy this week, working some extra hours at the hospital and helping out at the school. She is also helping out in AWANA at church now. She has a "thing" for the new T & T director. (Glad it's me) It is nice to be able to go to church and actually work together in a ministry. There are some things that we are going to need to change in how the program is running, but we had a great first week.

Well, I just wanted to write something just in case anyone is still looking at this. Ric & Deb, we miss you guys, and I check your blog every day to see what you are up to. Enjoy the cool down, your summer is coming to a close and you can enjoy the 80's for awhile.

Well, I will leave you with this:

Live from Lake Mongoose!

Well, I am trying something different. This blog is being written in Canada at a cabin with no power or telephone let alone an internet connection. We are having a great time here as we always do.

The trip started on Saturday morning in the rain. It took a lot of stops to get all the way up here, but the journey as they say is half of the fun. The road in was better than we had been told it would be, but it still was quite an experience. There were a couple of places that the road had washed out completely and then been given a hasty repair. Blaze was able to crawl through without any major problems though. The only place that even required 4-wheel drive was the last approach as it is about a 45 degree slope of very slick and loose rock.

We got to the tracks and unloaded all of our stuff in the rain and then went across the lake in the rain to get the pontoon boat to haul everything to the cabin in the rain and then we unloaded the boat in the rain and hauled it to the cabin in the rain. After we had been here for about an hour the rain stopped and we had a cloudy evening.

We had a lot to do to get the cabin ready to live in. the last group apparently had not put cleanliness very high on their list of priorities. Combine that with the inhabitants of the cabin that stay when the humans leave, and we had a good deal of your garden variety filth to clean up. The nice thing is that we expect some of that when we come so it is not all that unsettling.

Bed time came after a supper of pizza and a nice long game of Phase10 (I won). The beds are better than some but not like home. We caught one mouse in the night.

In the morning we got up and had cereal and toast and began our fun in earnest. We had to fix the diving pier and then we had some other minor maintenance issues to go through. All in all, the rest of the trip has been about having fun though. Here is a list of what we do in Canada in order to have fun:

Eat
Read
Sleep
Eat
Swim
Play cards
Eat
Boat rides
Eat
Sleep
Walk on the railroad tracks
Eat
Sleep
Fireworks

If any of that gets boring you are always allowed to take a minute to snack or nap.

Well, tomorrow we are going to be heading out. The radio claims that we are supposed to have good weather for the drive out, and that is a very nice thing to hear. We do look forward to getting home to all of our creature comforts, but it is always hard to leave the creatures and the discomforts too. Lake Mongoose is definitely a place that has been touched by the Hand of God and is one the best places on earth to be. We are looking forward to the opportunity to come back soon. I guess that will depend on how bad the road gets and whether we can save all the money we need to buy passports for the next trip! Here is a pic of the lake at a little past sunset from the front porch of the cabin. It might not be a desert sunset, but it is definitely a beautiful view.

Life as a single man again

Well, this summer so far has given me a look at how my life would have been if I had not gotten married. My wife and kids went on one vacation without me, and this week have been gone to a wedding in Iowa and left me all alone. Well, I did have the dogs to keep me company. One thing I can tell you right now is that there would be fewer of those if I was single! I love dogs, but...

With the holiday this week I was simply not able to go to the wedding. I put in quite a few long days and then worked into the late evening before crashing in bed, so I guess it all worked out okay.

People have been asking me if I am enjoying my time alone. I can honestly say that I feel like a part of me is missing when Tammi and the kids are gone. I can get out of the funk when I am out with other people like at work or church, but when I come home there is nothing there but the reminders of what is not there. It usually results in my staying outside until bed or turning on the TV and ignoring everything else.

It is a shame that I do not feel the same way about my spiritual life most of the time. There are times that I have walked away from God and I don't have that close relationship with Him anymore, but I have allowed myself to ignore the feeling of loneliness. I am trying to become more aware of that little voice that reminds me that I have been straying. I have the honor of teaching my Sunday School class, and that is what we talked about this morning.

The lesson centered on Nehemiah 8:1-12. It was about the Jewish people realizing that they had a need for God in their lives. Through building the wall they watched the faith of Nehemiah and the relationship he had with God. I believe this example led to the people wanting to have what he had. The people realized they had strayed and felt guilty about it. They repented and after being encouraged by Ezra they went on to rejoice in the love of the Father. They heard the Word of God and responded by making changes in their lives.

That is the thing I need to get better at. I do a really good job feeding my face, but not a good enough job feeding my spirit. Think about this, how would you like your physical health to be the same as your spiritual health? I am afraid to even begin to think how sick and near death I would be most of the time. I think the same could be said for most of us.

My wife and kids are gone until tonight sometime, but the neat thing is that God is never away from me. He is always right there only as far away as I can push Him - my arm's length. Thank God that His arms are longer then mine though. When I realize my shortcomings and call out to Him He has me in His arms in an instant. I guess you could say that I might be living this week as a single man, but I am never alone.

Well, have a great however long it will be until I write again.

Checking In

Well, as I too often write things have been very busy at Hide Manor. I apologize to both of my readers that I have been somewhat lacking in my posts, but I have been extremely busy. I am hoping that things are going to slow down a bit in the near future, but I am not going to hold my breath as the summer business is starting to pick up.

Major breaking news would be that my job is probably going to make a big change in the next 6 months or so. I will probably be losing my big cookie van and start doing more of a pre-sell type of sales and service. I will go to the stores and write the orders and then the truck will deliver it a couple of days later. There will be a learning curve, and I am not sure what kind of time adjustments I will have to make. I know there also will be a change in commission - lower - but it is supposed to be off-set by additional acounts on my territory. We will have to see what exactly happens. Just keep it all in prayer for me!

Jessica will be going to camp this week, and she is very excited. I can't blame her! I wold love to go to camp for a week too. Zach is looking forward to a wekk of being the only child too. I think that next year we are going to take off and go to Mackinac Island while the kids are both at camp. That way we will finally be able to be up there when the lilacs are in bloom, and Tammi will not have to spend the week at home alone. Our babies are growing up! (Soft sniffling sounds)

Anyway, I need to sign off. I know that I do not write often or much, but I do what I can. This past week it was painfully obvious to me that I am stretched too thin. It is hard to be all I "need" to be for every person who knows me. It leaves me some weeks feeling like I have to make my own wife and kids take a number to get a few minutes with me. That is what this week was like. Very draining on the body, heart, and mind. They say that those things that do not kill you will make you stronger, but sometimes you just have to think, "I have a peaceful eternity ahead of me, so can I go now?"

Well, Take care, I still check in on the blogs that I know of. Ric, if I am not meeting the minimum posts to stay on your list I understand, and will not be hurt if I am cut lose into that great wateland of cyberspace. I leave that decision in your hands. Glad to hear that you might be getting out of maintenance.

Goodbye, and God bless!

Tom

I will leave you with this:

Home from the Windy City

Just got back from Chicago, and I am now sure that there is no better place on earth than my own little piece of real estate far from all of that stupidity. The traffic down there was beyond crazy, and I am pretty sure that I paid the annual salary of at least one highway worker with all of the tolls I was forced to pay for!



Seriously, we did have a good time, and got to see a lot of things we had never seen before. We also had the opportunity to spend an evening with Tammi's cousin who lives south of Chicago. We love our trips, but we both thought that we crammed too much in to this little trip. Next time we will take smaller bites and chew carefully rather than swallowing the entire Cook County area in three big bites.



Here are a few of our pics from the trip.

That's all for now. Things are very busy. I will drop a line sometime soon if all goes well!

Time for a quickie!

Okay, maybe that was not the best choice of words to use for a title, but that is about all I have the time for tonight. I have received loads (1) of requests for an update as to what is going on in my life, so here is a quick run down.

Vehicles

Well, Blaze went and cost me money. I had finally gotten the gas tank fixed and took her out on a run to TC. Tammi and I were buzzing along about 60mph on Hammond Road and had a ball joint separate. Managed to hold her on the road, but she was in a bad way. Got towed and fixed to the tune of $1,000. One week later the mini-van locked up a front caliper and we had the pleasure of handing over another $360. These items were definitely not expected or budgeted, and the nice little nest egg that we had built up ripped out of the checking account faster than you can say (insert favorite "faster than you can say thing" here).

Work

Things have been slower the last few weeks. Gas prices are a big part of it as well as the time of year. I have had about 8 voice messages so far this week (it's Monday) telling me to get my volume up and quick. It is funny how they never give us a call when things are going really well to say how amazed they are at how much I am selling!

Kids

The offspring are doing very well. Zach is finally starting to get the hang of his teacher I think. She is just different than anything he has had before. He's got a little stubborn streak that does not want to change just for her, but he is coming around. Jessica is doing well in school, and she is starting a 4-H gardener's program that I am helping with on Tuesdays after school. (yep, I needed another thing to do!)

Tammi & Me

I just have to tell you that there is nothing more wonderful that I have been blessed with than my wife. I have to tell you partly because it is true, and partly because she reads this thing! We just finished repainting and working over our bedroom decor again. It is a very comfy and relaxing green and tan. It feels so good to go there and curl with a book before bed.

Church

As always, things are busy here. We had the egg hunt, then a wedding, next week a tea, then a Trout Festival Firework thing, then a Men's retreat, then one week off, then a work day. That is what I am doin on my Saturday's for the next little bit. I do try to set aside my Sunday afternoons for a bit of peace and quiet watching 43 cars rip around while turning left. I am still teaching Sunday School, and this next week we will be starting a new study on Nehemiah. I am really looking forward to it. We just finished James, and it was very good, but time for something new.

Well, I guess that is enough for now. I have a checkbook to balance! Talk at you all (both) another time. I'll leave you this little funny that made me chuckle.

How ya'll doin'?

Howdy! I am trying to make the effort at being more regular on this! I had a bunch of stuff planned that I was going to do tonight while the kids are at AWANA, but I left some of the more crucial things at home, soooooo.

We had a nice weekend here. The weather the last few days has been better than great. We have seen temps in the upper 40's and lower 50's. Tomorrow is supposed to be the last day of that and then we will slide back into the normal temps of upper 30's and low 40's. It was nice working today with just a light jacket on.

Blaze will rise the day after tomorrow. We got the tank sealed over the weekend, and today I put the undercoat sealer on it. Tomorrow night I will put it back in and then on Wednesday I can finally put some gas in it and go for a ride! It has been too long, and I am really looking forward to having something besides the minivan to drive!

Just have a couple of things to get fixed and then I will drive it for a while and see if anything else pops up. I am getting some very nearly new tires from my brother-in-law and then I need to get a rear-wheel bearing replaced I think. It seems like I am fixing a lot, but when you consider how much I was going to have to put into Black Beauty to get her through the winter, and the fact that Blaze was a free gift, I am still WAAAAYYYY ahead. Besides, I think I have a cousin that will help me out with some labor on the wheel bearing for the price of some cookies.

It was kind of funny the other night I was talking about the work I was doing on the Blazer and Jessica said she hoped that someday I would have a truck I would be happy with. It gave me a chance to talk to her about the difference between coveting and being content. I told her that I would really like to have a nice new GMC Sierra 4-door 3/4 ton burgundy with a lot of chrome (not that I have put much thought into it), but that I didn't need it. God provided the Blazer, and I am very grateful to have it. I know that I do not need that big new truck. I am more concerned with taking care of what I have and thanking God for the answer to prayer. I think she got it, but we will know more later!

Anyway, I guess I will sign off now and work on something else for a little while. Take care and I will talk at ya later!

I'll play nice

I just wanted to take a second and apologize to Icepac for letting him get under my skin. I know it seems like a trivial thing, and I did not get angry about anything he said, but I did get a little petty in my comments. So, I apologize, now let's all get along!

Pulled the gas tank out of Blaze today. She's got two little pin holes right in the spot where they put that nice little plastic shroud to protect the tank. Funny how in the design process (done in Michigan) that they have not yet figured out that when you create a pocket that can hold salt and gravel and water you have created a breeding ground for rust. The rest of the tank has no rust on it, but everything behind the protective plastic is rusty. I guess I'm missing something!

Anyway, tomorrow I will start the repair work and the resealing of the tank. Then after a five day curing session I can put gas in the tank and (trumpets sounding) Blaze will ride again! I am saving about $150 by repairing my tank rather than replacing it, but it is taking an entire week rather than about three hours.........

Busy week this week. Work was very nice and I finished with about 15% more in sales than I thought I would pull off. I also had jury duty on Thursday, so I didn't have to go to work. I did not get picked for the jury, so I had almost the entire day off to spend at home with my sweetie! We had a very nice day.

Well, I am going to go tuck the little monsters in and then sit down and watch a movie. Later!

What????????????

Well, my friend took the bait and posted another comment (see previous post). I wanted to prove that I am not a "terrorist" to this poor misguided soul, but I do not understand why he lumps gays and liberals in with people who like that flick. I guess I need to get my finger back on the pulse of today's culture or something like that.

Anyway, I hope this serves as a lesson to all. When you blog you will get the occasional wackadoo (isn't that a fun sounding word?) who feels they need to stomp across what you write. Remember to try not to offend, but stand your ground. Thank those who created blogger for the capability to moderate comments!

Until we talk again, I leave you with these words of wisdom...

"We all will have suffering in our lives. Misery is an option."

In HIS Grip,
Tom

A Rebuttal (of sorts)

Well, apparently my review of Talladega Nights caused a bit of controversy, not becasue they disagreed with my opinion of that movie, but because I mentioned the movie Ishtar in a less than elevated manner. I guess this guy (see comment on previous post) has set up some kind of sniffer to find when people mention this movie that he feels is so great. How many people out there are talking about Ishtar? That has gotta result in like 1 hit a month on a good month!

Anyway, he pretty much said that I am not a very bright person for putting down his flick. I guess I have to to take a cue from a friend of mine (props to you , Ric). If you do not like what I have written on my blog that is fine and dandy. You have the right to your opinion. I just ask you to remember that you are not held hostage here, nor is this blog being sent out in virus form. There are a lot of other things to look at, and some of them may agree with you!

For all three of my regular readers (fiber is good), please disregard the followng paragraph as I am trying to see if that yo-yo is going to comment again: Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar Ishtar. I think that is enough.

Big snow storm coming in the next couple of days. It sounds like the magic oven is going to be sliding sideways down the highway. Should be interesting. well, I am going to sign off now. I wonder if my friend will write back. I felt hurt at first and then went and looked at some of the stuff on his blog. I feel much better now.

I bid you adieu!

Home - Playing Hookey

Well, today I am not going to work! Jessica woke us up at about 4:00am by worshipping at the porcelain altar. Tammi was scheduled to work today, and she was going to be running the clinic by herself, so Dad stays home! I like having the day off, but tomorrow is going to be a rough day now. Oh, well, what am I supposed to do? I know Tammi would rather be home, so we will just soldier on and everything will work out in the end.

I will take a moment to give a movie review here. Make no mistake, I love NASCAR. I would even go so far as to say that up until this morning there was nothing NASCAR that I did not like (with the exception of NBC's NASCAR coverage). This morning I finally had the misopportunity to watch Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. This movie made Ishtar look like an Academy award winner. It was painfully bad. I had been told that you would either love it or hate it, b ut this flick took crap to a whole new low. There, my soul has been cleansed.

Well, old Blaze needs a gas tank repair. She has been hemmorhaging something fierce, and besides the fact that it is not very safe to have a leaking gas tank, it is getting pretty expensive. She can drain a 1/4 tank overnight. So, she sits for now until I can have a little warmer weather to remove and repair the offending tank. Keep her and my wallet in your prayers!

Other than that, the only major thing going on in my life is church. As always there are ups & downs there. We are nearing the end of our study in James in our Sunday School class, and it has been very good - for me at least. Sometime I am not sure if anyone else gets anything out of it. We are going to do a study on Nehemiah next. I have been listening to a sermon series onthe book, and it has really challenged me in a lot of ways to be a better husband, parent, person, teacher, friend, & a whole lot more. I highly recommend it!

Well, take care of yourselves - the three of you that have replied! I hope your day goes well, and until I blog again - adieu.

Still here

Just want to take a second to see if anyone is looking. Life is very hectic, but we are still here. I guess I would like to know if anybody is reading this or even checking it anymore. Please let me know by leaving a comment. I guess that will help me decide if I am going to try to make this a priority again. It is not that I don't want to write, but if I am simply writing for my own amusement then I have other things that I can devote the energy to. IF there are a few people that truly do want that little peek into what goes on at Hyde Manor then I am willing to continue. Let me know!

Just checking in

Hello! Things have been quite busy around here lately. We are all well and everything is going along quite "swimmingly". I am hoping to have some time to check in with a serious blog in the next week. I know that you all are clamoring for news of what is going on in the Tanner household. I will tell you that Black Beauty left today, and though she served me well for over 7 years she will not be missed.

As for the contest for naming my new wheels we had a grand total of one entry and by her own admission her entry was lame. Therefore I think we will give the new steed a name befitting her color and standing as a faithful beast of burden. So, tomorrow I will go out and climb into "Blaze" and make my way to church.

I know, naming a Blazer Blaze is not much better than calling a red vehicle red, but it is my car, my contest, and the only person who has a right to complain is the one who voted! Thank you, Megan, for your participation. Talk to you all later.

God Bless!